Lead Paint Removal
Has anyone bought any property built over 30 years ago that had lead paint and needed to have it removed?
Questions:
Does the removal need to be completed by a licenced HAZMAT professional or can I do it?
If a professional is needed any idea what the cost would be on a 2000 sq.ft house?
Thanks;
Ralph
Removal of L BP hazard is called an abatement. If you are going to abate, then yes, it must be done by a professionally licensed abatement contractor. And yes, it is expensive.
If you do it yourself it's not an abatement -- it's a mess. The key to removing LBP is in controlling the residual dust and cleaning up afterward so you can pass a clearance test done by an environmental testing lab.
If this cleaning is not done right the property will be worse than before.
Any old cleanup won't do. Lead is heavier than typical dust. A mop won't pick it up....it just kinda moves it around. And you fail your Clearance test. Paint chips in the soil will fail you also. Sanding and scraping and sawing of wood elements with LBP on them frees the lead into the air and is a big NO-NO. So is pressure washing.
www.Etc.etc.
But look...
what you really want to know is whether you need to abate the lead paint or just stabilize it. Even HUD doesn't require LBP abatements on federally funded housing projects unless the renovation exceeds $25k in fed fuinds (I believe it is...). They call for stabilizing the paint by removing loose chips using "Lead-safe work practices" with trained workers, and encapsulating the lead...i.e. new coat of paint...or vinyl flooring.. etc.
On private work who is requiring a lead abatement?
I will say that as tenants become more aware of this issue, private landlords are in for some big liability suits. And they will lose. A hurt child is an awful claim to have against you.
To learn about the specifics of LBP go to the HUD website. You'll find more than you ever wanted to know.
Thanks for the input. I figured it would be costly since the house was too good a deal.
Just curious, but why would you ever want to remove lead based paint?
That's the key question. And like asbestos, often it's better to contain lbp than disturb it.
So, the real short answer is that with lbp on your property you want to be able to correctly prep, repaint and clean without releasing the hazard.
If a prop owner wish to cover him/herself from liability (perhaps tenants have small children) then hire an environmental firm to document the presence of the lead on your property ($300 or so....), then to "clear" the property by testing for dust (another $300...) after you've made your repairs. [Note: they'll sell you services for over $1,000 but just tell them you want these two].
Here's a tip. Plastic mini-blinds are a big source of lead dust. They'll fail your clearance tests over and over. Toss all the old blinds.
a property I just purchased had a child get sick in it 3 years ago due to lead based paint. the man I purchased the house from told me there are only 2 contractors in my county approved for the abatement. the city health board was the one that gave the approval. for a 1200 sq foot house, it cost $1885. the paperwork I've got says allowable levels are 250 and my final results came in under 20 - whatever that all means. I did check with the city to be sure there was nothing continuing in nature that I needed to follow up with and she said the house was now 'fine'.
I looked into some HUD properties in Boston an was tld I needed an inspection and have the unit approve before anyone could occuppy it. I turned down the deal due to that reason.
Generally the best thing to do is to paint over the lead paint. That is what abating it really is. Unless they remove the sheetrock and trim and all painted surfaces and replace that is all they are doing...
[addsig]
Why do you need it removed? I sold two houses this week. Both have Lead paint as they were built in 1916 and 1920 (nice higher end homes in our area. I have never heard of it being an issue?? If it s over 30 years old then it probably has been painted over many times anyway...
[addsig]
Why do you need it removed? I sold two houses this week. Both have Lead paint as they were built in 1916 and 1920 (nice higher end homes in our area. I have never heard of it being an issue?? If it s over 30 years old then it probably has been painted over many times anyway...
Simply disclose it..
[addsig]