How To Check A Home In PA For Lead Paint

Are you worried about lead contamination in your Pennsylvania home?

This is a valid concern as lead was commonly used in house paint before 1978, and exposure can cause serious health problems.

In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps to confidently inspect your home for lead, covering everything from potential hotspots to state regulations on testing

Key Takeaways

Sources of Lead in Homes

Lead can enter homes through various sources including lead-based paint, contaminated dust, soil laden with lead particles, and old water pipes made from or soldered with lead.

Lead-based paint

Lead-based paint was used often in old homes. Many houses built before 1978 might have this type of paint. This can be a problem because it may chip or peel off the walls. When this happens, small pieces can get on the floor or in the dust around your house.

Kids might touch them and put their fingers in their mouth. These tiny bits are not good to swallow! They may cause sickness or harm over time if swallowed too much. So, it’s very important to check for lead-based paint if you live in an older home.

Contaminated dust

Dust in your home can hold lead too. This usually happens if there is lead-based paint on the walls that chips or peels off. These small pieces mix with dust and spread around your home.
The tiny bits of lead can get into your body when you breathe.

You should clean your house often to keep dust levels low. Vacuuming, mopping, and wiping surfaces with a damp cloth can help reduce the amount of lead-contaminated dust in your house.
Keep kids away from places where dust collects like window sills and floor corners.

Soil can Have Lead

Dirt outside your home can have lead too. This happens when old paint chips fall to the ground. Kids playing in the dirt can touch this lead and then put their hands in their mouths.

This could make them sick. It is good to keep kids from playing around areas with bare soil. Cover these areas with grass or bark can help a lot. A lead test for your yard’s dirt is also a wise choice to take if you are worried about any risk of lead poisoning prevention.

Water pipes

Water pipes in your home might have lead. It is common in houses built a long time ago. You can’t see or taste the lead, but it can get into your water. That’s bad for health. Do a test to know if there is lead in your water pipes.

Call professionals who do these tests every day. They know how to keep you safe from any harm that may come with this kind of job.

How To Check Your Home for Lead

Peeling and chipping paint is a clear sign of lead in your home. Compared to new homes, old homes often have layers of this dangerous paint beneath newer ones. If you spot places where the paint peels, cracks or chips, take care.

This may mean there’s lead.

Touching these spots can spread lead dust. It harms kids and adults alike with long-term contact. Vacuum the area to keep it clean but do not scrape the old paint yourself. You should hire a pro for safe handling like removing or covering this type of paint risk-free.

Test paint and dust for lead

You can use a home test kit to check paint and dust for lead. This is an easy task. First, rub a swab on the painted wall or dust. Then, wait for it to change color. If the swab turns red, there may be lead present in your home’s paint or dust.

For a more sure result, send the sample to a lab for testing. Be safe and make sure not to touch or breathe in any peeling paint or dust during testing.

Consider hiring a lead-safe certified contractor for renovations.

Hiring a lead-safe certified contractor for renovations is a smart choice. These experts know how to do the job safely. They follow strict rules to keep lead dust from spreading. You can check if they have a license on the web.

Look at their complaint history too, before you hire them. Protect your family and home from lead dangers with professional help!

In Conclusion

Making sure your home is a safe place for you and your family is crucial. Here at Pellak Construction, we’ve worked on many old homes in Pennsylvania that had lead problems and we’ve made sure to remove every sign of it.

If you want to remodel your home and ensure every corner is safe, let’s work together. Give us a ring at (610) 543-2479 if you have any questions, or request a free quote from this page and let’s get your project started.