Q. If my house was built before 1978, what are the special precautions that we need to take regarding lead dust?

A. All houses built before 1978 may contain lead in the paint, and up to 90-percent of the houses built before 1940 have a chance of having lead. This is serious because lead dust, if ingested by humans, is very poisonous and is even more harmful to young children, especially those younger than 3. Remember the joke about eating paint chips as a kid? That was in reference to the lead that may have been in the paint, which impairs the development of the nervous system, including the brain.

This past Earth Day, April 22, 2010, a program created by the Environmental Protection Agency is now required to be followed by all contractors working on houses built before 1978. Your contractor must have gone through the training and passed the test to be qualified to work on your home. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/lead.

The Hoots Group
432 Calhoun St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 474-7379
www.thehootsgroup.com