The New EPA “Lead-Safe” Regulations
And Why You Need To Know About Them
On April 22, 2010, new Federal EPA regulations went into effect. Firms working on homes built before 1978 must now be certified and use lead-safe practices during renovations.
Before the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the sale of lead-based paint for residential use in 1978, lead-based paints were commonly used on the interiors and exteriors of homes. Lead was added because it helped to speed up the drying process, increased durability, it helped paint to retain a fresh appearance and it increased paint’s ability to resist moisture.
Unfortunately, lead is a dangerous substance. Today, the EPA tells us that 1% of our nation’s children have elevated levels of lead in their system and over 250,000 children are affected nationwide.
Children under the age of six are most at risk – Even from small amounts of lead. The reason they are at greater risk is because their young bodies are developing. Also, you know that kids are always putting their hands and other things in their mouths so that increases the chance they may swallow or inhale lead dust. In children, lead can cause nervous system damage, kidney damage, decreased intelligence, attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities. Lead exposure may also cause speech, language and behavioral problems.
Pregnant women are especially at risk from exposure to lead. Lead is passed from the mother to the fetus and may cause miscarriages, premature births, brain damage and low birth weight.
Adults may also suffer from exposure. Some of the effects are high blood pressure, fertility problems in men and women, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, sexual disorders and muscle or joint pain.
How Widespread Is
Lead-Based Paint In Housing?
According to the American Healthy Homes Survey, dated October 7, 2008, approximately 34 million homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Here is a breakdown of what they found:
- 86 percent of homes built before 1940 have lead-based paint
- 66 percent of homes built in 1940-1959 have lead-based paint
- 25 percent of homes built in 1960-1978 have lead-based paint
Components most likely to be coated with lead-based paint are windows, doors, exterior walls and porches. You should also note that concentrations of lead in paint were higher prior to the 1950s. Paint companies started manufacturing paint with lower amounts of lead after that.
How Can I Tell If My House Has Lead-Based Paint?
In California, our Cal EPA and the California Code of Regulations requires that you have your home tested by a Certified Lead Inspector or Certified Lead Risk Assessor. Do-it-yourself lead test kits that you find at a Home Depot or paint store are not considered to be a valid test in California. Fees for Certified testing vary between $250 -$500, depending on the size of your home, the number of locations that need to be tested and the testing company you choose. If your home has more that one color of paint, each color will need to be tested as well.
Once the testing is complete, you will receive a report that you can keep and present to contractors in the future so that you won’t have to do this again. You should also keep this report in case you ever decide to sell your home because you will be required to disclose whether or not your home has lead paint before you will be able to complete the sales transaction.
What If My Home Does Not Have Any Lead Based Paint?
If your home does not have any lead based paint, the new rules do not apply. Your home may be repaired, remodeled or painted in the same old ways we’ve been doing for years.
**BIG BONUS** For homeowners that are thinking about selling their home, don’t forget to keep a copy of your report! It will help increase the value of your home because you’ll be able to market it as “LEAD FREE”.
If My Home Has Lead-Based Paint,
What Will I Need To Do?
If your home’s paint is found to have a lead content equal to or in excess of 1.0 milligram per square centimeter or more than 0.5 percent by weight and you will be disturbing an area greater than 6 square feet on the interior or greater than 20 square feet on the exterior, your home will have to be repaired using the EPA’s Lead-Safe Practices.
NOTE: Certain cities and counties, such as Los Angeles and San Diego, have more strict standards. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards are tougher, yet. You’ll need to consult your local agencies before commencement of your project.
What Are Lead-Safe Practices?
The book that contains all of these new rules and regulations is really thick and it would take a day or two to read. But, here are some key points that you really need to follow if your California home was built before 1978 and has lead-based paint:
- 1. Have paint tested by a Certified Lead Inspector or Certified Lead Risk Assessor.
- 2. Contain work areas to keep dust from spreading to other areas of the home.
- 3. Work wet! Spray areas with water before sanding or scraping paint.
- 4. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove dust and debris.
- 5. Power sanders, grinders, planers and sand blasters may not be used unless you have a HEPA vacuum attachment.
- 6. No open flame torches or heat guns(over 1100 degrees) may be used.
- 7. No power washing or water blasting unless you can collect and filter all the runoff.
- 8. All construction debris must be transported by an authorized hazardous waste disposal company to a hazardous waste disposal site.
- 9. Implement the cleaning verification procedure.
- 10. EPA Certified Renovators must maintain and keep records for 3 years.
How Are They Going To Enforce These New Regulations?
Our Government is broke and they may see this as a way to help balance the budget via big fines:
- Firms found to be non-compliant may be liable forcivil penalties of up to $37,500 for each violation per day!
- Firms who knowingly or willfully violate this regulation maybe subject to fines of up to an additional $37,500 per violation, imprisonment or both. (This is a felony)
Watch Out! Here Come The Attorneys!
Have you seen the mesothelioma commercials on TV lately? Those lawyers are suing everybody and they are getting very rich by doing so. Well, that’s exactly what is happening with lead-based paint and some lawyers are already running commercials about lead poisoning.
If You’re Thinking About Having Your Home Repaired,
What Should You Do Next?
If your home was built before 1978, have your home tested for lead-based paint FIRST! Don’t know who to call for a test? Call our office at (949)631-7348 or click on order form.
I can’t over emphasize how important it is to have your paint tested BEFORE you start collecting estimates for wood repairs, termite damage repairs or dryrot repairs. Without this important information, no one can possibly offer you a legitimate bid.
