Starting this week, the way you renovate, repair or paint your home may change dramatically.
The reason is called the RRP Rule, and it governs the procedures that must be used to minimize exposure to lead hazards when we renovate, repair or paint any house or child-occupied facility. The rule applies only to structures built prior to 1978, since the use of lead-based paint was outlawed in the US that year.
Half the homes in America today were built before 1978.
So why are we being subjected to a new (and expensive) series of procedures to protect us from something we can't even see?
Exposure to the lead in dust created during those activities can be extremely harmful to humans, especially to children 6 and under and to pregnant women. It seems that the body may substitute lead (a bad substance) for calcium (something we need) and readily absorbs it from what we eat and breathe.
That exposure, even in extremely small amounts, can have devastating health effects, including reduced IQ and learning disabilities, low birth weight and brain damage. In adults, low levels of lead can also pose dangers, including high blood pressure, nausea and joint and muscle pain.
To make matters worse, many lead poisoning victims appear to have no symptoms at all, or are misdiagnosed.
Some 310,000 American children have been diagnosed with elevated levels of lead in their blood. And only a small percentage of children have been tested.
How does this new RRP rule work to solve the problem?
In a nutshell, it requires anyone who disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room to do three things as part of their daily work procedure.
First, you must contain the work area to prevent spread of any dust created during the project. This is typically accomplished with plastic sheeting and duct tape, two old friends of the contractor community.
Next, you must employ work practices that minimize the amount of dust and debris created during the job. For example, powered grinders and sanders are now prohibited unless attached to a HEPA filtering device.
And finally, you are required to clean up the workplace on a daily basis, removing all visible dust and debris. In addition, a series of final cleanings and verifications will ensure that no visible dust is left behind after the work is complete.
While these requirements sound reasonable, it turns out the devil is in the details. For example, the new rules require that all windows, doors and vents be sealed and that air conditioning be turned off. Meanwhile, workers must wear protective work suits, gloves, booties, respirators, and a hat or hood.
I predict that it's going to be a long hot summer for the nation's renovation industry.
For more information, go to EPA.gov/lead
John Adams is an author, broadcaster and investor. He answers real estate questions on radio station WGKA (920am) every Saturday at noon. For more real estate information or to make a comment, visit www.money99.com.
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