Lead paint can be toxic, and it's essential to understand the risks involved with living in a home containing lead paint. Lead paint is unsafe for you and your family because lead affects the body dramatically in many ways. This includes decreased learning capabilities, speech and memory loss, the potential for a neurological disorder, shorter attention spans, and decreased digestive and kidney reproductive systems. In addition, it has been proven that lead causes seizures, high blood pressure, decreased bone and muscle growth, anemia, and coma.
Options for Lead Paint Removal
There are several different options for dealing with lead paint, leading to a safer environment for you and your family.
Encapsulation:
Typically, this is the most affordable and least complicated method of removing lead paint. Encapsulation is the process of rolling or brushing on a specially made paint-like coating to create a watertight bond and seal the lead-based paint. However, the encapsulation method doesn't prevent the lead hazard; it just seals it. Over time, if the sealed area becomes exposed, or rubbed off, gouged, scraped, etc., it exposes the hazard because the coating has worn off and must be encapsulated all over again.
Removal:
There are various methods to remove lead-based paints, like wet hand-scraping or wire brushing with liquid paint removers. Other options are wet sand surfaces, hand scraping, and stripping off paint at a low temperature. This method is more costly as it involves proper and careful handling since the waste is dangerous and cannot be landfilled anywhere. Lead paint removal should always be done by a certified professional because of the risks involved. This is not a DIY project!
Removal methods that are not allowed include abrasive blasting, machine sanding without a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) attachment, open flame burning or touching, and power washing.
Enclosure:
In this approach, old surfaces are covered with new ones, for example, covering window sills with vinyl or aluminum cladding or putting up new drywall. If, in any case, the enclosed surface is ever removed, you'll have the lead-containing surface underneath to deal with.
Total Replacement:
This more radical method involves removing lead-contaminated surfaces and installing new woodwork, windows, doors, walls, and other surfaces.
Contact DCM Environmental!
DCM Environmental provides Massachusetts with effective & unbiased mold, asbestos, and lead paint testing services to protect the environment and keep your household safe! Contact us today by giving us a call at (617) 481-5782 or by filling out the contact form on our website!
