What to Do If Lead Is Found
By Daniel SmokeDirector of Operations
A positive lead test result requires a thoughtful response, not panic and not inaction. The right course of action depends on the condition of the material, the occupancy of the building, and the planned use of the property. Understanding your options helps you prioritize effectively and protect occupants appropriately.
Assess the Urgency
Not all lead hazards require the same urgency. Deteriorating paint, peeling, chipping, or chalking, and elevated lead dust levels require prompt attention because they are actively creating exposure opportunities. Intact lead-based paint in good condition is a lower-priority concern that can typically be managed with monitoring and maintenance. The risk assessor's report should guide your prioritization, distinguishing between hazards requiring immediate action and those that can be addressed through longer-term management.
Interim Safety Measures
While planning a longer-term response, interim steps reduce exposure risk immediately. Clean all horizontal surfaces with wet wiping methods, HEPA vacuum followed by wet mop, to remove settled lead dust. Keep children and pregnant women away from areas with deteriorating paint. Cover deteriorated painted surfaces with contact paper, tape, or fresh paint if the underlying surface is sound. Wash hands frequently, especially before meals. Remove shoes at the door to reduce tracked-in lead soil. These steps reduce exposure while you arrange for professional remediation.
Paint Stabilization
Paint stabilization addresses deteriorated paint without full removal. It involves repairing the substrate causing the deterioration, preparing the surface to remove loose paint safely using lead-safe work practices, and repainting with encapsulant or conventional paint.
Paint stabilization is appropriate when the underlying substrate is structurally sound and the root cause of deterioration (typically moisture) can be addressed. It is a temporary solution, deterioration may recur, and is not acceptable as a permanent remedy in federally assisted housing if the level of deterioration exceeds defined thresholds.
Lead Hazard Abatement
Abatement permanently eliminates lead hazards through paint removal, encapsulation, enclosure, or component replacement. It must be performed by an EPA certified abatement contractor.
Options include removal (stripping or chemically removing lead paint), encapsulation (applying a durable bonding material over intact paint), enclosure (covering surfaces with rigid barriers), and component replacement (replacing windows, doors, or trim).
After abatement is complete, a clearance examination by an accredited clearance examiner confirms that lead dust levels meet clearance standards before re-occupancy.
Documentation and Ongoing Management
After remediation, maintain documentation of all test results, work orders, and clearance reports. Landlords are required to retain lead records and disclose them to future tenants. Homeowners should keep records for disclosure during future sale. Ongoing visual monitoring of painted surfaces, especially in high-friction areas, helps identify deterioration before it becomes a significant hazard. Schedule a follow-up dust wipe clearance after any renovation work that disturbs painted surfaces.
Common Questions
I just found out my home has lead paint. What should I do first?
Start with the risk assessor's report and let urgency guide you. Deteriorating paint and elevated dust need prompt action; intact paint in good condition can be managed with monitoring. In the meantime, wet-clean surfaces, keep children and pregnant women away from damaged areas, and seal deteriorated paint until you arrange a permanent fix.
Do I have to remove lead paint if I find it?
Not necessarily. Removal is one option, but encapsulation, enclosure, and component replacement are equally recognized, and intact paint can sometimes simply be maintained. The deciding factor is the hazard the paint is creating now, its condition and how the space is used, not the mere fact that it exists.
Can I clean up lead paint myself?
You can take interim steps, HEPA-vacuuming, wet-wiping, and covering sound surfaces, but permanent abatement must be done by an EPA certified firm following defined work practices, with a clearance test before re-occupancy. Dry sanding or scraping lead paint yourself is exactly what spreads the hazard, so that is the line not to cross.
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