If your house or building was built prior to 1978 chances are you have lead-based paint (LBP) issues. LBP was the best paint you could get, so it was used in good quality homes and commercial properties.

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.

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).

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.

If your house was built prior to 1978 chances are it has lead paint on it. A lab test can be done or a simple inexpensive tester can be purchased at your local hardware store if you want to make sure.

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.

Find out from your local landfill or EPA office about the regulations of disposal for lead-based paint in your area.

If your home was built before 1978, you are required by law to provide your buyer with a lead-based paint disclosure, along with the EPA pamphlet entitled, "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home". This is provided on our site for your information (for Owners with homes built before 1978).

The City's lead law requires owners of multiple dwellings to repair all peeling, cracking, scaling, flaking, blistering, chipping, or lose in any manner paint. The law further requires owners of such buildings to inquire whether children under the age of seven reside in the building and to visually inspect their apartments for lead hazards once a year. Lead-based paint violations must be repaired using safe work practices, within the timeframes specified by law and HPD rules.

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.

You can still use lead paint as long as it contains no white lead (lead carbonate) or grey lead (lead sulphate). Red lead remains unsurpassed as a primer and stopping for historic ironwork. You can also try boiled linseed oil, leaving it on for 24 hours - this can also soften paint quite well. Grade I or II* Listed Building (Category A in Scotland) or a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and you have to repair or maintain white lead paints, this is lawful and the paint can be manufactured and supplied.

Please note that solvent strippers can give a mixture of solvent and lead fumes - not to be recommended! Removal of lead paint is dangerous but with Eco Solutions' products it is safe. Eco Solutions' products act as "working wet" therefore eliminating ingestion of any paint particles or lead fumes. NEVER USE SANDPAPER OR A HEAT GUN TO REMOVE LEAD PAINT. Lead is particularly dangerous for children and the unborn child - large quantities can cause brain damage or even death.

Aside from just personal need for change or update, you should routinely paint to prevent peeling or chalking, a condition, which results, when you rub your hand across the paint it powders on your fingers. However, if the paint is just looking dingy, you may just need a powerwashing for a fresh new look.

The main ingredients of Allback Linseed Paints, apart from linseed oil, are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. These two constituents are infinitely safer to use than lead. Lead paint's use is restricted in the USA and many other countries. The Allback linseed oil paint colors contain earth pigment that is completely resistant to fading. The colors do dry out over time and may look faded but by adding a coat of the cleaned boiled linseed oil, paint luster and color is restored.

It is not recommended that the average homeowner attempt to correct their own lead-based paint problem, since it is very easy to make the problem worse instead of better. Many cases of lead poisoning are as a result of an inexperienced person attempting to abate a lead problem. It is often easiest to replace old doors, windows, trim, and other woodwork with new materials. The item should be wrapped in heavy plastic and kept away from children.

For publications/information about lead-based paint, contact the National Lead Information Center (NLIC) at 1-800-424-Lead or visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

The only way to permanently reduce lead hazards is to remove or replace painted surfaces in a lead-safe manner. Never use a dry method like sanding or scraping to remove lead painted surfaces- this will create lead-contaminated dust. Repairing and/or maintaining painted surfaces (primarily windows, exteriors, and trim) will also reduce lead exposure.

The amount of Lead-based paint in housing is significant. Tens of millions of housing units contain at least some lead-based paint. Children living in homes with lead-based paint can become exposed to that lead by directly eating chips of paint or by chewing on protruding painted surfaces.