Do you own a home built before 1977? If so, then chances are good that it has lead-based paint somewhere in or on it. Here are the statistics from the EPA:
What makes those numbers so surprising is that lead-based paint was banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission forty years ago. Given these statistics, it’s no wonder that our paint testing services in Marshall, VA are in such demand!
The reason it was banned is that lead-based paint is highly toxic if ingested and is especially dangerous to children under the age of five. The key phrase there is “if ingested,” and you might be wondering who on earth would eat lead paint. The answer might surprise you. It can wind up in your system in one of three ways.
First, as lead paint ages, it tends to flake off of whatever surface it was painted on. This is especially true in high traffic areas that see a lot of use like window sills, doors, and porch railings. Toddlers are notorious for putting just about anything in their mouths and could simply eat the chips when you’re not looking.
Second, lead-based paint gets chalky as it gets older, creating fine dust particles. Every breath you take, you’re inhaling these particles.
Third, if the exterior of your home was painted with lead-based paint, then as it ages, that chalky dust will wind up in the soil. Any time you’re in your yard, you’ll wind up tracking it back into your house on the bottoms of your shoes, and if you have a small garden, the any food you harvest from it will contain lead, because it has leached into the soil.
Anyone of these would be reason enough to consider using our paint testing services in Marshall, VA, but considered collectively, it’s almost a must. After all, you don’t want to take any chances with your family’s health and safety.
When you purchased your home, you probably remember seeing a “lead-paint declaration” in and among the paperwork you got when you went through the buying process. Sellers are legally required to inform you if the house they’re selling you contains lead-based paint.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Not because there’s anything nefarious going on, but simply because sellers don’t always know for certain. After all, the person they bought the house from may not have told them, and over time, the original lead-based paint may have been painted over or covered with wallpaper or paneling.
The problem is that sooner or later you’re going to want to do some type of renovation work, and if there’s lead-based paint, you don’t know about lurking somewhere beneath the surface, it’s going to create a serious health problem when the renovation work begins. That’s why, if you live in an older home, before you do any renovation work, you should make use of our paint testing services in Marshall, VA. Better to be safe than sorry!
About Envriotex Environmental Services
Established in Fairfax, VA in 2000, Envirotex Environmental Services was founded on military service. While serving his country, the company's owner Mr. Freeman gained vast knowledge and experience in the environmental services field. His expertise in air monitoring and hazardous materials testing prepared him for his post-military career.
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