The lovely old Queen Anne style house on Elm Street is just what you want. With a little paint and a few renovations, you know you can make it into the mansion of your dreams.
Your three-year-old son and his little brother who is due in May will love the spacious rooms and the big back yard. The house will undoubtedly make your family happy for many years, but when you start the painting and renovations, you should keep in mind the possibility of lead exposure.
Lead in house paint was banned in 1978, and all houses built before that time undoubtedly have some on their inside and outside walls, even though it has been painted over many times. The soil around the house may contain lead from the many times that peeling paint has been scraped and sanded. And residue may be found in the driveway and garage from the days when leaded gas was legal and common. Lead is also likely to be lurking in water pipes, no matter how old the house may be.
Lead is a strong poison that you can’t see, smell or taste. Those most affected by lead exposure are children under 6, because they are small and growing rapidly, and pregnant women. Young children are also likely to crawl around on the floor or on the ground outside and to put their hands and other objects to their mouths.
A high dose of lead can cause a severe emergency, including vomiting, muscle weakness, staggering, seizures or coma. The more likely scenario is a gradual buildup from repeated exposure to small amounts.
Effects Are Often Permanent
Symptoms may not be recognized as lead-related, but lead exposure may have permanent or long-term effects, such as:
• reduced IQ,
• behavior or attention problems,
• failure at school,
• hearing problems,
• kidney damage and
• slowed body growth and development.
Adults also suffer health problems from gradual long-term exposure. These include high blood pressure, kidney problems and infertility.
Living in an older home does not necessarily mean you will be exposed to too much lead. But it’s important that your home be well maintained and that you exercise proper caution when undertaking paint and renovation projects.
The greatest danger is when paint is peeling, as it often does in older homes. Children crawling or playing around window sills with peeling paint are vulnerable.
If you live in a home built before 1978, take care to wash and wipe floors and window sills at least every two to three weeks, particularly in rooms where children will be crawling. And prevent children from playing in bare soil outside the house. A barn, garage, shed or even play equipment on the property may also have pre-1978 paint that is deteriorating or peeling and posing a danger.
Wash children’s hands and toys regularly, particularly after they have been handling household dust or soil outside.
Exposure becomes particularly high when paint is being scraped, stripped or sanded in preparation for a new paint job. Even if there are several layers of post-1978 paint on the walls, the leaded paint underneath will be the last to go, released in fine dust that is easily inhaled.
If you’re planning on painting or re-modeling, either inside or out, you may want to have your house tested for lead. In an older home, however, you can be fairly certain that plenty of lead is present.
It’s a good idea to hire a contractor who is trained and certified in lead removal. Paint chips and dust are collected and disposed of safely. For work being done inside, furniture and carpets should either be removed or carefully covered with plastic or drop cloths.
Until cleanup is completed, close and lock doors to keep children away from areas where paint is being disturbed.
If you are doing the work yourself:
• Don’t paint over chipping or peeling paint.
• Wash down the surface first to dampen down dust when you scrape or sand.
• Lay down a drop cloth to catch paint chips and dust; then double bag the refuse and dispose of it safely.
• Close and seal windows, doors and other outlets so that lead dust will not get in your house.
• Cover all sand boxes and play areas.
• Leave your shoes at the door and remove and wash your work clothes properly so that you will not spread lead dust throughout your living area.
• Finally, consider delaying a project if there are children under three or a pregnant woman in the household.
Vintage Items Inside
An older home is not really complete unless it has vintage items inside, and these too are likely to contain some lead. Harbor reasonable suspicion regarding painted furniture, old painted toys, lead crystal and even old jewelry.
These items are not necessarily contaminating the environment, but it’s important not to let toddlers play with them. Of course, you’re not going to let your children drink out of your lead crystal; but a pregnant woman should also avoid them.
Drinking water is another consideration. Some old pipes–1930 and older–were made of lead or at least contain lead, but pipes in very new homes actually pose a greater risk of exposure. You should assume that any home less than five years old has lead-contaminated water in the pipes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Many plumbers use lead solder to join copper pipes, and this exposes the water to lead. This is a risk mainly in houses less than five years old; after that time, mineral deposits that build up in the pipes will insulate the water from the lead in the solder.
That doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking tap water. But from faucets that haven’t been used for several hours, let the water run for a minute or two to flush out water that has been in contact with lead. And use only cold water for drinking or cooking; it has less lead than that from the hot water heater.
Whether your house is old or new, it undoubtedly contains some lead, but, with care, the worst contamination can be avoided. For children younger than five, routine lead testing is advised.
REFERENCES:
“About lead poisoning,” KidsHealth, reviewed by Yamini Durani, M.D., July, 2012.
Centers for Disease Control, “Lead: prevention tips,” last updated June 19, 2014.
Environmental Protection Agency, “Learn about lead,” last updated August 6, 2014.
Environmental Protection Agency, “Renovation, repair and painting program: do-it-yourselfers,” updated March 16, 2014.
“Five surprising sources of lead exposure,” WebMD Medical Reference, reviewed by Roy Benaroch, M.D., June 24, 2013.
“Lead poisoning,” MedlinePlus, updated by Eric Perez, M.D., February 2, 2013.
Michigan Department of Community Health, “Lead exposures in the home.”
Minnesota Department of Health, “Remodeling the older home,” updated June 4, 2013.
Minnesota Department of Health, “Exterior lead paint removal,” January, 2010.
Minnesota Department of Health, “Lead hazards and vintage items,” April, 2011.
Minnesota Department of Health, “Lead poisoning prevention: frequently asked questions,” updated April 3, 2014.
11/19/2014
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