Millions of older homes across the United States have lead paint presence in them as it was known to be a common type of paint back in the early days. But it can pose serious health risks as lead paint is known to deteriorate over time, especially if it is interrupted during home renovations. But first, you need to identify whether your home has lead paint or not. As the name suggests, lead-based paint or lead paint has lead particles in it and it was commonly added to household paints before the 1980s to maintain durability, create resistance to moisture development, and accelerate the drying procedure. But in 1978, many health risks were discovered that were associated with lead paint and it was completely banned. And hence, in current times you are only going to find lead-free paints with anti-corrosive agents and non-lead pigments in hardware stores.
But how would you identify if your home has lead paint? What does lead paint even look like? What are the things you need to look for? It is hence very essential to get the advice of Lead Paint Removal Brisbane from experts before taking a decision for the sake of your family’s health.
Should you remove lead paint by yourself?
Depending on the size of your project and going by the health hazards associated with lead paint, it is generally a good idea to not remove lead paint by yourself. It is often less expensive and easier to leave it to the experts as these are the people who deal with lead-based paints on a daily basis by taking all the necessary precautions. Removing lead paint requires you to encapsulate the surface with a special primer or paint, and seal off the area completely to prevent any kind of contamination, especially if they are working indoors. They might also use power tools and gears with HEPA filtration along with a low-temperature heat gun to capture any kind of lead-based particles in the process. There are also several procedures like wet scraping, wet sanding, and wire brushes that only these professionals possess to remove lead paint.
What are the health risks associated with lead paint?
Lead-based paint was banned in the United States for a good reason. Lead is a dangerous metal, and if you have it in your house, you need to take precautions to ensure that you and your family’s health are not jeopardized.
Lead poisoning is more common in children, and it can occur from a variety of causes. Infants might have an inclination for chewing on surfaces that have been painted with lead. Window sills, Door edges, built-in storage, and even certain toys are good examples of lead-based paints. As children tend to play on the ground, lead paint chips and dust can coat their sticky fingers, which they then put in their mouths. When lead paint peels, splits, chips, or deteriorates over time, releasing lead dust, both children and adults are in danger.
Lead poisoning can happen over time if you are exposed to lead contamination for a long period of time. A person might feel the following symptoms in case of overexposure to lead:
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Exhaustion
- Constipation
- Irritation
- Memory loss
- Tingling of hands or feet
- Weakness
- Depression
- Nausea
Finding professionals to remove lead-based paints:
Your best chance of getting lead paint out of your house is to hire a local lead paint contractor. If you live in an area where many homes were constructed around the same time, ask your neighbors for recommendations, as it is highly likely that someone has hired a lead paint removal business to do their job. Referrals from friends and family are also beneficial. Check out a company’s web reviews and request referrals. For any lead paint-related job, including lead paint removal, it is always a good idea to interview a few companies before choosing the final one. Because various firms will have different removal methods and services to offer, interview at least three professionals who employ diverse approaches to get a sense of what you believe is ideal for your property.
What is your responsibility?
Once you have chosen a professional lead removal contractor, make sure you have a contract in place that spells out their obligations and tasks. Make sure you have a payment plan in place, as well as a strategy for removing contaminated items, storing garbage, and repairing the impacted areas. Keep thorough records of your project, including the hours your professional works, the project’s daily progress, and whether or not they are on time. Keep track of any payments made and the date they were completed. Make a note of where the lead paint is going if your specialist is disposing of it.