Have questions? At Termite Terry Pest Control, we are EPA Certified Renovators and you can call us at (949) 631-7348 or click on order form.
Rave Review
As satisfied customers, we have a duty to our fellow homeowners to broadcast our satisfaction. There are many non-reputable, money hungry businesses that compete for your business that put their benefits first and customer satisfaction last. This has not been my experience with Termite Terry.
Jose and Saul started the wood repair job. Upon returning home that evening, I was delighted to see that they were conscientious and had cleaned up the mess they created.
The second day, Jose and Saul arrived and immediately began their work. Again, I returned home that evening and any mess created during the work process was cleaned up.
The final day of wood repair, Joe showed up to check on the job and interacted with me to make sure everything was being done as agreed. Jose and Saul worked diligently and only stopped for lunch. When I returned home that evening, all work was completed, their work area was clean and all the old facia boards and patio lattice were hauled away. Everything was neat and tidy.
I asked myself if there was anything that I could complain about. I thought long and hard and couldn’t think of one complaint. Everyone that I dealt with at Termite Terry has been professional, courteous, has displayed good work ethics and integrity in business.
This proves that if you take your time to do your homework, you will find that there are still a few reputable businesses left that refuse to be overshadowed by the bad ones.
If you think you have termites or are in need of a pest control company, call Termite Terry.
Joe, Terry, Jose and Saul; Take two steps forward and go to the head of the class!
-Veronica Pace, Long Beach.
In August, over one-half billion eggs were recalled nationwide due to an outbreak of Salmonella at farms in Iowa. The Food And Drug Administration says it found numerous sanitation and biosecurity lapses, including live mice.
Egg farms are required by Government regulations to make sure that mice and other rodents are kept out of hen houses because they are one of the main sources of salmonella.
In reports released by investigators, they said they found mice in four farms operated by Galt-based Wright County Egg. They noted rodent burrows, structural damage to houses, gaps around doors, wild birds flying around and “live and dead flies too numerous to count.”
Some of the farms investigated did not have rodent inspection reports as required.
A farm, operated by Hillandale Farms of Iowa, had numerous rodent holes in houses. They also noted about 35 uncaged hens that were tracking manure from the manure pit into the house where hens are kept in cages. Manure was also found to be leaking into hen cages at a second farm operated by Hillandale Farms.
The Wall Street Journal reports that inspectors from the Department of Agriculture have admitted that they were aware of these conditions. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration, who is responsible for food safety, passes the buck by saying that they were never informed by the Ag Department of these problems.
Over the past couple of months, you’ve seen how many citizens were made sick and some have died because of these pest. If you have a mouse or rodent problem in your home or business, don’t ignore iT! These pest won’t go away on their own. In fact, they will continue to multiply in great numbers if you don’t control them. Need help with mouse or rodent problems? Call Termite Terry Pest Control at (949)631-7348 or click on order form and we’ll be glad to assist.
October is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
Celiac disease is a digestive condition that is triggered by the consumption of protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. When a person that has celiac disease eats food containing gluten, an immune reaction will occur in their small intestine, causing damage to the small intestine and an inability to absorb nutrients.
Over time, the decreased absorption of nutrients caused by celiac disease may result in vitamin deficiencies that deprive the brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs on vital nourishment. This can lead to other illnesses and may stunt growth in children.
The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, but we do know it is often inherited. Celiac disease can affect anyone. Those with Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, down syndrome or microscopic colitis are more likely to get it.
Signs and symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person. Most with the disease complain of intermittent diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Others may have irritability or depression, anemia, stomach upset, joint pain, muscle cramps, skin rash, mouth sores and bone disorders. If you experience any of these signs, you should consult your doctor.
There is no cure for celiac disease, but you can manage the disease by changing your diet. Avoiding gluten is essential because even a small amount may be enough to cause complications. The important point to note is that you should never start a change in diet like this before getting a medical evaluation. Doing so could skew the results of blood test and biopsies.
Living a gluten-free life style will take some adjustments, but your health and well being will far outweigh any inconvenience it may cause.
Getting Some Companies To Do A Job Right Can Be Like Pulling Teeth!
Several months ago, a homeowner interviewed four different termite companies before hiring one of them to treat his home. Now, several months later, there are still termites in the windows, bathroom, kitchen and all over the house. This homeowner is still having to clean up dead termites and termite droppings on a daily basis!
For several months, that termite company repeatedly attempted to solve his problem. They didn’t charge any extra for all of those additional services, but they didn’t reimburse him for all his time and inconvenience, either. And, they still couldn’t make his termite problem go away.
Since this homeowner wasn’t having any luck in getting his termite problem solved, he decided to call in a local TV reporter to help. Shortly after the reporter contacted that termite company, they finally decided to get serious and they sent out their executive vice president to handle the case. By the time the executive left, the homeowner had something he had waited on for months – an agreement to fumigate his home. I’m glad he got what he wanted, but I’m really sorry that it was such a painful experience.
Now, contrast that with “Termite” Terry’s Money Back Guarantee. Let’s say you hired us to do your fumigation. If you still had a termite problem after we did the job, we would immediately schedule another fumigation for you and, I’d write you a check and GIVE YOU A FULL REFUND. Our Money Back Guarantee is totally painless, there’s no risk and the worst thing that could happen to you is that you get a free termite fumigation! Stop pulling teeth and call Termite Terry Pest Control at (949) 631-7348 or click on order form.