Lead Paint Testing & Lead-Safe Services

If you are considering a remodeling project, trust the painting and lead safety professionals at N. Chasen and Son. We are an EPA certified lead paint inspectors–that means that we comply with the EPA’s new regulations, effective April 22, 2010, governing repair, remodeling and painting contractors who perform work on homes built before 1978.  In addition to meeting those important certifications, we have added professional lead paint testing and inspection services.  Our new Lead-Safe Services are designed to complement these new rules and to better serve our valued Central Virginia customers.

Our Lead-Safe Services include Professional Lead Paint Inspection, Lead Risk Assessment and Lead-based Paint Monitoring and Maintenance Services–all performed by trained, certified and licensed professionals on our staff.  These services can give you peace of mind and help you (1) preserve the value of your home; (2) reduce or avoid the costs of more extensive repairs and painting in the future; and (3) safeguard you and your family from any potential hazards from lead-based paint in your home.

Many Richmond homeowners of pre-1978 built houses are not aware of the risks from lead-based paint. Lead-Safe Services from N. Chasen and Son are designed with the simple goal of empowering homeowners with knowledge of their potential risks if lead -based paint is present in their home’s interior or exterior surfaces. Armed with this knowledge, they can make informed decisions on how to protect their families from lead-based paint.

New regulations could impact your home

In April of 2010 the EPA issued regulations that dramatically affected the home repair and remodeling industry. Because of the potential presence of lead-based paint in homes built before 1978, the EPA took broad measures to protect both workers and occupants from the dangers of lead dust resulting from work that disturbs painted surfaces. Among those measures, the regulations require:

• Repair, remodeling and painting contractors to be lead-safe certified by the EPA
• Testing for the presence of lead in painted surfaces within a contractor’s scope of services
• Adherence to lead-safe practices in a contractor’s work

Make your house a healthy, safe home

We want you to be safe in the home that you love, whether it tests positive for lead-based paint or not. When it comes to lead paint, knowledge is power. Our team at N. Chasen and Son is trained, certified and licensed to identify your lead-based paint risks and equip you with the information that you need to live safely in your home. Our licensed professionals can:

• Test for the presence of lead in homes
• Evaluate the condition of surfaces
• Assess for risk factors in the household
• Recommend safe alternatives

Trust us to keep your family safe

At N. Chasen and Son, our lead professionals are equipped with the latest technology designed to accurately test your painted surfaces without the invasive procedures others use. Not only can we tell you if a surface tests positive for lead, we can tell you the depth and concentration of that lead. As licensed Risk Assessors, we can perform a detailed Risk Assessment to equip you to quickly address problem areas if high concentrations of lead are found in your home. Most importantly, you can rely on your N. Chasen and Son team to only recommend services that are right for you and your home.

Other valuable benefits

In addition to the detailed information contained in a lead inspection and/ or risk assessment report, there are other valuable benefits: (1) Other contractors can rely upon this report, allowing you to save money on future remodeling, repair and painting projects; (2) The “do-it-yourselfer” benefits from knowing potential lead-based paint risks; and (3) Both home buyers and sellers may benefit from knowing the information that a lead inspection and a risk assessment report can provide.

Lead was used to line Roman aqueducts

History of lead paint

Lead has been an important–and deadly–part of all civilizations’ histories. Lead was considered the father of all metals and was both inexpensive and malleable.  The utility of lead’s many uses is astounding. It was used to line the aqueducts and served as reliable piping in ancient cities.

In early civilizations, lead was also a key component in various cosmetics, a sweet and sour condiment for food and a wine preservative, and used extensively in the manufacture of dinner and kitchenware. Lead was  also used in munitions, typesets (letters for the presses) and fishing weights. As lead is a cumulative poison, historians believe that the resulting madness and cretinism caused by lead poisoning was a major contributing factor to the fall of Roman civilization.

1923 American advertising, the Dutch boy for Dutch Boy Paints.

Modern day lead hazards are created from lead paint and lead dust, lead gasoline and lead solders in pipes. Prior to regulations in 1978 banning its use, some paints were infused with white lead to increase the pigmentation and to increase its durability. White lead is lead carbonate (PBCO3)–a combination of lead and carbonate, also known as Cerussite.

Did you know that in addition to paint, lead was also in shellacs and varnishes? Many of us of a certain age can remember that icon in American advertising, the Dutch boy for Dutch Boy Paints. One reason lead paint is so frequently ingested is that it has a pleasingly sweet taste, accounting for it being a deadly flavor enhancer to food and wine in days of old.

What does this mean to you?

While lead’s historical significance is interesting, if it is present in your home, you need to be aware of the dangers of lead dust and lead paint chips. Lead dust can be inhaled and both the dust and the chips are soil contaminants. Floors, doors and windows all offer potential friction points that can generate lead dust from their use even if there is no visible peeling or chipped paint.

Exteriors with paint in poor condition can contaminate the soil. It can enter your home through your shoes and enter your body from working in the soil around your home (inhaling) or through your contaminated hands touching food that you eat. Pregnant women and children age six and under are particularly vulnerable, but long term exposure harms the health of everyone.

Is my home safe?

The prevalence of lead-based paint increases considerably the older the home. Keeping the painted surfaces in good condition and reducing or eliminating lead dust generated at friction points (doors, windows) will  help protect you and your family from the hazards of lead dust in your home.

In the process of educating our customers, we are finding that many are not aware of these risks. If your home was built prior to 1978 consider getting your home tested for the presence of lead-based paint. Knowing your lead-based paint risk and taking necessary precautions will ensure that you do not introduce new lead hazards into your home.

Trust the painting experts

If you are considering a home remodeling project, now, more than ever, you can depend on the trusted name of N. Chasen and Son. We have been  protecting and beautifying homes for almost 100 years.  When it comes to lead-based paint in your home, knowledge is power.  Know your lead-based paint risks. Call us today to find out which Lead-Safe Service is right for you and your home.

Interested in learning more?  Visit  http://leadfreekids.org/