Lead-based paint testing, Jefferson County, KY

Essentially there are two categories of tests:  a spot test taken at a defined, limited location, and a comprehensive test that samples and assesses the entire building. 

After quite a bit of reading and research (feel free to peruse the KARs that deal with this issue, but they aren't written in a way that makes much sense) and discussions with various labs across the country, I was finally able to get in touch with the EPA's point of contact for our region.  After speaking with her directly, all of my questions were answered.  It was a two-week process, but I'll spare you the details and cut to the chase.

The bottom line is that a home inspector (or anybody, for that matter) can take spot samples onsite.  However, if you want to get a full-blown assessment of the property you will need to contact a certified LBP inspector.  The assessments can cost upwards of $1,000, but as mentioned before they are comprehensive and have the potential to "clear" a home, which can be a great marketing advantage.  The other side of it, of course, is that if the house has LBP it needs to go on the disclosure...

We carry LBP test kits with us on each inspection (just like we carry our mold kit and radon kits, too), so if you need a test we can do it for you on the spot.  The cost is $49 per area sampled, and once we take the sample we ship it to the lab for analysis.  Turnaround is generally two business days.

Next week:  there's a crack in my basement, and it leaks after heavy rains.  What should I do?  It rains more in Louisville than I ever thought it would...

Lead-based paint testing in Louisville

LBP (lead-based paint) began to be a recognized issue in the late 1940's.  By the early 1950s most US-producers and suppliers of interior paint had voluntarily removed LBP from their shelves due to the health concerns.  Exterior paints were not far behind, and by the early 1960s there were virtually no lead-based paints on the market in the US.  Louisville and southern Indiana (Kentuckiana) were aligned with those broader domestic trends.

The good news, then, is LBP is probably not an issue for any homes built after the early 1950s.  The bad news is that recent EPA guidance mandates that any home built in 1978 or before must comply with certain very strict rules regarding lead-based paint, specifically as it pertains to any remodeling.

The EPA's website is www.epa.gov/lead, and it is somewhat informative.  What a consumer (and a realtor) should know is that they should always confirm that a contractor who may be involved in disturbing painted surfaces (this can include plumbers, painters, cabinet installers, etc- anybody who disturbs the paint) must be certified through a federal process.  Some states have state-specific guidelines, but neither Kentucky nor Indiana were in that category as of the time of this writing.

So go to that website and look to the right.  Click the icon, and then check to ensure your contractors are on the list.  Having work done on your home without a certified contractor can cost you severe penalties. The oddity of the rule is that you, as a homeowner, can do all of the work yourself if you'd like, and you don't have to be certified!  It is an "out" by the EPA to remove some of the burden for homeowners.

Next week: testing for lead-based paint in Jefferson county, KY.