Work Safely

Field Guide to Renovation

Renovating a home can generate great deals of lead dust that can create serious hazards if work is not done safely. Lead dust from lead-based paint is the largest threat to children and families.  You should never dry-sand, dry-scrape, burn or blast any painted surfaces built before 1978 unless you are certain it does not contain lead-based paint. Picture the amount of dust generated by dry sanding a piece of wood and how much dust releases into the air and covers the surrounding area. Using wet sanding/scraping will greatly decrease the creation of dust.

The safest way to remodel a home built before 1978 is to hire a certified lead contractor.  If hiring a certified contractor is not possible, the Coalition strongly urges you to 1) have the home inspected for lead and 2) participate in a lead safety worker course before beginning work on your home.  Please refer to the sections on the left for how to proceed with lead safe renovations either by hiring a contractor or doing it yourself. 

Grants and loans are available to help offset the cost of making your home lead safe.  Please see the Grants and Loans section above for more information.