Lead-based paint can be found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear. These areas include: Porches and fences Children can also be exposed to lead dust by parents who work in lead related industries (lead foundry, car repairs, and lead related work). Parents working in these industries often bring home lead dust in their clothing or shoes and expose children to high levels of lead dust. A shower and change of clothes are recommended before coming home.

Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have some paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Properties before 1960 have the most lead paint. Lead paint can be present on any painted surface, but it is most often found on windows, trims, doors, railings, columns, porches and outside walls.

Peeling or damaged paint is dangerous. Lead dust can be released from peeling or damaged paint, or by sanding or scraping paint in older homes. Lead dust settles on floors, window sills and other surfaces where it can get into children's mouthes. Lead paint in good condition is usually not a problem. Lead-based paint is usually safe unless it is on friction (doors, door jambs or door casings, windows, window frames and casings, paint on floors) or impact surfaces (doors, baseboards, stairs, etc.

It is estimated that at least 19 million homes have lead-based paint hazards, of which at least 4 million have young children under age the age of six living in them. (HUD 1990; EPA 1995).

Lead paint will not leap out and bite you and emits no dangerous chemical or gas. It produces a chalky surface in its mature state but this is quite sublime lead sulphate. However, lead paint containing white lead does present a hazard or risk to children and young animals if they lick it, chew it or ingest it. White lead is readily absorbed by water and therefore enters the bloodstream quite easily. It effects the nervous system, as does alcohol.

All sellers are required by law to make written disclosures to buyers regarding their knowledge of any lead-based paint hazards for homes built before 1978.

Lead coated copper takes paint readily and holds it well. In fact, the durability of properly applied paint is usually enhanced by the lead coating, provided that the paint selected is suitable for the purpose.

Lead paint can be harmful. We suggest you contact the National Lead Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-424LEAD for more information or contact us for a free brochure.

If you have small children and believe that peeling paint or paint dust may contain lead (as it probably would if the apartment was built before the early 1960's), you can call the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development or the NYC Department of Health and ask them to send out an inspector. They will examine your apartment and may test for dangerous lead levels.

There are procedures set by Lead Paint Ordinance on how any work involving lead paint is to be done. These procedures are worked into our approach to the painting work and our painters are trained on all the necessary steps to take. We start with having a containment barrier to ensure that the paint chips do not go where they're not suppose to, that being onto your or your neighbor's property, or into interior of your home.

You can pretty much assume that any house built before 1960 has some lead paint on it, unless you know that all the old paint was removed some time in the past. If you want to be certain, you can hire a state-certified Lead Evaluation Contractor. New Jersey law requires that any person who does inspections for lead paint must meet certain training and experience requirements, pass a test, and obtain a permit from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

If the paint is chipping and/or peeling it should be handled by an abatement contractor licensed appropriately for your state. If the paint is intact, with no chipping or peeling and is NOT the top layer (i.e., there are other paint layers on top of it), the surface layer can be wet-wiped. Once the top layer is disturbed (scraped, sanded, chipped, etc.) the risk of exposure to the lead paint below increases.

Age is one reason. Paint, lead-based or otherwise, doesn’t last forever. Paint containing lead can also break down when exposed to moisture from plumbing or roofing leaks, rain entering open windows or steam from showers or unvented dryers. Additionally, storm windows can build up moisture and cause paint on the outside windows to peel and crack.

HUD suggests many homes/apartments built before 1960 have heavily leaded paint and homes/apartments built prior to 1978 may also contain paint with dangerously high levels of lead. Lead based paint can be on walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, furniture (cribs), children’s toys and even floors. As it peels, paint chips are loosened and can be ingested by children. Another contamination source from lead is lead dust particles.

The HUD Guidelines consider lead levels of 0.5 percent lead by weight (AA analysis) or greater as lead-based paint which may be a potential hazard. In 1978, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned lead-containing paint containing greater than 0.06% lead in residential paint. As a result, the congressionally established definition of "lead-based paint" under the Lead Based Poison Prevention Act (0.06%) automatically became effective.

Information on lead paint can be found at http://www.masshousinginfo.org (search lead paint). Information can also be found through the MA Childhood Poisoning Prevention Program, 1-800-532-9571, www.mass.gov/dph/clppp. The local Board of Health, the Department of Health and your child's doctor may also have information regarding lead.

Florida does not require any licensing for the removal of lead based paint. The Florida Lead Information contact is in the Florida Department of Health's Toxicology Section at 850/488-3385. You may also wish to call the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD (1-800-424-5323) to answer questions about federal requirements.

Yes, in all likelihood. Lead was widely used in both interior and exterior house paint until 1978, when new laws greatly reduced the amount of lead allowed. For example, in San Francisco, 91% of homes were built before 1978, and most have older layers of lead-containing paint. So, there is a very good chance that your apartment or rental home contains lead - at some level.