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Quality painting Eugene Oregon
LEAD-SAFE CERTIFIED
Was your home or building built before 1978?
There are a few important things you need to know about lead-based paint and the safety when work is being done on your home or building. Harris Paining llc is Lead Certified, We care about your home and the health and well being of
of your loved ones.
FACTS ABOUT LEAD
• Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems, causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Lead is also harmful to adults.
• Lead in dust is the most common way people are exposed to lead. People can also get lead in their bodies from lead in soil or paint chips. Lead dust is often invisible.
• Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978.
• Projects that disturb painted surfaces can create dust and endanger you and your family. Don’t let this happen to you. Follow the practices described in this pamphlet to protect you and your family.
LAWS ON LEAD PAINT
Federal law requires contractors that disturb painted surfaces in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 to be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. Always ask to see your contractor’s certification.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renovating more than six square feet of painted surfaces in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet of painted surfaces for exterior projects or window replacement or demolition in housing, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.
• Homeowners and tenants: renovators must give a lead safty pamphlet before starting work.
DURRING THE WORK
1. Contain the work area. The area must be contained so that dust and debris do not escape from that area. Warning signs must be put up and plastic or other impermeable material and tape must be used as appropriate to:
• Cover the floors and any furniture that cannot be moved.
• Seal off doors and heating and cooling system vents.
• For exterior renovations, cover the ground and, in some instances, erect vertical containment or equivalent extra precautions in containing the work area.
These work practices will help prevent dust or debris from getting outside the work area.
2. Avoid renovation methods that generate large amounts of lead-contaminated dust. Some methods generate so much lead-contaminated dust that their use is prohibited. They are:
• Open flame burning or torching.
• Sanding, grinding, planing, needle gunning, or blasting with power tools and equipment not equipped with a shroud and HEPA vacuum attachment.
• Using a heat gun at temperatures greater than 1100°F.
There is no way to eliminate dust, but some renovation methods make less dust than others. Contractors may choose to use various methods to minimize dust generation, including using water to mist areas before sanding or scraping; scoring paint before separating components; and prying and pulling apart components instead of breaking them.
3. Clean up thoroughly. The work area should be cleaned up daily to keep it as clean as possible. When all the work is done, the area must be cleaned up using special cleaning methods before taking down any plastic that isolates the work area from the rest of the home. The special cleaning methods should include:
• Using a HEPA vacuum to clean up dust and debris on all surfaces, followed by
• Wet wiping and wet mopping with plenty of rinse water.
When the final cleaning is done, look around. There should be no dust, paint chips, or debris in the work area. If you see any dust, paint chips, or debris, the area must be re-cleaned.
LEAD TESTING
You may decide to assume your home has lead-based paint present and follow the lead-safe work practices during the renovation, repair, or painting job.
We check for traces of lead in paint and can determine if your home has lead or lead hazards.
• A certified inspector or risk assessor can conduct an inspection telling you whether your home, or a portion of your home, has lead-based paint and where it is located. This will tell you the areas in your home where lead-safe work practices are needed.
• A certified risk assessor can conduct a risk assessment telling you if your home currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil. The risk assessor can also tell you what actions to take to address any hazards.
PREPARING RENOVATION
The work areas should not be accessible to occupants while the work occurs.
The rooms or areas where work is being done may need to be blocked off or sealed with plastic sheeting to contain any dust that is generated. Therefore, the contained area may not be available to you until the work in that room or area is complete, cleaned thoroughly, and the containment has been removed. Because you may not have access to some areas during the renovation, you should plan accordingly.
• Alternative bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen arrangements if work is occurring in those areas of your home.
• A safe place for pets because they too can be poisoned by lead and can track lead dust into other areas of the home.
• A separate pathway for the contractor from the work area to the outside in order to bring materials in and out of the home. Ideally, it should not be through the same entrance that your family uses.
• A place to store your furniture. All furniture and belongings may have to be moved from the work area while the work is being done. Items that can’t be moved, such as cabinets, should be wrapped in plastic.
• To turn off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems while the work is being done. This prevents dust from spreading through vents from the work area to the rest of your home. Consider how this may affect your living arrangements.
You may even want to move out of your home temporarily while all or part of the work is being done.
