As a homeowner, it is up to you to learn about potentially dangerous features of a property. Excessive exposure to lead paint can lead to serious health issues, including hearing problems and anemia in young children. Use this guide to learn about lead paint and what it could mean for your living situation:
Older Homes Probably Have Lead Paint
Lead paint is commonly found in homes built before 1978. If you own an older home with lead paint, you must be careful with any renovation projects that you commission. The Environmental Protection Agency enacted a new rule in 2010 that says any contractor working on more than six square feet of painted surfaces in these older homes must be trained and certified by the EPA.
Lead Testing
If you are unsure whether or not lead paint was used in your home, you can request a test. A certified renovator can come into your home with either LeadCheck or D-Lead test kits to take samples from the paint in your home. If your results come back negative, you do not have to hire special contractors to do any renovations. If the tests come back positive, though, you will have to hire an EPA-certified contractor.
Renovation Checklists
Whenever you get any work done in your home, it is important to hold onto the records about the job. If you have lead paint in your house, you should have paperwork that talks about the process that the contractor used during the remodel. When the time comes to sell your home, you should give the new owner all of this paperwork so they know more about the work that was done.
If you no longer want to live in a home with lead paint, Castle & Cooke Arizona can help. As the premier new homebuilder in Arizona, we have newer, environmentally friendly properties that can meet all of your needs, and we never use lead paint on any of our brand new homes. To learn more about our properties and homes for sale in Sierra Vista, visit us online or call (520) 378-5110.