The EPA rolled out new regulations in 2010 designed to protect the occupants of homes where lead paint is being disturbed. Referred to as the RRP rule, or Renovate, Repair and Painting rule, these regulations affect any work performed in a house built before 1978 – in Brookline that means 90% of the housing stock!
I’ve included 2 photos here of the level of protection we put in place before disturbing old layers of paint. This is not a Catchlight-exclusive process, simply our implementation of the protocols required by RRP.
I’ve written about these regulations before, in this post, and we think they are an indispensable part of our daily operations, not just for our clients but also for our employees. A friend recently sent me this quote from an email she received;
“After a number of disappointing meetings with painters, I am looking to all of you experienced Newton moms! We need to paint some areas of our older house which may have lead paint. The painters we have spoken to seem to fall on extreme ends of the spectrum (it is no big deal and we don’t need to do anything special to deal with the possible lead or we need to do full lead testing and deleading). Do any of you have experience with a painter who was able to take care of an older house in a careful and thoughtful way? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!” – Troubled Newton Mom
Needless to say, deleading is not necessary if lead is present, nor is full lead testing using a certified inspector and X-ray fluorescence. We simply verify the presence of lead using an approved 3M lead test kit available at most hardware stores; once the tester confirms the presence of lead we assume a lead risk is present and proceed accordingly.
If you’re a homeowner living in Brookline, MA we invite you to learn more about our Brookline House Painting Services.
