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Delaware Lead Paint Visual Inspection
If you are buying any property that was build before 1978, you should get a Lead Visual Inspection from a Delaware State Certified Lead Inspector as your first step.
Lead Facts
- Lead paint was banned in U.S. residential paint in 1978
- Children under six are most at risk
- Lead poisoning causes learning and developmental disabilities
- The primary cause is tiny particles of lead dust from deteriorated paint or from painted surfaces disturbed during remodeling, repair or renovation.
- Lead dust is do tiny in fact it passes through most mask and filters.
- Lead poisoning affects adults as well as kids.
The Problem
Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that hurts almost all body organs, particularly the kidneys, red blood cells,, and central nervous system. In young children, lead retards the development of the central nervous system and the brain.
Today, most children are poisoned by ingesting leaded household dust. This dust is created when lead paint deteriorates from age, exposure to the elements, from water damage, or during home renovations.
Housing Conditions in Delaware
Lead in dust from deteriorated lead-based paint in old housing is now considered the primary cause of childhood lead poisoning. Old housing contains large concentrations of lead in paint. Paint manufacturers began phasing out lead in residential paints in the 1950s and the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned it in 1978. The highest risk of lead poisoning from paint occurs in housing built prior to 1960. Both deteriorated housing conditions and renovation of pre-1960 housing without regard to lead safe work practices present a high risk of poisoning.
The 2000 census reports the following about the age of housing in Delaware:
As a rule, the older the building the more likely it is that it has lead. According to HUD ...
- 90% of pre-1940 buildings have lead.
- 80% of pre-1960 buildings have lead,
- 62% of pre-1978 buildings have lead.
Avoiding Lead
The CDC recommends that pregnamt women and young children avoid housing built before 1978 that is undergoing renovation. Other recommendations include regularly washing children's hands and toys; frequent washing of floors and window sills, where paint dust can collect; and avoiding hot tap water for drinking, cooking and making baby formula. Hot tap water generally contains higher lead levels from plumbing than cold water in older homes.
Sources
Pediatics: www.pediatrics.org
CDC: www.cdec.gov
EPA: www.epa.gov/region02/lead/
HUD: www.hud.gov/offices/lead/healthyhomes/lead.cfm
The best way to find out if your home has a potential lead paint hazard is to have a Lead Visual Inspection performed by our Delaware State Certified Lead Inspector. Schedule an appointment with Shewell Inspections today.
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