New EPA Rules for Remodeling of Pre-1978 Homes

If you own a home built before 1978, there may be lead-based paint present in your home. Granted, you may have been through numerous remodeling projects, and you may have brand new drywall or paneling. However, unless you’ve had your home tested and confirmed that it is now lead-free, you have no way of confirming whether there is lead-based paint in your home or not.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA) has issued new rules, which will take effect on April 22, 2010. If you are doing any remodeling work in your pre-1978 home after that date, you may only hire contractors that are certified by the EPA. Specifically, the EPA will be certifying contractors in practices that are “lead-safe”. Of course, if the paint in your house is not being touched, then you may use any contractor you wish. However, most remodeling work does require at least some paint or touch-up. Therefore it is most likely you will have to hire a contractor certified by the EPA.

This new EPA rule applies not only to homes, but to schools and child care centers built before 1978 also, so long as children under the age of six are present in those schools and child care centers. However, the new rule does not apply to minor maintenance, or repairs where less than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed. If the work is on the outside of the home or school, the rule only applies if more than twenty square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed.

In order to avoid accidental lead poisoning, anyone with a home built before 1978, or anyone who has children in a school built before 1978, should be diligent to make sure that any lead-based paint present in their home or school does not endanger the health of their family!