Tag: Lead-Based Paint

Lead-based paint in pre-1978 NYC and Long Island homes requires EPA RRP compliance—Upper Restoration handles lead paint disturbance safely and legally.

Lead-based paint was used extensively in residential construction until its prohibition in 1978. In New York City and Long Island, where pre-1978 housing stock represents a substantial portion of the residential market, lead paint is a pervasive and ongoing concern. It is estimated that the majority of housing units built before 1978 in New York contain some lead paint. The paint itself poses limited risk when intact—it becomes hazardous when disturbed, creating lead dust that children ingest through normal hand-to-mouth behavior.

The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires contractors who disturb lead paint in pre-1978 target housing and child-occupied facilities to be certified and to follow specific lead-safe work practices. These practices include plastic sheeting containment, wet methods to suppress dust, HEPA vacuum cleaning, and proper waste disposal. New York City Local Law 1 imposes additional requirements for rental properties with children under six, including annual apartment inspections and prompt remediation of deteriorated lead paint.

Upper Restoration holds EPA RRP certification and follows lead-safe work practices on all renovation and restoration work in pre-1978 housing. When restoration work—water damage, fire damage, or renovation—involves lead paint in the affected area, our procedures incorporate the containment and cleaning requirements that satisfy both EPA and NYC regulatory requirements.

Property owners and landlords with pre-1978 housing should establish which areas of their buildings contain lead paint, maintain that documentation, and ensure that all contractors working on the property are made aware of lead paint locations and are qualified to work with it safely.