Thank you for choosing NAL East Environmental Services for a lead inspection in a property that you are purchasing and/or just need a certificate or just want to rule lead out. Our XRF lead inspection includes a complete visual inspection of the entire property or just the areas that you are concerned with. Included are all the sampling (unlimited) to determine if there is a lead hazard. A full scope of what work needs to be done, if any, will be written for you once we have the results to guide us. We will use EPA guidelines for removal if it needs to be removed. You will receive your results report the following day (24 hour results).
Lead paint has the potential to cause adverse health effects as exposure time increases. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
You will receive a comprehensive report of the Certified Lead Inspectors results from the inspection in a written report stating each area inspected and if lead was present or not.
Lead-Based Paint Inspection
Federal regulations placed a limit on the amount of lead in paint sold for residential use starting in 1978. That is why homes built before 1978 are subject to the Disclosure Rule. The older the home, the greater the chance of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards, and the more important it is to have the home tested.
A lead-based paint inspection is a surface by- surface investigation to determine whether there is lead-based paint in the home and where it is located. An inspection may be particularly useful before renovation, repainting, or paint removal.
An inspection consists of a visual inspection of all painted surfaces inside and outside the home.
‘Painted surfaces’ include all surfaces coated with paint, shellac, varnish, stain, coating, or even paint covered by wallpaper. Selection and testing of each type of painted surface. Then you will receive a report listing the painted surfaces in the home and whether each painted surface contains lead-based paint.
An inspection does not typically test painted furniture unless it is a permanent part of the home, such as kitchen or bathroom cabinets or built-in bookshelves. Soil, dust, and water are not typically tested during an inspection. The presence of lead-based paint in a home does not necessarily mean there is a lead-based paint hazard to occupants.
If you decide to abate lead-based paint hazards in your own home, it is not recommended that you do the work yourself. Abatement activities must be done following careful procedures to prevent contamination of the home with lead dust. To be safe, hire a certified lead-based paint contractor (a certified professional who can do lead-based paint related abatement). Dust samples should be collected to check the thoroughness of the work.
Lead from paint, especially peeling or flaking paint, can get into dust and soil in and around a home. Young children may then swallow the lead during normal hand-to-mouth activity. In addition, an unborn child may be exposed to lead in the mother’s womb. High levels of lead in the fetus and in children age six and younger have been linked to nervous system damage, behavior and learning problems, and slow growth. Testing can tell you whether there is lead-based paint or a lead based paint hazard around your property.
The full property inspections are conducted using an XRF machine. The XRF (X-ray fluorescence) instruments use radiation to measure the amount of lead on a painted surface.
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments measure the amount of lead on a painted surface by exposing the surface to high-energy radiation (gamma rays in this case). The radiation causes lead to emit x-rays at a characteristic frequency. The intensity of the rays is measured by the instrument’s detector and converted to a number that represents the amount of lead per unit area (usually in milligrams per square centimeter).
Advantages–The XRF instrument can tell immediately if the paint has lead in it and how much lead is present. Testing does not damage the painted surface. It is the best method when many surfaces or buildings are being tested. We can also tell you if we think there is a possibility if it appears to be airborne as well.
NAL East only uses American Indoor Air Quality Council (AIAQC) Council Certified Consultants, Council Certified Indoor Environmentalists, EPA State Certified Lead Assessors and EPA State Certified AHERA Asbestos Inspectors. Our consultants go through constant schooling and certification updating throughout the year.
All inspections are strictly confidential and coded for privacy. Payment is due at the conclusion of the inspection.
Please feel free to call our office anytime with any questions or to schedule an appointment @ (877) 665-3837.
