It is safe to live in a house with lead paint IF the paint shows no signs of deterioration. However, we encourage you to read the entire article to understand better why the answer is not quite that simple.
That is the very brief answer to the question, but there is much more to the question than just this. More angles and questions to be asked. The questions to ask are not always easy, and the answers are not always easy either. This issue is complicated in many ways.
It can be safe to live in your home even if painted with lead-based paint. First and foremost, there cannot be any signs of any cracks. But are you sure that this is also the case? Are you sure that the paint used on your house more than 40 years ago doesn’t show signs of aging? Your house has survived for a long time, but is that also the case for the paint?
While there may be lead-based paint examples that have survived many years, this certainly isn’t always the case. It is far from common that the old paint is still 100% in good shape today. And even if the interior paint is still flawless, is this also the case with the exterior paint?
Table of contents
- The exterior
- A dishonest contractor
- A simple breeze
- What are some of the consequences?
- So, who is especially at risk?
- Are you a landlord?
- Being a landlord means financial gains
- Is this a real concern you should be thinking about?
The exterior
Has the exterior paint withstood more than 40 years of the weather’s beating? Constant wind, occasional rain, and varying temperatures. Not to forget the burning rays of the sun. The chances are that the exterior paint is showing signs of aging. The paint used outside may be of a higher quality. But there are still limitations to how long the paint can withstand the weather conditions. Eventually, the paint will show deterioration.
Factors of deterioration
- Constant wind
- Occasional rain
- Direct sun
- Hot summers
- Frost during winters
- Passing of time
What happens when the exterior paint starts showing issues, while the interior paint may still be in good condition?
The exterior paint is probably the first one that will start being an issue. You may have thought it is okay because you do not have to deal with an inside issue. That’s not necessarily the case. The reality is that you should know the state of your paint for certain. To know that, you can find a test kit that can tell you whether your paint on the outside of your home is dangerous.
And while we’re on that subject, we also recommend you to read another article that we recently published. The article covers a related topic – whether all homes built before 1978 have lead paint.
Suppose that you’re in a situation where you have tested your home, and the results came back negative. In that case, you might be happy with the result.
However, there may also be a risk that you didn’t do enough or the correct testing. Unfortunately, a single or just a few testing may not be sufficient. In reality, you should not rely on the result of one simple test from one surface and accept this result for the whole house. You may not want to test every surface, but this is how you get the most reliable results you were looking for.
A certain paint that has been used in the kitchen is not necessarily also used in the bathroom. Maybe the different functionality of the various rooms has required different paint types. Or perhaps a remodel of the house was done at some point, and another paint was used.
If you were to remodel your home today, would you even know what paint was used during the last remodel? Some people may keep unused paint in their basement, but mostly this is not the case. Often you can’t or won’t use the same paint.
A dishonest contractor
Take an example where the contractor ran out of the initial type of paint. What if the subsequent choice ended up not being quite as good as the first one? Or perhaps the correct safety precautions weren’t followed at that time.
The contractor may have been limited time-wise and needed to be done with the project.
Maybe a more inexpensive and less safe choice or paint method was used. Cutting a corner meant that the higher quality of paint wasn’t chosen. Even though maybe it should have been the higher quality according to the contract, most likely no one would realize.
Even if someone did realize, it would be too late to do anything about it. Many years later, perhaps someone would realize that the paint didn’t age quite like the rest of the home. Asking the contractor many years later will not be possible, and maybe he’s not around anymore.
Let’s assume that the paint chosen was lead-based.
So, you’re now in a reality where you have different rooms that may have been updated at different times. Maybe even by several different contractors?
Perhaps the contractor who built your home is still around. They won’t accept the liability and deal with the situation many years later and abate the bad paint. Do you even have records that prove that they were responsible for your present situation?
So, we have established that it is very unlikely that you know whether or not there is lead in the paint. At least not without having tested every single surface in your home. And the reality is even more complicated than that.
The paint inside your home may be safe and somehow have managed not to deteriorate since it was used. The outside paint has not been submitted to the same conditions. It may not be quite as obvious as the inside paint. The deteriorating outside paint discharges lead dust particles onto the ground. They can now contaminate in various ways. It may be that the particles are only lying on the top of the ground. But there is also another very likely possibility.
A simple breeze
You were trying to do something good by opening the windows. Still, it’s a breeze that could have detrimental consequences on your family’s health.
We have all been told that you should go outside. We should get some fresh air. If opening up the windows means that you are bringing in many lead particles, it is a major issue.
Perhaps the interior paint turned out to be in good condition, showing no signs of aging. On the other hand, the exterior paint had all sorts of cracks and other signs of deterioration. This ultimately meant lead dust was still entering your home. All of that happened in your pursuit to stay healthy and bring some of that summer or spring air inside.
Opening up the windows was one of those things that you thought you could easily do, even recommended. However, the contrary can be the case. And there are more ways deteriorating exterior paint can affect you and your family.
Perhaps your family is much like the standard American family. And if you have children, there is an even bigger risk that you can be exposed without you even knowing.
Remember how we mentioned that the particles from the problematic lead could also be contaminating the soil?
Suppose you are like many American families and are interested in raising curious and independent children. In that case, you may have a vegetable garden. This is one of the activities that can raise their curiosity and introduce them to the culinary world.
What better way to introduce them to the culinary world and at the same time promote their responsibility than to plant your vegetable garden behind the house?
This project may be the reason why their blood lead levels are elevated.
Perhaps you and your family enjoy spending the Sunday afternoon in the garden taking care of those carrots and tomatoes that you planted. You also use it for the food you are cooking. From where do these plants get their nutrients?
They are not just getting all the good nutrients from the ground. They’re also absorbing some harmful particles. That means that your tomato plant could be taking in those lead particles. In your process of encouraging your children to eat more vegetables, they’re being exposed to heavy metals. Those deliciously tasting miracles from your backyard are now becoming dangerous. They can be a reason if your child is having issues in school.
Health risks
- Liver disease
- Development delay
- Cognitive decline
- Kidney problems
Symptoms
| Concentration or thinking difficulties | Hypertension |
| Irritability | Headaches |
| Constipation | Nausea |
| Tingling, pain, or weakness in the hands and feet | Pain in the abdomen |
| Motor or mobility issues | Mood disorders |
| Insomnia | Anemia |
| Pain in the joints and muscles | Weight loss |
| Lethargy |
Risks if not complying to regulations
- Health risks to those living there
- Health risks to those visiting
- Financial consequences if renting out
- Legal consequences if reported to authorities
Another and more likely scenario is that it isn’t the EPA that comes asking for the documentation. Another situation to be prepared for is often forgotten. A tenant likely reports a landlord for negligence if he or she discovers a problem of this kind. Or perhaps if some of the fundamental rights have been ignored.
Yes, you need to ensure yourself. You need to live up to both the federal and state requirements when informing homeowners of the potential risk of lead exposure.
Are you a landlord and want to investigate deeper into these things yourself? In that case, we recommend that you continue reading on the EPA’s website.
Regulations
| Legal regulations | |
| Year | Subject |
| 1978 | Lead prohibited in paint |
| 1992 | Lead prohibited in consumer products |
| 2008 (+2010 + 2011) | EPA’s RRP rules (updated) |
