Lead Paint and Real Estate: Is It a Problem That Affects You?
Although paint containing lead is long obsolete, it is still an issue of concern for both homeowners and real estate agents. In 1992, a new law referred to as the Housing and Community Development Act made it so that a seller of real estate was required to disclose potential use of lead paint to the buyer at the time of sale. Lead had been used as a paint additive for over a century before it was linked to serious illnesses in about 1978. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, in 1992, implemented a law establishing the requirement that if any lead-based paint was used in a home it must be formally disclosed in writing to the buyer. There is no requirement to do any actual testing for lead paint so the law seema almost too easy to follow, but the requirement to report the presence of any lead paint is clear. There are specified mandatory warnings for those instances when lead paint was used, and the 1992 law applies to all homes built prior to when lead was made illegal as an additive in 1978. Homes built after 1978 are not affected, since that was when the use of lead paint was stopped.
How Can Lead Paint Harm You?
The presence of lead paint can lead to lead poisoning. Children under six are at the greatest risk of developing lead poisoning from lead paint because their young, growing bodies take in whatever they touch, be it a beneficial mineral like calcium or something dangerous like lead. High levels of lead can cause brain and vital organ damage, behavioral problems, hearing problems, and damage to the nervous system. These problems can occur in both adults and children, and additionally in the case of children, growth patterns can be hampered.
Any home that was built before 1978 that has cracked, peeling, or chipping paint should be treated as a hazard and should be removed as a high priority. If lead paint was used around window or door frames in the home, normal usage of these items may be making a surprisingly large amount of dust that contains lead. Lead dust is potentially hazardous and can be almost impossible to dispose of. Vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting can cause it to get back into the air and it just gets stirred up whenever you go near it. The dust can be tracked out into the yard where it will contaminate the soil around the home. This could pose yet another danger to children and pets.
To find out whether your home has lead paint, the EPA recommends that homes built prior to 1978 get a paint inspection conducted by a trained professional. A competent inspection will let you determine the degree of safety of lead content in every painted surface in the home and will reveal any areas of lead exposure.
Though there are kits that individuals can buy to conduct the testing themselves, the EPA recommends an inspection by an experienced inspector to find any dangerous areas that may be overlooked by a nonprofessional. In some states there are specific rules and regulations concerning fixing of a lead paint problem, and professional inspectors will be able to provide the right information.
Article presented by Automated Homefinder, your Colorado Denver real estate professionals.
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Linda Zimmerman, GRI, e-PRO, SRES |
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