My husband and I normally do all the remodelling in this house. Previous owners said the outside wood siding (underneath the current vinyl siding) has lead-based paint on it. Had the whole house tested and sure enough only the outside has lead.
Husband refuses to install two much-needed new bay windows in 2 separate front rooms. Called several "good" contractors in the area - none of them have procedures to carefully remove old windows without disturbing (or at least taking precautions against) lead-based paint dust. One said he did this for 20 years and no one has ever asked him about lead.
I have an infant whose new fascination is putting everything in her mouth.
Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things properly with regards to lead?
While one can be too paranoid, I don't think you are, with an infant in the house. I would call a few- make that quite a few- more contractors, until you find one who will do the removal with proper precautions- plastic sheeting to isolate the area from rest of house, vacuum to create negative pressure so the dust goes through vac filter, thorough cleanup of area. You can follow with your own cleanup, wipe down walls, etc. Infants do put everything in their mouths, and the more we learn about lead, the more we find that it is harmful even in minute quantities to infants. Qute a few middle class people who have done home renovations have been shocked when their kids turned up with high lead levels, which they always associated with 'the ghetto.' Granted, yours is not a major renovation, but I would still take precautions.
I certainly think so...you're talking about only exterior paint on siding encapsulated behind other siding and only removing an existing window to replace it with a new one. I see virtually no problems here as long as there is even the modicum of care taken to not just try to see how much material can be scattered around.
You're not scraping old paint or otherwise really doing anything to disturb the old paint--you're getting rid of it. I'd simply have them put down some plastic and maybe if you're really concerned hang a drop cloth around the area for confinement and have at it with a modicum of care. Unless there is a tremendous amount of paint thickness and it's just falling off the sills, etc., I can't see much reason to think there will be any great amount released.
If the only lead is outside, you should be able to isolate it pretty well. Cover window with plastic tarp, taped in place, when outside demo work is being done. Stray paint chips, if there are any, should be easy to pick up. Sanding or creating fumes would be the way to spread lead around the interior. You probably have more hazardous stuff on the toilet seat and door knobs - what you track in on shoes isn't sterile :o)
It's not necessarily unreasonable, it's just likely to cost you an extra $3000-$7000 for following hazmat protocols.
Was it me, I'd find someplace else to be for the time it takes to do the windows, and clean thoroughly afterwards. THere won't be enough led to cause acute lead poisoning, and the exposure isn't long-term enough to accumulate from chronic exposure.
After about 6 months, get the child lead-tested, just for your own mental health.
Lead is not a big deal in your case. Keep the infant away from the construction, and clean up the yard after it's done using a rake and a shop vac. If you keep the jobsite clean, there shouldn't be enough exposure to harm your baby. Lead poisoning comes mostly in the form of either eating paint chips or continual exposure to the dust. People have been surviving both the application of lead paint and living in homes covered in lead paint for a very, very, long time.
Here's a link for more info:
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Don't let that contractor fool you; notices regarding lead paint are on every paint can these days. There won't really be a lot of lead exposure when installing windows. If the contractor has to cut or sand wood coated with lead paint, he can wear a dust mask or respirator, though with 20 years of experience I doubt this'll be the proverbial straw.
If your exterior paint contains lead, you should definitely paint the house. That will take care of the dust and much of the chipping. There is no good reason for not getting your windows installed.
Of course. For a price. As soon as you start talking about remediation and abatement (lead, asbestos and other toxins) the price jumps by a factor of five or ten.
Is it possible that those "badly needed" bay windows are actually just greatly desired? If so, waiting until the kid outgrows the oral thing might be the easiest solution. It's not like it's forever.
If you're sure it's only the old siding that has the lead paint it's not such a big deal. If the window is shut tightly there's little chance of any lead dust or chips getting inside. Cover the ground with plastic tarps to contain the chips and small stuff and keep it out of the soil. Demo just the siding, cut back as much as necessary to facilitate patching so you won't be distrubing the lead-painted siding again later on. Lightly spray down the affected siding area with a mist of water (two gallon pump sprayer works well) as you work - that will help keep the dust down. When you're done with the demo give a final rinse, remove the window carefully, pick up the tarps and you're done.
Most states now require a lead paint inspection when a property is sold. This is especially true of an older home, the theory being a todler hangs on the window sills inside and chews them. As it turns out, lead has a sweet taste that encourages this.
Call the real estate board in your state and ask. Maybe a statement saying there is no lead (radon, asbestos, evil spirits of recently passed individuals, ...) is sufficient. Maybe you will have to put money in escrow for some time until the problem is fixed... There are lots of solutions.
