Lead paint in a rehab. DIY?

Question

I have been looking at HUD foreclosures in Ohio.  Many of the homes were built before 1978 and have lead paint.  HUD provides the full lead paint assessment report that details the location and condition of the lead paint, and also gives an estimated price for abatement.

What do you all do when you rehab a house with lead paint?  In some cases, the estimate is more than the asking price of the house.

Does each rehab require a follow-up inspection?

Michael R. · Answer

[quoteWhen this was posted you could have gotten away with this. Be careful because this type of activity is no longer legal. Review the RRP laws that are posted on the EPA website. Also you have legal resposbilities to your new renters of the property. Not following these laws can cost you big!!!

Why is this not legal? I am rrp certified and they never said there was anything wrong with repainting over it. If it was required that all lead paint be removed from pre1978 housing there would be a serious shortage of low income housing in this county. All my properties have lead all I do is repaint and put in new vinyl windows.

Chris Martin · Answer

Michael, I recommended the class because of the little subtleties that rehabbers will pick up. For instance, few peoplw know the effect of power washing a LBP house before you paint it. There is nothing wrong with repainting, it's the sanding and scraping the loose paint before you paint that is the issue. As you are well aware from your training, window replacement creates a large amount of dust and you need to have a lead abatement certification (not RRP) to meet guidelines.

Some history here: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2008/April/Day-22/t8141.htm .. just search for 'window'.

Chris Martin · Answer

I would recommend that rehabbers working on older homes take the RRP training. Then you would know the rules. Training costs less than a hot water tank. NC RRP #20550.

Account Closed · Answer

Here is the EPA link for owners of rental housing.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm#owners

E Marsh · Answer

When this was posted you could have gotten away with this.  Be careful because this type of activity is no longer legal.  Review the RRP laws that are posted on the EPA website.  Also you have legal resposbilities to your new renters of the property.  Not following these laws can cost you big!!!

Tom C · Answer

Loki,

If it wasn't legal and acceptable, I wouldn't have suggested it. This is all that is required by Section 8 and our Health Dept. By painting over it, you are sealing it.

Do you think MikeOH or any of these other rehabbers bring in Lead specialist? No and I can promise you that Mike is buying homes that are just as old as the ones that I am buying.

As far as your HUD stuff, it's great information, but as I said before. It is very difficult to obtain. When you are successful at getting one of these grants please come back and tell me how you got it and how long it took. Most people don't have the time on a rehab project to wait months for a grant to come through.

Keep up the great information. Your post are very informative.

Tom

Jon Holdman · Answer

Calixto,
I do not see any info on that page about grants to remediate lead.  I very seriously doubt there is some HUD program that will pay to remediate the lead in every house in the US.  There are regulations that require disclosure of lead paint hazards and well as the existence or possible existence of lead paint when you sell or rent a property.  Details here.

If there's some sort of grant program for this, I'm sure many of us would like to know.  Please provide a specific pointer.

Calixto Urdiales · Answer

TC I am not too sure I would suggest anyone to do this and if you need to do anything you should do it right when consering a hazard such as this. I am mean if HUD is going to offer you a grant to take care of the proble why not do it when no money is coming out of your pocket?

Tom C · Answer

All of my homes have lead paint.. All you do is paint over it and you are fine. If you are renting it, make sure you give your renters the lead paint disclosures and have them sign off that they got it. Don't stress over it. Repaint and you are fine.

Calixto Urdiales · Answer

My friend HUD offers a lead base paint program that will pay for the cost of repairs no cost out of your pcoket. And there are many more loan programs that are offered through FHA loans, along with many grants (that do not have to be paid back, yes free $$$$$) that can help you rehab homes. Just check out the link below and you will know what I am talking about and when you get the chance check out my sticky on the HUD, VA, & Tax sales forum to get more info as well.

Link to HUD: http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/

Good Luck my friend.

Lead paint in a rehab. DIY?

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