How Widespread is Lead-Based Paint in Housing?

How Widespread is Lead-Based Paint in Housing?

According to a 2011 statistic from the EPA, the older the year of construction, the higher the chances of lead-based paint being present.
Construction Year Percentage of Houses with Lead-Based Paint
Before 1940 87%
1940-1959 69%
1960-1978 24%

Approximately 34 million pre-1978 housing units contain paint that meets the Federal definition of “lead-based paint.”
EPA’s RRP Rule assumes that any house built before 1978 contains lead-based paint, unless the house has been tested for lead-based paint and the results indicate that the house does not contain lead-based paint.
Components most likely to be coated with lead-based paint include windows and doors (interior and exterior), as well as exterior walls and porches.

Homes built before 1960
Homes built before 1960 are more likely than homes built after 1960 to contain lead-based paint and are also more likely to have deteriorated paint surfaces due to age. In addition, concentrations of lead in paint were higher prior to the 1950’s when paint companies began to use less lead in paint they manufactured.
Consider:
86% of pre-1940 homes contain lead-based paint on at least one surface.
66% of homes built from 1940 to 1959 contain lead-based paint on at least one surface.
If the owner does not know or have access to records identifying the age of the property, information in many localities can be accessed from review of court registration or tax records held by the office of the tax assessor in the community or county where the property is located. If you don’t know the age of the building, assume it was built before 1978.

For more information on working in a lead-based paint, we recommend these posts from our blog:

The Banning of Lead: When and Why?
How to Determine if Lead-Based Paint is Present

We offer the EPA Lead Renovator Training in several cool getaway cities. Below are a few of our favorites.

Charleston, SC

Columbus, OH

Denver, CO

Houston, TX

Nashville, TN

Pittsburgh, PA

If you have questions or need assistance about how widespread lead-based pain in housing is or registering please email sales@pasafety.com or dial 877-209-9648.

how-widespread-is-lead-based-paint

Lead-Based Paint Training available in Denver, CO twice a month.