Do you know what’s in your walls?
Household dangers
Did you know that asbestos and lead based paint are still a big problem? They are just some of the household dangers you don’t really think about. In Portland, thousands of homes are affected by these dangerous materials and when it comes to renovating, you don’t want to be surprised. For one, you wouldn’t want harm to come to yourself or your loved ones and secondly, the DEQ and EPA will be swarming the place, handing out fines and making sure it’s taken care of in the proper manner.
So how do you know if it’s asbestos. It’s not like your home came with a manual mapping out exactly where the carcinogens were placed. Asbestos isn’t always obvious. Asbestos cement pipes and tiles are labeled, but you might not know this until you have already uncovered them. There is a protocol if you have discovered it while working on your and it’s important that you follow safety guidelines. You can find these online at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/em1.pdf
Lead Paint. Yep, this is still around too and you won’t know if until you go get it tested. There is a simple solution to this one, you can get test strips and peel off a piece of paint that you suspect is lead based, but thankfully Lead based paint hasn’t been manufactured since 1978 when it was banned. Still if you house was built before 1978. There’s a small chance you could have some in your house. Again the joint EPA-HUD or even CDC can give you guidelines on what to do if you find lead based paint in your home. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips.htm
On another note, make sure that when you hire out contractors, they follow these guidelines as well because as the homeowner you are ultimately responsible for what goes on on your property. Get informed and stay safe from the harmful materials and potential big fines.
And as always, if a project is too big and you need to sell. Call us today for a quick visit and we’ll get you an offer tomorrow with no out of pocket expenses or repairs needed.
