Start with the year the house was built
The older the house, the more likely the paint has lead. EPA's lead-safe renovation media kit suggests checking your deed or closing papers, or county property and tax records, for the year built. If you can't pin it down, EPA's DIY guidance says to assume the area you're working on has lead-based paint.
Which test answers your question?
- A lead inspection tells you whether there is lead-based paint and where. It goes surface by surface and can only be done by a certified inspector or risk assessor, according to EPA's inspection and risk assessment Q&A.
- A risk assessment tells you whether there are lead hazards right now in paint, dust or soil, and what to do about them. Only a certified risk assessor can do it. You can also order both together, and either way you get a written report.
- Paint-chip analysis by a lab in EPA's National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program is another option, but have a professional take the sample rather than scraping one off yourself.
Hardware-store swabs are the weak spot. EPA recognizes three kits, LeadCheck, D-Lead and the State of Massachusetts kit, and the test kit page says that recognition applies only when a certified renovator uses them. They're also limited to certain surfaces. None is recognized for stucco or non-ferrous metal, for example. A negative swab you ran yourself doesn't clear a surface.
Each part of the house is tested on its own. EPA says the window sills in one room are separate components that each need testing, so a clean result on a wall says nothing about the trim beside it. Before you rely on an old report, check that it covers the exact surfaces this job will touch.
Pennsylvania runs its own EPA-authorized program for certifying lead inspectors and risk assessors, so look for a state-certified one. The National Lead Information Center (1-800-424-5323) can help you find one. EPA says prices vary by location, so get more than one quote.
If you're paying someone to do the work
Testing is optional. EPA's RRP rule for contractors lets a firm assume the paint has lead and follow lead-safe rules instead of testing. Either way, a paid painter, carpenter, plumber or electrician disturbing paint in a pre-1978 home needs EPA firm certification. What a quote should spell out is covered in our painting quote guide, and the City's rental certificate rules are in our guide to Philadelphia lead rules.
If you're doing it yourself
The federal rule generally doesn't cover owners working on their own home. It does apply if you rent out part of the house, run a child care business there, or fix and sell homes. EPA still recommends hiring a certified contractor. If you go ahead, EPA's DIY page and media kit set out the minimum precautions:
- Clear the room, cover the floor with plastic, seal the doors, close the windows, shut off forced-air heating or cooling, and tape plastic over the vents.
- Mist surfaces before you scrape or sand, and use wet-dry sandpaper or a sanding sponge. Use power tools only with a HEPA vacuum attachment, and heat guns only on the low setting, under 1,100°F.
- Wear a NIOSH-certified N-100, R-100 or P-100 respirator, disposable coveralls and shoe covers. Wash your hands and face at every break, wash work clothes separately, and don't eat or drink in the work area.
- Clean up with a HEPA vacuum, because a regular household vacuum spreads lead dust. Then wet-wipe surfaces until the cloths come up clean, and double-bag your debris.
Keep children, pets and anyone not working out of the area until the final cleanup is done. A certified dust sampling technician, inspector or risk assessor can test the room afterward to confirm it's clean.
If young children live in the house
The City's child lead testing page recommends a blood lead test around age 1 and again around age 2, then yearly until 6 for children in older housing. Medicaid, CHIP and private insurance cover it, and City health centers test for free. Many lead-poisoned children show no symptoms. If a child tests at or above 3.5 µg/dL, the Lead and Healthy Homes Program (215-685-2788) offers a free home visit, where a licensed inspector tests every painted surface. Renters should report peeling paint to the landlord and call 311 if it isn't fixed. Lead in water pipes is a separate issue, covered in our lead service line guide.