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San Francisco County – Lead Paint Inspection

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY – LEAD PAINT INSPECTION

CALL US AT (310)396-6532 TO SCHEDULE YOUR LEAD PAINT INSPECTION!

Our California Department of Public Health accredited technicians will conduct a thorough lead paint inspection of your property, evaluating the risk posed by degraded lead paint in the form of dust or chips. Although the use of lead paint was discontinued in 1978, 85% of homes in San Francisco County were constructed prior to that year, resulting in a high chance of lead exposure. While intact lead paint is generally benign, renovation, construction, or demolition can cause lead paint debris to contaminate the area, as can the natural degradation of the paint over time.

The report that Environmental Inspection Services will work up will give you a complete picture of any lead in your home or building, and advise you how to deal with any lead paint problems that we identify.

Our process differs for residential and commercial buildings. Residential: Our San Francisco County lead paint inspection will involve systematically testing every painted surface in a specified area or your entire home with the state-of-the-art X-Ray Fluorescence device, allowing us to analyze your paint for lead content without disturbing your paint. Environmental Inspection Services can also supply wipe sample testing, wherein we collect dust under windows and other high-risk areas to determine if there is contamination from crumbling lead paint. Commercial: Our commercial lead paint tests will utilize paint chip sampling, testing a quarter-sized chip of paint, along with analysis with the XRF for workplace OSHA lead paint inspections.
You can find explanations of steps to take to remove lead paint safely here: THE LEAD-SAFE CERTIFIED GUIDE TO RENOVATE RIGHT
The duration of the inspection varies based on the age of the structure and the number of separately painted surfaces. A high number of windows and doors, as well as trim, require more samples. Most homes in the San Francisco County area can be inspected in 1.5 to 4 hours.
Only if your handyman is certified in lead-safe work practices by the EPA. Find out more here: EPA Lead-Safe Certification

Lead poisoning and lead paint exposure can lead to major health problems. When carrying out any work on your home or building, ensuring that lead paint does not pose a danger is a vital step. Furthermore, San Francisco County contractors performing work on homes built before 1978 are required by law to be certified in lead-safe work practices.

According to the California Department of Public Health, San Francisco County alone has thousands of children who suffer from lead poisoning, and others suffer from high blood levels of lead. Risk factors include residence in homes or buildings constructed before 1978, especially if the paint is not fully intact. Additionally, the soil near high-traffic areas can contain lead because of the previous use of leaded gasoline.
To mitigate these risks, analyzing objects in your home for lead content, as well as removing areas with deteriorating paint, especially windows, cabinetry, and doors, are all good steps to take.
Paint that is, by weight, .5% or more lead is categorized as lead paint. The XRF directly measures lead concentrations, and when using that device the threshold for lead paint is 1 milligram for every square centimeter (1mg/cm2). Regardless of actual concentration, we urge you to follow lead-safe practices wherever lead is identified.
Lead can enter the soil in the following ways: natural occurrence, falling chips and dust from building or home paint, and lingering lead from leaded gasoline.
Eating lead-contaminated produce is dangerous and cannot be made safe simply by washing. For more information click here:New York Times: For Urban Gardeners, Lead Is a Concern
The XRF can provide readings from its lead paint test immediately, while lab processing is ready after two or three business days. Lab results can be made available earlier for an extra fee.
Residential and commercial San Francisco County lead paint inspections vary in cost based on several variables, so contact us for an estimate.