It’s not true that all paints before the lead-based paint ban were banned contained lead. Additionally, previous owners might have removed wall, ceiling, or moldings with lead paint during a renovation. You can use lead paint test kits sold at hardware stores and home centers to detect the presence of lead. This will influence your decisions about remodeling and painting. You must adhere to the instructions in order to receive valid results.

In fact, only three lead test kits are recognized by the EPA. One of these kits is required by Massachusetts (the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Lead Test Kit) and it is only available there. D-Lead is also available at hardware and home-improvement retailers. The cost Asbestos Testing of the two-pack is $10. The EPA’s website has more information.

To be eligible for EPA recognition, a test kit for lead paint must meet certain criteria. The EPA-required lead level for paint is 0.5 percent. A kit must give a positive result or a negative result 95 percent. “EPA-recognized is a really meaningful designation,” Michael Hansen (Ph.D.), a senior scientist at Consumer Reports who has testified before federal committees on a range of environmental health hazards, including the possibility of lead.

To give you more confidence than the 95 percent accuracy, you can repeat the test twice. If both trials are properly conducted and yield the same results, the false positive rate will be lower from 1/20 to 1/400. The dangers of lead are real for everyone. It is especially dangerous for children as their developing brains, nervous systems and brains are more susceptible to the harmful effects of lead. Children are more susceptible to being exposed from crawling or playing on the ground, where toxic dust is created by the sanding and removal of lead paint.

D-Lead, 3M LeadCheck, and D-Lead are both available to detect lead on wood, plaster, or drywall. However, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts lead kit is limited to plaster and wallpaper. These are the steps that EPA-licensed lead inspectors will use to guarantee a precise result. The test kit instructions will direct you to clean the surface. Use a utility blade to cut the wall or wood. If the spot is smooth and only has a few coats of paint, you may be able to make the cut directly.

If you have multiple layers of paint on a surface, such as old window casings or wall mouldings, the utility knife should be held at a 45-degree angle. This will allow you to see the cross-sections of each layer. To cut plaster or wall drywall, make a semicircle about the size of a nickel using the knife at an angle deep enough to reach the plaster and gypsum.

You can remove the plaster or paint left behind. You don’t need to worry about damaging the wall. Even if the test is positive, you can still use joint compound to patch the problem. 3M LeadCheck was used for the video. You will need to squeeze the cardboard sleeve onto the applicator at two points in order to release the chemical capsules. The chemicals mix together and remain active for approximately 90 seconds. Use the applicator to mix chemicals. Gently squeeze the cardboard sleeves until you see a small bead of liquid at the tip.

The applicator should be applied to the test area. Continue to rub for 30 seconds with the applicator, while gently pressing down. If the tip turns pink/red, you have lead. If it stays unchanged, there is no lead.

The kit includes a lead-control card to help you verify your results following a negative test. Drop a small amount of the test fluid onto the card. It will turn red if the applicator turns on.