A: There are a few common methods to test a house for lead-based paint. One of them is scraping off paint chip samples and sending them to a laboratory. A paint chip sample must be taken by a Certified Lead Inspector or a Certified Risk Assessor. A two inch square paint chip sample is carefully cut from the painted surface leaving the substrate intact. If any of the substrate comes off with the paint chip sample, the laboratory results will be inaccurate. Each sample is then stored individually in its own hard shell container. The containers are then sealed and labeled and sent to a laboratory to determine the lead content in the paint. 

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A complete home lead-based paint inspection using this method could take up to 5+ hours depending on the size of the house. Around 150 to 400 samples would need to be taken in order to determine if the house contained lead-based paint. In order to qualify as a ‘lead-based paint inspection’, every single component of the house must be tested – this means the interior and exterior, as well as each individual room. Because of that, this method is very destructive to the painted surfaces around the home and is also a very expensive way to test for lead-based paint. 

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(Any component that has been painted, stained, varnished, or shellacked will be tested for lead based paint during an inspection) 

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Another common method is using an XRF Analyzer to determine the lead content in the paint. Using an Analyzer is like having a laboratory at your fingertips. An analyzer will read the lead content in the paint without causing damage the paint or the surface. The results are also furnished immediately on the analyzer itself without having to send anything in to a laboratory. This method is cost-effective and time saving; however, only a Certified Lead Inspector or a Certified Risk Assessor can operate an XRF Analyzer. 

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Another advantage the analyzer has over the paint chip sample method is the ability to test granite countertops (if necessary), tile flooring, and tile shower surrounds. These components can be disturbed during a renovation which may spread lead contaminated dust. 

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The only reason anyone would choose paint chip sampling over an XRF Analyzer is simple. The analyzers themselves cost thousands of dollars to purchase. They are also required to be regularly maintained by having the source replaced which costs thousands of dollars as well. Lastly, there is much more cost in training to operate the device, as well as documentation required for storage, calibration, and use.

A: The main reason for a lead-based paint inspection is the concern for the general health of the household. Other reasons may include remodeling, purchasing, and selling a home.

A: The answer depends on the reason for the test. Lead based paint can be found anywhere in a home so limiting testing to a certain area will not determine whether or not a hazard is present throughout the home. Typically, the entire interior and exterior of a home should be tested for lead if you have children in the home, or if the paint appears to be chipping, cracking, peeling, or chalking. 

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If you are only performing renovations and you are not worried about the hazard that comes from lead-based paint, you can limit the testing to the areas which will be affected during the remodel.

For example, on a typical window replacement job, the common areas to test would be the wall, the window frame, the window sill, the window jamb, and the lintel (these components would be tested on both the interior and the exterior of the house). The components may change depending on the layout and design of the house and windows; however, all painted components that may be disturbed must be tested for lead-based paint. 

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It is important to keep in mind that lead-based paint can be found anywhere – even in the painted glaze on ceramic tile and granite countertops.

A: Lead-based paint is very durable and resistant to harsh weather and moisture. Because of this, lead-based paint can be found anywhere in a home. Common areas where lead is found would include the exterior of the home, kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Although there are common areas where lead can be found throughout a home, the truth is lead-based paint can be found almost anywhere. Older homes tend to have a history of remodeling that has been performed – different components have been painted with different paint at different times. An older home could have only one wall in a room test positive for lead because accents were painted on the wall from an old can of paint.

A: Although more than 60% of houses built between 1940 and 1979 contain some lead-based paint, the greatest risk is in housing built before 1940. Older homes tend to contain paint with higher concentrations of lead (up to 50% by weight) as well as more coats of paint. Therefore, older houses are generally a higher priority for lead-hazard controls.

A: If you are selling a house built prior to 1978, you are required to notify the purchaser that the house may contain lead-based paint hazards. If you’ve had any lead testing previously performed on the house, the results from the test must be furnished to the purchaser. Because of this, it’s very important to get the testing done as accurately as possible.

If any false-positive readings are found and recorded it will make the house appear to be lead contaminated – even if it is not. 

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If you are not selling the home and you are worried about lead poisoning, there are steps you can take to reduce the hazard of lead-based paint in your home. There are paint encapsulating agents that you can purchase to ‘paint over’ the lead contaminated surface to help keep the paint intact so it doesn’t chip, peel, crack, or chalk which creates the lead dust. 

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A more costly but much more effective method would be to hire a lead abatement company to remove the lead based paint from your home.

A: A property manager is typically responsible for hiring handymen and contractors to perform renovations or repairs on a home for the owners. That means they are responsible for all of the record keeping procedures outlined by the EPA in regards to the RRP program. Any violation uncovered in an EPA audit may result in significant fines to the property management company. 

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Some of the homes built prior to 1978 do not contain lead-based paint. If positive reads are found, they are typically in certain areas. Having the house tested allows the property management company to greatly reduce liability and paperwork.

A: Yes you can. However, the renovator testing kits do give false-positive readings which would then require lead-safe work practices during the renovation although the lead content in the paint is not considered a hazard. For a testing kit to be EPA certified, they require the testing kit to not produce false-negative readings more than 5% of the time, but some lead testing kits can give a significant number of false-positive readings.

The EPA’s concern is the false-negative readings. If a testing kit produced a false-negative reading, the contractor would not use lead-safe work practices and lead contaminated dust would travel throughout the home and become a hazard. The end result for this scenario is that the public can then become contaminated. 

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However, false-positive readings are not a concern for the EPA because the public will not be contaminated even though the contractor is forced to perform additional work. This will make it more costly for the homeowner and the contractor even though it is not necessary because the paint does not contain lead.

The renovator lead testing kit also may not be able to test all component surfaces which may be affected by a renovation.

A: A false negative reading is produced when lead is present in the paint but the testing kit reads the paint to be negative for lead contamination. This is a very big concern for the EPA because a contractor would not use lead-safe work practices in a lead contaminated environment. This would cause lead contaminated dust to spread throughout the household and to the public. 

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A false positive reading is produced when lead is not present in the paint, but the testing kit reads the paint to be positive for lead contamination. A false positive reading is not a major concern for the EPA because the public cannot become contaminated. The contractor is then forced to perform additional work using lead-safe work practices although there is no lead present in the paint.

All of the current recognized testing kits have safeguards built in them to produce a positive reading if the testing kit cannot verify that there is no lead in the paint.

A: Most renovations in a home create a substantial amount of dust. If the dust that is generated contains small amounts of lead, it becomes a hazard. The lead contaminated dust affects everybody; however, the main concern is pregnant women and children 6 years old and under.

The dust primarily settles on horizontal surfaces which can become a major hazard for children because they play on the floor and near window sills and countertops. The main source of lead exposure for children and adults is through hand-to-mouth activity and inhalation.

A: No. As of July 6th, 2010, nobody who lives in pre-1978 target housing can opt-out regardless of whether or not children live in the home.

A: An XRF Analyzer can only be operated by an EPA Certified Lead-Based Paint Inspector or Risk Assessor.

A: Yes. We carry Professional Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance.

A: We service almost all of Arizona. A few of the cities we service include; Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Surprise, Goodyear, Buckeye, Sun City, Sun City West, Wickenburg, Payson, Prescott, Flagstaff, Tucson, and many more. Give us a call at 602-689-4573.