Select the right painting contractor that knows the law and provides the correct information when working on your house if it was built before 1978. The federal government has passed a law concerning lead based paint. If you hire some one to work on your home, or other facilities listed below you must receive a pamphlet about lead paint. The notice must be handed out as of December 22, 2008.

If an area that is larger than 6 square feet of painted interior surfaces are to be renovated you should be given the pamphlet from the federal government that explains lead paint and how it should be handled correctly. In the case of exterior renovation if 20 square feet of painted surface area is to be renovated then you should receive the EPA pamphlet titled renovate right. To down load  the pdf click on this link http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf

This information is particularly important for any one that has a child that is less than 6 years old. The effect of being exposed to possible ingestion or inhaling of lead has been proven to be harmful to brain development in children. It is harmful to all but especially youngsters. Dust is the main way that this material gets into a child’s or adults system.  So protection against exposure is the prime way to prevent exposure and ingestion is to avoid and eliminate contaminated dust.

Dust control on a renovation project can be very challenging. In this case it is not a cleanliness issue around the house but a health issue. Many contractors are selected by the way they leave a job after the work is done. In this case it is more than just cleaning up but knowing what is contained in the dust. If lead is in the paint then special measures need to be taken and you need to be aware of it.

The need for concern also increases with homes that were built before 1940 since studies have shown that 87% of homes built in that time frame have lead based paint. The requirement for certified painters in handling lead is not in place yet but you do want to make sure that all parties working on your home improvement project know the best way to handle these situations.

Testing can be done by your self with kits that are available at local hardware stores and there are laboratories that you can turn to for more detailed or back up confirmation if you are not sure of the results or how you did it. With this pamphlet there are a number of sources you can check that will provide more detailed information.

Please read the pamphlet and other resources mentioned since it contains many common since ideas and ways to minimize the impact this may have on our youth. Other areas they specifically mention are day care facilities since this can be a place of exposure. Check with the people that provide this service to you and let them know you want to be aware if the building is older and if they plan on doing some type of renovation or home improvement type of work.

When searching the list of home improvemnt painting contractors make sure you ask how they handle lead paint if it is present in the home. Listen closely to how they answer and see if they in fact are familiar with what to do and if they take the issue seriously. If you are not happy with the answer go to our list of Painting contractors and find another one that does take lead paint contamination seriously and knows how it can affect you and your children’s health.

In order to find more choices please also try the search label in the contractors list section of this site. If you type in painting you will find over 900 choices and then you can narrow the list by location.