Lead Paint Safety When Remodeling by Hodge Design & Remodeling
Athens-Clarke County has a total of fifteen local Historic Districts with sixty homes and landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places. Both citizens of Athens, GA and visitors alike can easily appreciate the charm and elegance of the older homes in areas like Milledge Avenue, the Boulevard District or Cobbham by taking a short drive or a weekend stroll.
But eventually these beautiful older homes will need updating for aesthetics or livability or both.
One of the first concerns of Hodge Design & Remodeling, as a remodeler of older homes, is lead paint. Lead testing is mandatory on all houses built before 1978. Homes built between 1960 and 1978 may have low levels of lead in the paint, and those built before 1960 often have large amounts if the original paint is still in place. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-containing paint, but some states banned it even earlier. Lead from paint, including lead-contaminated dust, is one of the most common causes of lead poisoning. And exposure to lead paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems, especially to children and pregnant women. So, if you own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others. For more information, read Protect Your Family from Exposures to Lead.
Both of the Project Managers for Hodge Design & Remodeling are certified in lead paint safe work practices.
Sometimes replacing is better than restoring, as was the case with this doorknob. The original doorknob was covered in lead paint, so we found and installed a new one that retained the aesthetic of the original and then safely disposed of the old one.
