Importance of Hired Professionals for Lead Paint Removal

Lead paint was a very common material used in construction from the early twentieth century, all the way up to when it was banned in the 1970’s. With the passage of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, lead paint was to be phased out of use, and by the end of the 1970’s completely banned for any consumer use. Homes built prior to the ban, however, would almost always have been painted with some form of lead paint, therefore making it a health hazard for anyone living in those homes and looking to renovate. Lead paint removal is an important task that protects the health of workers and homeowners and should only be performed by professionals to ensure it is removed completely, and safely.

Lead Paint Removal

Before any sort of renovations or construction happens on a home or business that was built before the 1980’s, it’s always a good idea to have the building inspected first for lead paint. Calling an EPA and OSHA certified lead paint removal service is the best course of action to get current paint in the building tested so that work can go forward in a safe manner. If lead paint has been detected, then the removal service can get down to work removing the lead paint safely and disposing of it in a way that is environmentally friendly, and follows the local, state, and federal laws.

Lead paint removal is more than just scraping paint off walls, because lead paint, when chipped, can become airborne as particles, and be inhaled. Lead paint that is inhaled can affect the mouth, throat, and lungs, and result in lead poisoning. It can also cause lung, throat, and other cancers to develop over time. Lead poisoning over time can shut down organs, cause fertility issues, and damage the brain, especially in children, so it must be avoided. A professional lead paint removal company will either attempt a wet method of paint removal, keeping the paint constantly wet so it can’t become airborne as particles, or a dry method using a negative air pressure isolation area and fully removing painted materials. Either method requires great care, and must be done while wearing full PPE, goggles, and HEPA respirators.

Don’t Just Hide Lead Paint

Many homeowners may think that just covering lead paint can prevent any issues that can come from it, and while this is a temporary solution, it’s not good enough. Just covering the paint leaves the problem for someone else, or you in the future, and worst case, the paint can still get chipped or damaged and end up harming someone.

Hire Lead Paint Removal Professionals

Due to the hazardous and toxic nature of lead paint, it’s important to always hire an EPA and OSHA certified and trained lead paint removal professional company to remediate lead paint from a building. Through proper removal of lead paint, workers and homeowners can rest assured they will not suffer any adverse health side effects when it comes to construction and renovation.