Burnside Enterprises, LLC

Is there lead-based paint present and, if so, where's it located?   This service is useful for pre-1978 home purchases or homeowners considering a remodel of their existing home.  We test all interior and exterior finished surfaces of the home per the HUD guidelines.  At the conclusion of our inspection, we will forward a report to the client which lists every reading we took at the property and delineates the amount of lead, if any, at each reading.

Limited LBP surveying is performed to determine if LBP is present in limited, defined areas of the property.  This might be performed on areas such as windows before a contractor replaces the old components with new units.  Some clients also request limited surveys on the exterior of their pre-1978 home if they are having it painted or are installing new siding.

Clearances are conducted after work has been performed on a known or suspected lead-based paint surface.  This work on lead paint surfaces could be in the form of "Interim Controls" or "Abatement".  Interim Controls are designed to stabilize the lead paint surfaces and keep the surfaces intact.  The lead paint is still there but not readily available to the occupant.  Abatement is the removal of all the lead paint surfaces or covering those surfaces over permanently.

A visual inspection and possibly dust wipe sampling & soil sampling are performed to assure that adequate cleaning has occurred after maintenance and construction activities.

A lead-based paint risk assessment is conducted to determine whether lead based paint hazards exist and, if so, provide solutions on reducing and managing such hazards until complete abatement takes place.  Generally, there are four parts to a risk assessment as follows:

1. Occupant interview – owner/occupant is interviewed to determine occupant ages, use patterns and building history.

2. Visual survey – all painted surfaces are inspected to determine areas of deteriorated paint as well as friction and impact surfaces.

3. Testing – XRF testing of surfaces that are identified in the visual survey with the potential to cause a lead hazard. Dust wipes are taken in areas prescribed by the HUD protocol.

4. Hazard control plan – all data is evaluated and compared to HUD established thresholds. A plan is developed to reduce or eliminate the identified hazards with accepted methods and practices. The hazard control plan explores all reasonable options for dealing with a particular hazard and gives rough cost estimates for the options.

The EPA has a good resource for explaining what to expect from a LBP Inspection and also what to do if LBP is found in your home at this link.