LOS ANGELES COUNTY – LEAD PAINT INSPECTION
Although undamaged lead paint does not pose a direct health risk, as that paint falls apart over time, or if it is tampered with by renovation, construction, or demolition, lead paint chips and lead paint dust can be created. Exposure can cause a number of physical and mental conditions. Because lead paint was widely used until a federal ban took effect in 1978, many buildings and homes are still painted with lead paint. In fact, over 77% of homes in Los Angeles County were built before 1978, making the chances that any given home has lead paint very high.
To keep you safe and help you comply with state, federal, municipal, and Los Angeles County regulations, Environmental Inspection Services will send our CA Department of Public Health-certified lead-sampling technicians and inspectors to fully analyze your home or structure for lead paint. Our detailed report will lay your doubts to rest or provide steps to remediate the problem.
Our Los Angeles County home lead paint inspections are conducted by determining lead concentrations in all painted surfaces with our state-of-the-art X-Ray Fluorescence device. With the XRF, we will perform lead paint tests on either your entire home or a particular area that you suspect may contain lead paint or are remodeling. The XRF is able to obtain a reading without interfering with your paint in any way. XRF analysis can also be augmented with wipe sample testing, which involves evaluating dust, especially under windowsills and trim, that may contain lead paint.
Commercial lead paint inspections also involve paint chip sampling. We will remove a 1×1 inch bit of paint and have it tested in our lab, as per OSHA guidelines.
Rules that apply to Los Angeles County mandate testing for lead paint for any residential structure or any building where children are present if any construction work is to be performed. Understanding the danger posed by lead paint will help keep you and other occupants of your building safe.
Lead poisoning is a potent danger for small children. About 3% of kids under the age of six in Los Angeles County have lead levels that fit the definition of lead poisoning. The likelihood that your child is exposed to lead is greater if you live in a structure built before 1978, even more so if it has chipped paint. Lead can also remain in the ground and dust as a remnant of the use of leaded gasoline. If your residence is adjacent to a freeway or large road, this may be a factor.
Reduce your risk by having a lead paint test and taking out old windows and doors that may contain lead paint. Further, you can take out or cover lead-containing soil, as well as testing objects around your living space for lead.
