Avoid Health Risks with Paint Testing Services in Washington, DC

Did you know that fully 40% of our nation’s housing contains lead paint? That’s more than 38 million homes, which is a simply stunning figure when you consider that it was banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1978 and that real estate agents require lead paint disclosure when a home is sold.

To break the statistics down further, according to the EPA:

• 24% of homes built between 1960-1977 contain lead paint
• 69% of homes built between 1940-1959 contain lead paint
• And a staggering 87% of homes built before 1940 still contain lead paint

The reason it matters and the reason it was ultimately banned is that it poses a genuine health risk, especially to children under the age of five.

As lead paint ages, it takes on a chalky consistency and tends to chip easily. If you have small children, you know how they tend to put most anything into their mouths and eating lead paint chips is one of the more common ways that toddlers can wind up with lead poisoning.

Even if you don’t have small children though, lead paint’s tendency to get chalky means it poses a potential hazard to anyone, of any age, because the paint dust can easily be inhaled.

If lead-based paint was used on the home’s exterior, then the resulting chalk can mix with the soil, making it toxic. This is the reason that our paint testing services in Washington, DC are in such high demand. Nobody wants to live in a home that’s a potential health hazard, and testing is a great way to be sure that there’s no trace of it left on your walls or in the soil.

Other Reasons You May Need Our Paint Testing Services In Washington, DC

There are three other scenarios you may want to consider as well. The first is if you’ve purchased a bank-owned (foreclosed) home. In this case, the bank may not have complete information about the status of lead-based paint, and they can’t disclose something they don’t know, which leaves a question mark. This is definitely an instance where what you don’t know can hurt you.

The second is if your property has other buildings on it (barns, sheds, root cellars, etc.).

In this case, the disclosure applies to the house only, and there may be no information at all about whether or not lead paint was used on or in those other structures. In both of these cases, it pays to avail yourself of our paint testing services in Washington, DC.

The third is if you own a home built before 1977, and you’re preparing to do some type of renovation.

In this case, you don’t know if or whether the person you bought the property from knew for sure that there was no lead-based paint in the house. After all, it may have been painted over years before they bought the property, in which case, it’s still there, under a thin layer of safe paint, paneling, or wallpaper, waiting like a ticking time bomb.

If your planned renovation involves any type of sanding or demolition (and most do), then your renovations will kick up lead-paint dust particles that could endanger your family. Here, our paint testing services in Washington, DC will allow you to proceed with the renovations, confident in the fact that you’re not putting yourself, your family, or the crew you’ve hired to help with the work in any danger.

If testing reveals the presence of lead-based paint, we will:

• Properly contain the paint in the area(s) it was discovered
• Completely and safely remove it from your property
• Lawfully dispose of it at a facility certified to handle it
• And if it requires testing for any reason, we’ll ensure that the testing is done at a certified lab, and share the results with you when we get them back

What If I Just Don’t Want To Have Testing Done?

Some people, for whatever reason, think they either can’t afford or can somehow get by without paint testing services in Washington, DC. It’s not a great idea, and it’s definitely not recommended, but the EPA does have some general guidelines that will help you minimize your risks, at least in the short run. These include things like:

• Regularly wiping down flat surfaces like window sills with a damp paper towel and dispose of it when you’re finished.
• Mop all your non-carpeted floors with a damp mop on a weekly basis to help control dust.
• Have every member of your family remove their shoes before entering the house (this in an effort to minimize the risk of tracking lead particles from the soil).
• Vacuum all carpets and any upholstered furniture on a weekly basis (again, to control dust). The EPA recommends using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to trap the dust particles.
• If you have young children, test the effectiveness of your efforts by having their blood tested at age 1, again at age 2, and once more at age 6.
• Be sure all members of your family wash their hands regularly to reduce the chances of ingesting any lead particles they may have picked up during the day.
• Until you have had your soil tested, don’t grow your own vegetables. If there’s lead in your soil, it will contaminate anything grown on your property.

As you can see, that’s a lot of effort to go through just to avoid testing and proper removal, and even collectively, none of these make a good substitute for our paint testing services in Washington, DC.

Of course, this is only a small part of what we do. As the region’s top-rated environmental remediation company, we offer a full range of services including:

• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) testing
• Asbestos Inspection and Abatement (including asbestos siding, shingles, floor tiles, insulation, and more)
• Mold Testing and Removal (including basement mold, HVAC mold testing, and even black mold, which can be extremely hazardous to your health)
• Formaldehyde testing and remediation
• Meth Lab Cleanup
• And more

We’re a locally owned and operated company that’s been proudly serving the region since 2000, and since the day we first opened our doors, we’ve built our reputation by exceeding the expectations of every customer we serve. We work with residential customers, commercial entities, and have a long, successful track record of working with government agencies.

The bottom line is that there are more potential hazards lurking in and around most people’s property than they realize. Most people see their home as their castle, and that tends to breed a certain amount of complacency. It’s easy to convince yourself that nothing can hurt you in the safety of your home, but unfortunately, it may not be as safe as you think it is.

Testing is the first crucial step, but if our testing reveals the presence of any type of environmental hazard, don’t think that you have to go it alone.

In fact, trying to remove environmental hazards on your own, even if you are a committed, experienced Do It Yourselfer is dangerous and could put you and your family at even more risk.

Our crew has the skills, expertise, and specialized equipment to deal with a wide variety of environmental hazards. Whatever we find, we can remove it from your property safely, which gives you tremendous peace of mind. Whatever your needs are, from paint testing services in Washington, DC, to air quality testing, mold removal and more, we’ve got you covered. One call to our office and your problem, whatever it is, is well on the way to being solved.

Best of all, before any work begins, we’ll provide you with a free, no obligation quote so you’ll have a firm understanding of the scope, scale, and cost of the testing and remediation project. Then, if you’re comfortable with everything, we can begin the work itself.

Don’t take any chances when it comes to your health or the health and safety of your family. It’s just not worth the risk, especially when you’ve got a trusted expert in your corner. Call us today. You’ll be very glad you did.

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.