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Professional Remodeling Reduces Lead Levels, Study Shows
 Hiring a professional remodeler to do renovation work in older homes with lead-based paint does not create lead hazards, and in fact leaves the home with measurably lower lead levels than before, according to a new study funded by NAHB.
Leaders on the NAHB Remodelors™ Council presented the results of the study on Nov. 8 to James B. Gulliford, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's assistant administrator for prevention, pesticides and toxic substances, during a meeting in his Washington office.
“It was a very productive meeting,” said Council Chairman Vince Butler of Butler Brothers in Oakton, Va. “The study reinforces the importance of safe work practices, which, when it comes to remodeling, the majority of our members already employ.”
In January, EPA unveiled its proposed rule for governing work practices in homes with lead-based paint. Targeting dust control and cleanup, the rule includes changes in work practices and training that NAHB members fear would drive up costs for professional remodelers and force consumers to either do the work themselves or hire a contractor not as conscientious about following the regulations.
The problem with “DIY” remodeling, Butler pointed out, is that consumers tend to do the work over time, on weekends or during the evening. In cases where there is the possibility of exposure to lead, the extended work period increases the amount of time that residents can be exposed to the lead dust.
And cheaper contractors who don't keep up with regulatory requirements are less likely to employ the federal government’s recommended safe work practices, especially for uncontrolled sanding, which can raise dust levels. “I believe we take steps to keep dust levels down anyway when we are working in our clients’ homes,” Butler pointed out. “Whether there is lead present or not, professional remodelers don’t like to leave a mess.”
NAHB commissioned the $225,000 study a year ago in anticipation of the EPA proposal. Under the direction of an environmental consulting group, volunteer remodeling companies worked on typical activities — including wall and ceiling modification and removal, window replacement, sawing and sanding — in five homes around the country containing lead-based paint.
Measuring the amount of lead dust on floors and window sills before and after the remodeling work, the consultants found that the work actually decreased the amount of lead present at all of the test sites — except where the remodeler sanded without following practices like misting the surface with water or connecting the sanders to vacuum cleaners with particulate filters. “The use of HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaners combined with either wet wiping or disposable mops during post-work clean-up showed the greatest effect on reducing lead loading in surface dust,” the study showed.
NAHB submitted the study to a peer-review process to corroborate the data before releasing it to EPA.
Last week, Butler sent an e-mail to all Remodelors™ Council members announcing the results of the study, emphasizing the importance of safe work practices and reminding members to provide clients with EPA information on lead-based paint in pre-1979 homes. Following up on the e-mail, a hard copy of the letter (a members-only link) will be mailed to the members’ businesses.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has developed a list of renovation and remodeling practices to be avoided, and most of those practices — like open-flame burning or torching and the use of volatile paint strippers in an enclosed space — are unusual for remodelers anyway. “We didn’t test those practices in our study because we already know to avoid them — it’s common sense,” Butler said.
While council leaders are pleased with the results of the study, they continue to be concerned with the effects of the proposed rule on the industry. “The liability question is still a big worry,” Butler said. “The rule contains wording about a clearance test, and we have no control over the lead paint in parts of the home where we aren’t doing any work. We can’t be responsible for pre-existing conditions.”
The letter to council members emphasizes the importance of providing clients with the EPA brochure, ”Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.” “The safety of our customers, especially customers’ children, is paramount,” Butler said.
For additional information, e-mail Jim Lapides at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8451.
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