Lead-Based Paint Abatement
Certainty Environmental, LLC specializes in the safe removal and disposal of lead-based paint in your buildings. We have a top-notch team of experienced and licensed tradesmen, as well as state of the art equipment ready for the job. Lead paint can be found inside and outside a building or house. Deteriorating lead-based paint is a hazard that needs immediate attention. Contact Certainty Environmental, LLC today to discuss lead-based paint abatement and/or safe selective demolition.
Why Was Lead-Based Paint Used?
Lead was added to paints from the early 1900’s through 1978. It made the paint enamels much harder, durable, longer lasting, and gave greater protection to the wood and plaster beneath. Hence, it was preferred by virtually all painters until its use was prohibited in 1978.
If your building was built before 1978 it may contain lead-based paint.
Why Remove Lead-Based Paint?
Traditional renovation work can create significant dust-lead hazards if lead-based paint is disturbed. While living in a building or home, children can chew on, and anyone can disturb, the surfaces containing lead-based paint.
Most importantly, lead poisoning is very hazardous to children, pregnant women, workers, and other adults. Furthermore, lead exposure causes permanent damage. Therefore, it is critical to safely remove lead-based paint during demolition and renovation projects.
How To Remove Lead-Based Paint
Removing lead-based paint is dangerous and can create even greater risks if not done properly. Due to the environmental and personal hazards, lead-based paint above certain concentrations should be removed by professional licensed abatement contractor. It must then be packed in hazardous material approved containers, and disposed of in a separate waste stream by a hazardous material hauler licensed to dispose of lead-based paint. Certainty Environmental will handle the whole lead-based paint abatement process and provide the property owner with paperwork documenting the chain of title to the ultimate land fill.
Lead-Based Paint Exterior
Here lead-based paint is on the clapboard siding and trim on the exterior of the house that was built around 1900.
Lead Paint – chipped, cracked, crackling, flaking
In non-temperature controlled environments, very common in vacant buildings, or poorly maintained environments lacking ongoing maintenance and repair, lead-based paint often cracks and loosens from the surface.
Cracked Lead Paint
Lead-based paint often cracks and loosens from the surface it was painted on. This presents a very dangerous situation.
Looks can be deceptive
In well maintained environments, lead-based paint can look quite normal and can only be detected by laboratory analysis. Often times, it is on layers beneath the more recent latex paint layers.
Dangers of Lead-Based Paint
Lead paint can be unintentionally transported on shoes and clothing to other sites that did not previously contain lead-based paint
In non-temperature controlled environments, very common in vacant buildings, or poorly maintained environments lacking ongoing maintenance and repair, lead-based paint often cracks and loosens from the surface. This is a very dangerous situation. Infants and children can chew on the woodwork and easily remove and ingest the loose lead chips. Many times the loose lead-based paint chips fall to the ground, and infants and children can crawl on them and ingest them. People walking through can unknowingly crush/pulverize the paint chips into dust and the lead paint can be easily transported on their shoes and clothing to other sites that did not previously contain lead-based paint. Homes have tested positive for lead-based paint, that did not have lead-based paint used on their walls, where the lead was transported to the site via people’s shoes and clothing. This is just as dangerous for lead exposure, as it can end up on carpeting, rugs, furniture, and beds.
Contact Certainty Environmental, LLC today to discuss lead-based paint abatement and/or safe selective demolition.