My contractor friends, family, and friends. April 22, 2010, Earth Day, was D-Day on the enforcement of the EPA Lead, Remodel, Paint, designed to protect you from lead poisoning. I’m surprised that so many contractors still don’t know about this law. It deals with homes built prior to 1978. You MUST test the painted surface for lead if you are going to disturb over a total of six square on the interior of a home or twenty square foot on the exterior. This not only applies to remodelers, but also to window installers, siding installers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, any trade that disturbs the painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes.
The main problem is not the protection of children or the elderly, its that the public doesn’t know about it, many trades people, who don’t belong to a professional trade association such as The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), haven’t been informed. Training hasn’t been available very long and many states don’t have certified trainers.
Before you can work in an area that has lead paint, you must take an EPA approved course, pass a test, and become a Certified Renovator. This will allow you to test for lead paint, remove the painted material under the EPA approved method of hazardous material containment, kind of like that used for mold remediation. You also must have respirators, hazmat suits, hats, gloves, shoe booties, eye protection, test kits, HEPA vacuums just to name a few of the required items. Mold remediation firms are all over this. They already have the equipment and are using a clean-up method very similar to that required by the EPA.
As a contractor, you must also become an EPA Certified Firm. Certified Renovators work for Certified Firms. The only requirement for this is to send $300 to the EPA and be able to keep very detailed records of the testing and cleanup..
The Certified Firm may be responsible for any lead poisoning that may occur in a residence for three years. Finding insurance is hard to find because many of the insurance companies didn’t know there was a new business liability area they could cover.
Fines are $37,500 per violation, per day, if caught. If you don’t know what you’re doing, this very well could be eight to ten violations. It probably will ruin your day.
Homeowners doing the work are exempt from this law as well as emergency repairs. However, after the emergency repair it must be cleaned using the EPA approved methods.
It’s the law, it’s not going to go away. Please check it out at www.epa.gov/lead
For More information aout choosing the right contractor in Kingwood, Texas feel free to give me a call at 281-360-2387 or e-mail me at linda@qhii.com . For more information about Kingwood Home Remodeling in Texas or Humble Home Remodeling in Texas feel free to contact me or check out my website athttp://www.qhii.com/contact-us.html Quality Home Improvements is located at 1701 Northpark Drive, Suite 3 in Kingwood
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