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Lead Testing for Families: What You Need To Know Before Buying a Home

Name: Exit Mold
Address: 1 Irwin Ct., Lynbrook, New York, 11563, United States
Telephone: (516) 512-7877

If you are planning to move this year or are entering the housing market right now, you fully understand how much work it can be! Moving, in general, takes a lot of time and energy, but especially when you are looking to buy a home or move from one family home to another.

In this current housing market, it is important to make the right choice that fits your lifestyle and your budget. However, that is unfortunately not all that you need to be concerned with during your big move.

As you attend open houses, put in offers and navigate purchase agreements, it is important to keep in mind the age of the home you are buying. Older homes have a higher risk of the presence of lead paint, which can have a lasting impact on your family if you don’t discover it right away.

Let’s break down the basics about lead paint and what you need to know before buying a home below.

Where Is Lead Paint Found?

One of the first questions you should be asking when you are touring homes and attending open houses is how old the home is. Lead paint was used widely in many different applications before 1978, so asking this simple question can help weed out potential problems relatively quickly. Homes built before 1978 have a higher risk of having lead paint on the walls, banisters, door jambs and more.

While lead paint was officially banned from use in 1978, that doesn’t mean it was ordered to be removed from every property. It was simply pulled from the shelves and replaced with a safer alternative. Houses built during this time period might have layers upon layers of lead paint, or the dangerous lead dust is currently trapped beneath a layer of newer, safer paint.

That being said, just because your home was built after 1978, it doesn’t completely exclude itself from the possibility of danger. Leftover paint and cans still in circulation after this date could still have been used without much thought.

Why is Lead Paint Dangerous?

You might also be wondering why lead paint is dangerous. After all, it’s not like you use your walls the same way you use a kitchen counter or a table! Lead paint itself isn’t necessarily a direct hazard when it is in good condition. The trouble comes when the lead paint starts to wear away and chip off. Lead dust and particulates can quickly become airborne and inhaled, or paint chips can be chewed on by curious or unaware children. Lead is considered a toxin, which can cause long term problems in the body.

Some of these problems associated with chronic lead exposure include:

Developmental delays
Irritability
Weight loss or loss of appetite
Headaches and sluggishness
Muscle and joint pain

These issues are serious and can lead to not only a diminished quality of life, but long-term lead exposure can be deadly, especially for children under six. This is why testing for lead paint is crucial during the home buying process.

Testing for Lead Before Finalizing a Home Purchase

Whether or not your home was built before 1978, you should invest the time and energy into testing for lead in any home you submit an offer on so you have all the facts before proceeding into the final stages of the home buying process.

In fact, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 requires all sellers to allow potential homebuyers a 10-day period to test for lead, even after signing the initial contract.

This act allows and encourages homebuyers to hire a certified lead testing professional to test the home for signs of lead paint. While this process is encouraged, the cost and scheduling does reside with the buyer, not the seller.

If lead paint is found, you have the right to cancel the agreement or renegotiate lead abatement into the contract before moving in. You also have the right to move forward without doing anything about the lead, but that is not recommended in most cases.

Do Sellers Need To Disclose the Presence of Lead?

If a seller has knowledge that there is lead paint in the home, it is required that this discovery is disclosed to the potential buyer. If not, they open themselves up to potential legal troubles and expensive lawsuits down the road.

However, unless you are the owner of a multi-unit property and have to comply with Local Law 31, you are not required to test for lead before putting your home on the market. That may very well mean there is lead paint on the walls, but the seller is unaware because the home has never been tested. This is why you should always take the time to test for lead in your potential new home!

The Lead Testing Process for Single-Family Homes

Once you decide that you want to test a home for lead, all you need to do is hire a reputable lead testing contractor to handle the entire process for you. A team will show up at the home to perform XRF lead paint testing throughout the property. XRF stands for X-ray fluorescence, which uses X-ray technology to detect the presence of lead without taking down walls or removing chips of paint.

This testing method provides results about the presence and concentration of lead paint in a home in as little as 24 hours. If lead is discovered, you now have the power to decide whether to continue with the purchase after the lead remediation occurs or you can walk away entirely.

The benefits of utilizing XRF lead testing include:

Accuracy: It can detect lead levels as low as .5% by weight.
Non-invasive: It does not require removal or disturbance of current paint layers.
Speed: Testing usually takes less than an hour, so you can have results faster.
Safety: XRF testing is safe and X-ray emissions are low.

Don’t wait! Have the peace of mind you deserve when investing in your new home by testing for lead before you move in.

Ready to buy a new home but aren’t sure if it has lead paint? Call the team at Exit Mold today at (516) 512-7877 to schedule your quick and reliable XRF lead testing today.

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