Attention Property Managers. ask about our new client portal

How to Spot Lead Paint in Your Business

Whether you just opened your business or have been a staple in your community for a long time, you spend a lot of time within those four walls. You are constantly tackling problems, making new goals and fulfilling orders for your customers, which can make it really easy to overlook general maintenance and potential safety issues in your business.

Unfortunately, it can be dangerous to overlook certain problems like the presence of mold or old lead paint on your property. The longer hazards like these exist in your business, the higher the chance that someone gets sick while under your roof.

Knowing what to look for when it comes to lead paint in your business is key to identifying it and having it removed or encapsulated properly. Let’s explore more about spotting lead paint at your place of work below.

Places To Look for Lead Paint in Your Business

The good news is that lead paint that is still in good condition isn’t necessarily an immediate cause for concern. The problems start to arise once the paint starts to wear away, and the lead dust becomes either airborne or ingested in the form of paint chips.

If you have a place in your business that is starting to show its age, take a look at the paint surrounding it. Signs of lead paint include:

Alligatoring of the paint: cracking in a scaly pattern
Visible “chalk-like” residue that comes off on your fingers when touched
Graying or fading paint that has a bluish hue
Layers of paint that are chipping or peeling

Lead paint can be found anywhere, but it is especially common in buildings that have undergone renovations or facelifts over the years. Older buildings are known to have layers of paint simply added to the property without much thought, but nowadays, it could mean layers of dangerous lead paint right under your fingertips.

Lead Paint Around Doorways

To start, take a look at your doors. Door jambs and door trim are one of the most common locations for layering paint, and these areas are more likely to start wearing away faster due to their high traffic use. Any sort of chipping should be evaluated right away.

Lead Paint On Railings or Handrails

A quick upgrade to an aging iron staircase or railway is to simply add paint, and that certainly is a common practice. If you have a back staircase or a loading dock area, check the paint on your railings. If it peels away in large chips or chunks, it might be lead-based and should be dealt with.

Lead Paint on Customer Areas

Another common location for lead paint is on counters or built-in shelves. If your building is older than 1978, there’s a chance that there is lead paint either right on top or hidden beneath layers of other paint. Run your fingers over your counters and any built-ins to see if any chalky residue comes off on your fingers, and then wash your hands right away if you do make a discovery.

Lead Paint in Warehouses

Do you have a warehouse or a workshop? Lead paint was used widely back in the day in these areas for a variety of reasons. It was used as a maintenance coating over floors and walls, it helped illuminate traffic and safety markings and was used on maintenance or agricultural equipment to support its longevity. Check for similar signs of wear in these areas and call a professional lead removal team if needed.

Testing for Lead Paint in Your Business

Even if you do a quick visual check of your property and don’t notice any problems, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a lead paint problem. This is why testing for lead in your business is crucial!

In fact, it is even required in some instances. In August 2020, New York passed Local Law 31, which requires multi-family building owners to hire a certified inspector for lead-based paint. If your building was built before 1960, lead testing is required to occur before the end of 2025. If lead is found in your building, the appropriate measures must be taken to keep your building in compliance with the current health and safety rules.

Whether you are tackling this requirement now or simply concerned about the potential of lead paint in your business, hiring a professional lead testing team can help you identify problem areas in your business so you can take action right away. A simple XRF lead testing can detect lead paint in a non-invasive way so you can have answers without having to undergo serious construction.

This test involves using X-ray fluorescence technology to identify the presence of lead. It is one of the most accurate methods for tracking down lead. In fact, it can detect traces of lead at levels as low as 0.5% by weight.

The good news is that if lead is identified in your business, a trained team of professionals can help you figure out the next steps to keep your staff and customers safe. Sometimes removing the lead paint in a safe way is the best method, and other times, professionally encapsulating the area can help keep the dust contained.

Take the safety of your business seriously! Schedule your lead paint testing today.

The team at Exit Mold is ready to test for lead paint in your business. Call us today at (515) 512-7877 to schedule your lead paint testing.

Professional Water Extraction: Why It’s Crucial After a Basement Flood

Professional Water Extraction: Why It’s Crucial After a Basement Flood Basement floods are never a fun experience, and they always tend to happen during the