Hiring a Contractor to do Lead-Safe Renovation

DON'T SPREAD LEAD is an 18 minute video that shows homeowners how to do lead-safe renovation on homes built before 1978.

Are you planning to hire a contractor to do renovations or repainting in a home that was built before 1978?

Repainting and renovations can disturb old lead paint and release hazardous lead to your home environment. If your project will disturb old paint, you can take 2 steps to prevent lead from contaminating your home.

Hire a contractor who has completed the DEP-approved “Lead-Smart Renovator” course. The DEP provides people who have completed this course with an ID card to show that they have received this training. For a list of people who have received this training, please call the Maine DEP Lead Program at 287-2651.
Have the contractor sign a contract that requires him or her to implement lead-safe work practices on your project. When you agree upon the scope of work that a contractor is to perform for you, also include the “Contract Specifications for Lead Safe Renovation” on the back of this page in the final contract that you sign.

Contract Specifications for Lead Safe Renovation

The Contractor shall perform the renovation work listed above in a lead-safe manner. This means that the Contractor will:

• Post signs that clearly demarcate the work area and warning occupants and other persons not involved in renovation activities to remain outside the work area.

• Prevent the release of lead dust and debris from the work area into other areas by placing polyethylene sheeting or other impermeable covering over the floor, doorways, windows, heating and cooling vents, and/or the ground, as needed.

• Protect occupants' belongings that remain in the work area from lead dust and debris by completely covering them with polyethylene sheeting or other impermeable covering; tape edges to prevent lead dust from getting under the covering.

• Use wet scraping and wet sanding to minimize dust generation and migration.

• Ensure that all personnel, tools, and other items including waste are free of dust and debris when leaving the work area, or that the paths used to reach the exterior of the home are covered with plastic sheeting or other impermeable material to prevent the spread of lead contaminated dust and debris outside the work area.

• Clean up all visible dust and debris at the end of each work day.

• Containerize waste from renovation activities to prevent the release of dust and debris before removing the waste from the work area, and store waste in a location protected from inadvertent disturbance.

• Dispose of all construction and demolition debris in accordance with all applicable state and local laws.

• Perform a final clean up of the work area(s). This includes: the removal of all debris, paint chips and other waste; thoroughly vacuuming the work area using a HEPA-equipped vacuum; and wet washing with an all purpose cleaner so that the work area is free of settled dust and is ready for lead dust clearance sampling by a licensed Lead Professional or by the homeowner in a single-family home.

The Contractor will not use the following methods to remove paint that is, or may be, lead-based:

• Open flame burning or torching;

• Machine sanding or grinding without a HEPA-local exhaust control

• Abrasive blasting or sandblasting without HEPA local exhaust control

• Heat guns operating above 1100 degrees Fahrenheit or charring the paint;

• Dry sanding or scraping except for very small areas and around electrical outlets.

The Building Owner will:

• Remove all personal belongings from the work area except for bulky furniture that is not easily relocated, and perform a general cleaning of the work area before the Contractor starts work;

• Stay out of the work area until the results of the lead dust clearance samples demonstrate that the work area is safe for re-occupancy; and

• Hire a Lead Professional licensed to perform dust clearance sampling; alternatively, homeowners may obtain a lead dust wipe test kit from the Maine Health & Environmental Testing Laboratory (287-2727) to collect dust wipe samples themselves. Collect samples within 48 hours of Contractor completion of work and have the samples analyzed within 24 hours of collection.

If the lead dust clearance samples do not meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clearance standards, the Contractor shall re-clean the work area, and the Building Owner shall again hire a Lead Professional to conduct lead dust clearance sampling (homeowners may conduct sampling themselves). The Contractor shall pay all costs associated with this additional sampling and any other additional sampling needed to demonstrate that the work area meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clearance standards and is safe for re-occupancy.

Education and Informational Resources

Hiring a Contractor to do Lead-Safe Renovation

Are you planning to hire a contractor to do renovations or repainting in a home that was built before 1978?