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| Debate Heats Up Over Costly Lead-Dust Test |
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(May 3, 2007) --
Don't expect consumer support for any future regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency that would require owners to test for lead-paint dust after remodeling homes built before 1978, says the National Association of Home Builders.
Despite an overwhelming awareness of lead dust's health risks, owners of homes built before 1978 say they wouldn't pay for such testing for lead-paint dust after a remodeling project completed by professional contractor, according to a recent NAHB survey of residents of owner-occupied homes built before 1978.
Overall, 94 percent of home owners said they are aware that lead dust from older homes could cause health problems. But 81 percent of those planning to hire a professional remodeler within the next two years indicated they wouldn't pay an estimated $200 per room to ensure a safe lead dust level after the project was completed. Of those undertaking “do-it-yourself” projects, 80 percent said they wouldn't pay for the test.
The $200-per-room cost assumes the home is relatively close to a lead-dust testing facility; otherwise the test would be more costly.
Kids at Greatest Risk
Lead dust poses the greatest hazard to children under six years old. In households with pregnant women and children under six, only 25 percent of those planning to hire a remodeling professional said they would pay for a test, while one-third of DIYers said they would pay.
Amid discussions over proposed changes to current EPA regulations, a number of consumer groups are calling for mandatory testing to ensure remodeled rooms are clear of lead paint dust, says Jim Lapides, communications director for NAHB's Remodelers Council.
Inspections would be federally mandated and administered and would apply to renovations completed by remodeling contractors in pre-1978 homes; inspections wouldn't apply to DIY home owners.
NAHB: New Laws Could Backfire
NAHB contends the regulation would cause more home owners to go the DIY route. The home owner would have to bring in the tester; the contractor would be responsible for any lead dust.
“The rule likely increases — not decreases — the risk of children's exposure to lead,” says Lapides, communications director for NAHB's Remodelers Council. “As it now stands the proposal will discourage home owners from remodeling old homes or hiring professionals to do the work.”
An NAHB study conducted last year on lead-safe work practices revealed that a home is better off after a remodel than before in terms of lead dust, according to Lapides who adds “as long as the removal is conducted by trained remodelers who clean the work area with HEPA equipped vacuums, wet washing, and disposable drop cloths.”
Even a minimal job on just a facet of a room, such as replacing a single window, would require an inspection, says Lapides. And he says the contractor would be liable for any lead dust found in the room whether or not it came from the specific remodeling project.
— By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR® Magazine Online
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| Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online (http://www.realtor.org/realtormag) May 2007 with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. |
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