Yes. Lead is a concern. It is not earth shattering, but still a concern.
No. Lead poisoning is not "bad parenting" or "gettos". Put a penny in your mouth and it taste like copper. Put a nickle in and it has a taste, too. So does lead. It is sweat so kids want to eat it.
No, it will cost 10X more and you will NOT do abatement. You want "lead control" and "safe work practices."
If you and your husband are reasonably handy, you can do the work yourself. HUD, most states, and many gov'ts have free or low cost courses to teach contractors to work lead safe. You can take the course. 1 day. It is as exciting as watching lead paint dry.
Let me give you an example. Say you want to drill a hole through a wall with lead paint. It creates dust. Dust creates problems. So you put the drill bit where you want it, then spray a big old glob of shaving cream on the entire area. Then you drill. No dust. No mess. You clean it up with a wash cloth. And it's not 10X more expensive.
Start with:
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That will eventually lead you to:
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a class near you.
If there is not one near you, find a local community (most cities) with either a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program or a Section
8 program. Ask them to find a local training for you. Both will also have a list of contractors who have training because they must test all homes and use safe work practices.
For windows, you will find that they put up plastic to seal up the inside. Put down a plastic drop cloth outside. Then wet down the area. They will work wet. Then they will carefully clean the inside using wet cleaning (damp cloth, not broom). Then vacuum the area, including the outside, using a HEPA vacuum.
You can do it yourself. It is a bit slower and you need to work in a manner to minimize dust and debris. But get the training or have the contractor get the training.
Remember, you are after safe work practices and to some extent mitigation, you are NOT after abatement. Yes, abatement is very expensive. For your purposes, your siding is perfectly safe because it is under vinyl. That paint isn't going to hurt anyone. For abatement, you have to remove it anyway.
Check you windows for chipped or peeling paint (and dust) and use wet methods to clean and then paint over with good quality non-lead paint.
You should also consider testing the ground around the dripline of your house. That might have lead from the pre-vinyl days. If so, there are a few things you can do. But it might be best to lay down a few inches a clean topsoil in the area to be extra cautious for your darling daughter.
So for the sake of maritial harmony, I will say that you both are right. Your husband is right that he should not do it. And you are right that you should be concerned over it. But with a one day course, you can get the training you need so that you can do it.
There's no hazmat protocol for lead. You just wrap the old window in plastic and carefully throw it in the dumpster. Extra cost is about $10 for plastic and tape.
While the kids shouldn't be around in any construction project, this whole thing will be done with in a day.
Shouldn't rake or use shop vac. Use HEPA vac. You can rent them if you don't have one. If you use shop vac., put on the wet filter and use it do control dust. You don't want dust coming out of the vacuum.
If you keep the jobsite clean, there shouldn't be enough exposure to
Yes. And a wall painted with lead paint is perfectly safe as long as it is in good shape, not getting abraded, etc.
Generally work should be done in a matter to mitigate or eliminate dust. Wet sanding, for example. Cutting should be done wet. Before pulling windows, etc. cut through paint with sheetrock knife to control chipping.
That's pretty much it. Work wet. Work carefully.
She doesn't need remediation or abatement. She need Lead Control and Safe Work Practices. It should add much. You're probably used to seeing remediation because you work on bigger projects -- so remediation is necessary. But for this it is just control.
Might consider removing and replacing all wood around window that you can get at without damaging siding, just to get rid of it.
Water can go down a drain. Put plastic in double garbage bags. Wrap window and plastic.
BTW, Rico, did you know that on a Federally subsidized project that needs remediation or abatement; that you can't enter the site without taking the lead course. It's an interesting law because says the architect and building inspector can't enter the work site. Talk about a problem for getting draws. I run grant programs and I took the course just so I can enter sites if I want to. It's a good idea for architects for the same reason.
We have concrete/asbestos siding on the outside and 60s panelling on the inside. Not a lot of lead.
I remember reading an email a year or two ago that questioned how any of use lived through the 50s, 60s & 70s. I don't remember much of it
-- other than it was very funny and very true -- but it said something like:
We had lead paint We had leaded gas We had whole milk People thought sugar on cereal was a good thing There were no "light" cigarettes Kids went out and played without cell phones and no one ever knew where you were until you came home at dinner time. Moms didn't obsess over soccer We played football without helmet and pads We we got into a fight, someone one, someone lost, and then everyone made up or went home. We had wooden cribs with wide slats. Toys had small parts Babysitters weren't licensed. Meat had nitrates. Food has MSG. TV was okay, but only 3 channels.
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