Protecting Your Family: Essential Lead Paint Safety Guidelines for Macomb County Homeowners Planning Renovations
If your Macomb County home was built before 1978, there’s a high probability it contains lead-based paint. If your home was built before 1978 there is a good chance you have leaded paint in some areas of the house. Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. Before starting any renovation, repair, or painting project, understanding lead paint safety requirements isn’t just recommended—it’s legally required and essential for protecting your family’s health.
Understanding the Lead Paint Hazard in Your Home
Until 1978, lead was added to paint to promote adhesion, corrosion control, drying, and covering and was used extensively on exteriors and interiors. The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978, but millions of homes still contain this hazardous material. Lead from paint, paint chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards particularly to children and pregnant women. Breathing in lead dust (especially during activities such as renovations, repairs, or painting); Swallowing lead dust that settles in food, food preparation surfaces, floors, window sills, and other places; Eating paint chips or soil that contains lead.
The health risks are particularly severe for children under six years old. Young children are more susceptible to toxic effects of lead, which can cause behavioral issues, learning disability, abdominal pain and growth retardation. Macomb County Health Department recommends all children under age of 6 to be tested.
Federal RRP Rule Requirements
The EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule is crucial for homeowners to understand. EPA requires that RRP projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors. This rule applies to any renovation work that disturbs more than six square feet of painted surface per room on the interior or more than 20 square feet on the exterior.
The RRP Rule requires that renovators are trained in the use of lead safe work practices, that renovators and firms be certified, that providers of renovation training be accredited, and that renovators follow specific work practice standards. These practices minimize the creation of dust and debris, prevent it from leaving the work area and require cleaning of the work area to ensure occupant safety.
What Homeowners Must Know Before Hiring Contractors
When planning renovations in pre-1978 homes, homeowners must ensure their contractors are properly certified. Federal law requires all renovation, repair, and painting firms (including sole proprietorships) working in housing, or facilities where children are routinely present, built before 1978, to be certified. Even though you may not doing the work yourself, doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You may be held accountable if contractors are not following proper work practices. You can easily confirm online whether or not your contractor is a certified renovator.
Professional painting companies like Painting Services Macomb County, MI understand these requirements and maintain proper certifications. Legends Painting proudly serves Macomb and Oakland Counties with professional painting services built on 10+ years of industry experience and dedication. Our team focuses on delivering beautiful, long-lasting results at competitive prices, ensuring every customer is 100% satisfied with the finished project.
Required Safety Work Practices
Certified contractors must follow specific lead-safe work practices, including:
- Contractors are required to provide property owners and building occupants with the EPA pamphlet “Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools” prior to the start of any project subject to the RRP.
- During activities subject to the RRP rule, contractors must encapsulate work areas using polyethylene sheeting, follow approved work practices that control dust creation, and thoroughly clean work areas once activities are complete.
- Prohibition of certain work practices like open-flame burning and the use of power tools without High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) exhaust control; and Thorough clean up followed by a verification procedure to minimize exposure to lead-based paint hazards.
Testing and Assessment Options
If your home was built before 1978, you can get it tested for lead-based paint by: A lead-based paint inspection that tells you if your home has lead-based paint and where it is located. A combination inspection and risk assessment tells you if your home has any lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards and where they are located.
For DIY testing, EPA has approved three test kits because of the significant risk of lead paint poisoning. These test kits comply with the RRP renovation, repair, and painting rule. The three EPA-approved lead test kits are the 3M™ LeadCheck™, D-Lead®, and the State of Massachusetts lead test kits. They can reliably determine if lead-based paint is present on wood, metals, drywall, and plaster surfaces.
Local Resources and Support in Macomb County
Macomb County provides several resources for homeowners dealing with lead paint issues. Macomb County Health Department responds to cases of elevated blood lead levels in children who reside in the County. Depending on the level, different actions will be taken to ensure a safe environment for the children. These steps include phone consultation, sending educational material (on proper cleaning, eating habits and proper diet) to the house, home visit by Nursing Department and performing full environmental inspection and investigation by Environmental Division, making recommendation and referring the case to the State of Michigan for lead abatement and replacement of house components that contain lead.
For financial assistance, Michigan Saves, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, has launched the Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund to help homeowners remove lead from their homes. The program covers 50% of lead abatement costs for eligible households and offers low-interest loans for the remaining balance.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Failing to follow RRP requirements can result in significant penalties. The EPA actively enforces these rules, as evidenced by multiple enforcement actions against Michigan contractors who violated RRP requirements. The settlement involves a residential painting project conducted at 616 Willard Avenue in Lansing, Michigan during April, 2011. The property was constructed prior to 1978. The CAFO alleges the following violations of the RRP Rule: Failure to Obtain Firm Certification. The United States alleges that Spartan Painting violated the RRP Rule by failing to obtain firm certification from EPA prior to performing, or offering to perform, painting activities in housing constructed prior to 1978.
Working with Professional Contractors
When selecting a contractor for your renovation project, choose experienced professionals who understand lead safety requirements. As a family business, we bring a personal touch to every project, treating each home or business like it’s our own. Family-owned and operated, we prioritize superior workmanship, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing to make sure you’ll call us for your next project too. Professional contractors will handle all aspects of compliance, from proper containment to thorough cleanup and verification.
Remember, protecting your family from lead exposure during renovations isn’t just about following the law—it’s about ensuring the health and safety of everyone in your home. By understanding these requirements and working with certified professionals, you can successfully complete your renovation project while keeping your family safe from lead hazards.