Lead Abatement & Remediation
Lead is incredibly dangerous in a home, especially when there are young children who live there. If absorbed into the body, lead can cause brain damage and damage to vital organs. It can get into the bloodstream, and it can even cause behavioral problems, seizures, and death. Symptoms of lead poisoning include headaches, nausea, tiredness, and irritability. But some children who have lead poisoning don’t show any symptoms at all.
Unfortunately, it’s easy for a child to become lead poisoned if you have lead-based paint in your home. When lead paint deteriorates, it mixes with your household dust indoors or with soil outdoors. Children touch everything, and can become lead poisoned by simply putting their hands (or an item that has been contaminated) in their mouths. They can also become lead-poisoned by playing in lead-contaminated soil or by eating paint chips.
If your home was built before 1978, it’s likely your home was painted with lead-based paint. At New Life Restoration, our lead abatement services permanently eliminate lead-based paint hazards. We want your home to be safe, and we’ll put your mind at ease with lead abatement.
Lead Testing
If you’re worried you have lead in your home, the first step is to test for it. We can check for lead in your paint, dust, soil, and even water. This step is critical because we need to know the extent of the problem before we can make a plan of action to completely rid your home of lead.
Lead Abatement Options
There are a variety of methods to use in lead abatement, and once we’ve looked at your home’s situation, we’ll discuss appropriate steps with you.
Enclosure Method
This method involves covering a lead-based paint surface with a new surface. We may recommend adding new drywall or covering window sills or other surfaces with new surfaces. Be aware that if the new surface is ever taken off, the lead-based paint will be reachable again, and your family will be exposed.
Encapsulation Method
You can also protect your family from lead-based paint with the encapsulation method. When we use this method, we’ll cover the surface with a specialized paint. This seals in the lead-based paint and prevents it from deteriorating. It’s important to remember that the specialized paint will wear over time and you’ll need a new coating.
Removal of Lead Paint
We may find that removing the lead-based paint is the best option for your situation. In this case, we’ll use different methods to completely eliminate it. Sometimes this involves wire brushing, electric sanding, or wet hand scraping. We always make sure to use a high-efficiency particulate air filtered vacuum so that lead particles do not spread throughout your home in the process. Once we have removed all the paint, we’ll clean the surface to completely remove any leftover dust. At this point, your surface can be repainted again with lead-free paint.
Replacement
You may have windows, doors, and other parts of your house that have been painted in lead-based paint. In this case, the simplest solution is often to replace the items with new lead-free items.
Not a DIY Project
Unfortunately, some people try to save money by tackling their lead problem on their own, but this is not a good idea. Because lead is so harmful, it’s important that you let experts handle the job with the right equipment, training, and certification. You want to be sure that the lead is removed from your home, and that nobody is hurt in the process of removal.
When we provide lead abatement services, we ensure all lead is removed and that it does not spread throughout your house in the process. Our HEPA filtered air filtration systems and other equipment allow us to do the job safely.
Safety is our number-one concern in lead abatement, and you can trust our qualified team to handle your home with care and confidence. If you suspect you have a lead problem in your home, give us a call at (805) 925-1600, or use our contact form below to request more information.
