CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING: Lead is a potent neurotoxin. DIY lead disturbance can cause permanent brain damage. This guide does not replace EPA Lead-Safe Certification.
Painting a home built before 1978 is a high-stakes health and legal procedure. Because 87% of pre-1940 homes contain lead, the preparation phase requires specialized containment to prevent permanent neurological damage.
There are a couple of things you need to know about working on old homes, particularly when it comes to the possibility of dealing with lead.
Lead-based paint was widely used for residential purposes, especially in the early 20th century.
Lead was normally added to household paint because of its many benefits, especially when accelerating the drying time. It increases its resilience to different conditions and prevents corrosion of the metal surfaces it is applied to.
It was later discovered that lead has adverse health effects on people exposed to it, with pregnant women and children the most vulnerable. And with constant exposure or at high amounts, anyone is at risk for lead poisoning. The effects include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Motor issues
- Behavioral problems
- Constipation
- Neurological damage
- Kidney problems
- Miscarriage or premature birth
- Joint and muscle pain
- Cramps
- Developmental delays
- Death
The number of homes that have it in them has steadily declined since discovering its health effects. However, the official banning of lead-based paint for residential use in 1978 does not mean that those who live in such homes are safe.
Undisturbed lead is safe. If it shows signs of damage, it can create dangerous lead dust that anyone can easily inhale. It includes cracks or peels. The risk is even higher when doing renovation or maintenance works on such homes. These tasks can damage the surface and release lead dust into the air.
Exposure to its dust occurs through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact with lead dust or chips, making it a serious concern.
During my time running a lead-test eCommerce company, I found that homeowners often missed lead in the friction points of windows (the sash), even when the walls were clear.
Working Safely with Lead-Based Products
If a home is at risk for potentially having lead-based products, it is a given that painting will not be easy. But most importantly, you need to know how you can work safely with such a home.
You must always observe proper safety measures when doing so, from preparation to cleanup. This includes:
- Wear safety equipment that completely covers your skin, like Tyvek suits. Respirator: Only use a NIOSH-certified P100 respirator. Standard N95 masks do not filter microscopic lead dust.
- Containment: Use 6-mil plastic sheeting to seal all vents, doors, and windows in the work area.
- Minimize the creation of lead dust while working by spraying the surface with water before stripping off the paint when sanding.
- Place coverings on the ground and creating a barrier. It prevents dust from being blown away to other peoples’ properties, which can also put them at risk unknowingly. It’s also done to avoid contaminating the soil when working outdoors.
- Prevent anyone not part of the team from entering the site, especially pregnant women and children.
- Properly clean up spots where layers were removed using a HEPA/Wet-wipe.
While DIY work for lead-based paint is possible, it is not recommended. It is easy to be exposed to lead dust with various home improvement projects.
It’s especially the case when prepping the surface before getting started. There is no way to detect once anyone starts being exposed to lead; you only know it when you start exhibiting the symptoms. That is why this task should be left to the pros.
Not all businesses are qualified for this work, even if the workers are licensed contractors. The EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule mandates that any business disturbing more than six square feet of interior paint or twenty square feet of exterior paint in a pre-1978 facility must be EPA-certified. This rule ensures that only workers trained in lead-safe practices—specifically in containment and specialized cleanup—perform the renovation.
The RRP rule does have a few exceptions. This provision allows non-EPA-certified workers to work on specific projects that may have lead-based paint, such as in:
- Homes that lack bedrooms.
- Already tested homes or surfaces that are declared as free of the dangerous heavy metal.
- Surfaces or spaces that involve six square feet or less of interior paint or twenty feet or less of exterior.
Windows are high-risk areas. Because window sashes are ‘friction surfaces,’ the RRP rule almost always applies to window restoration. Even if the sash itself is less than 6 sq. ft., the creation of lead dust during the sanding of friction points triggers mandatory EPA protocols.
