Lead Safe Renovation is EASY!

Lead based paint is in many pre-1990 homes in many communities. Lead paint is only a risk when the paint is chipping, flaking, crushed or sanded into dust.

THEP provides information and education to property owners and families about lead-based paint (LBP) hazards in and around the home environment with the goal to reduce children’s potential exposure.

Homeowners are responsible for managing identified sources of lead-based paint if they choose to.

THEP support is via education (Visit thep.ca to view ‘how-to’ videos on removing exterior paint and keeping dust down while renovating). THEP also can provide lead-safe renovation supplies to keep the dust down while renovating.

If you are concerned that you or someone else in your home has been exposed to lead dust from renovations, talk to your family doctor for advice about potential exposure concerns.   HealthLink BC has information on lead based paint that we can email (or print and mail) to you if that is helpful: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/healthfiles/hfile31.pdf   For support in dispute resolution with your landlord, please contact the Residential Tenancy Board at: Residential Tenancies – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)   or toll free: 1-800-665-8779.  

THEP works with the community to provide information and education about lead-based paint hazards to reduce children’s potential expsosure. The program does not include removing lead-based paint from homes.   The program does provide lead-safe renovation supplies for DIY renovations in the Trail area. We’ve put together videos you can use to learn more about safely removing lead-based paint from your home. Visit thep.ca for videos.

THEP is conducting paint screening on all properties identified for soil management in priority order. Properties that have received soil management in previous years should contact the community program office to be added to the list of properties to be tested.

Exterior paint on homes older than 1990 may contain lead. Sometimes leaving lead-based paint alone is safer than removing it, as long as it is not chipping or within the reach of children. THEP’s yard assessment includes exterior paint testing for lead as of May 2023. Due to the high volume of requests, properties will be addressed in priority order.   If the paint is chipping or peeling, visit the Government of Canada’s home safety page for more resources.

Please contact the McKelvey Creek Landfill (250) 364-9834) to inquire about disposing of Lead-Based Paint.

If you must remove lead-based paint from your walls, this Government of Canada resource provides suggestions to be lead-safe. THEP also has DIY videos to reduce dust during renovations and they are accessed at thep.ca > Resources > Videos.

Sometimes leaving lead-based paint alone is safer than removing it, as long as it is not chipping or within the reach of children. To reduce the chance of exposure to lead-based paint, surfaces in good condition can be covered with non-lead paint, vinyl wallpaper, wallboard or paneling.

However, lead-based paint in the home can be a serious health hazard when it’s chipping, flaking or within reach of children who may chew on it. In this case, consider removing the paint following very specific guidelines, or hiring an expert to do the job.

Circumstances where you may need to disclose the presence of lead-based paint include:

• to tenants if the home is rented
• to buyers if the home is sold
• when disposing of materials containing lead-based paint  

Families and caregivers of young children should have paint tested to find out if there is a risk of lead exposure from paint in their home.

• Infants, children and pregnant women are at higher risk. Toddlers and children can ingest lead because of their frequent hand-to-mouth activity and tendency to mouth or chew objects. Children absorb and retain more lead into their bodies compared to adults. For pregnant women, even low levels of lead can affect the growth of the developing baby.
• Lead-based paint in the home is a serious health hazard when it’s chipping, flaking or within reach of children who may chew on it.

Pre-1990 homes may contain lead-based paint. Wear-and-tear of painted surfaces such as doors, windows, stairs and railings can expose you and your family to health risks.

To reduce the risk of lead exposure for young children, THEP has added paint testing to existing services such as yard assessments and in-home visits for expectant families and families with children under three.

• Generally pregnant women and newborns are at low risk of adverse health effects from lead (Pb) exposure in typical every-day community situations. We strongly advise pregnant women and children avoid being exposed to dust from home renovation as this could result in higher than typical lead (Pb) exposure. This includes exposure to fine particles of lead paint in homes (this applies to any community). Please see our Lead-safe Renovation rack card for details.
• A mother’s blood lead level affects the blood lead level of the fetus during pregnancy and is only a concern in situations where the mother has experienced higher than usual exposure, such as work exposure, home renovations, or living in parts of the world where lead exposure may be high. If a woman is pregnant, or planning to become pregnant, in a higher exposure risk situation, she should be tested by her physician or, if the timing is convenient, at one of THEP’s blood lead testing clinics. Please contact THEP’s Public Health Nurse at 250-364-6223.
• If you work in an industry that has potential lead exposure, talk to your employer about blood lead monitoring and the potential for alternative work.
• A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can pass it to her baby. Lead can also be passed to a baby through the mother’s breast milk.

A roofing contractor showed us how he leans plywood against the side of a house or fence with a tarp underneath on the ground. This acts as sheeting when the old shingles are pulled off and it protects the house, keeps the dust contained, and can be easily vacuumed or hosed off at the end of the project and re-used.

A suggestion from a Trail Area Lead Safe Contractor is to use a shop vac with a long hose to get all the dust and debris out of the gutters, preventing clogged downspouts and keeping dust down.

If the home is older than 1960, you can assume there is lead paint in the layers and on at least some surfaces. Homes built between 1960 and 1990 may also contain lead paint. We recommend that you be lead safe and protect yourself and others from exposure to renovation dust and paint chips. If you want to test for lead paint, there are simple test kits that can be purchased or you can send a paint chip to a lab for analysis. As noted above, you’re best to assume there is some lead paint and use lead safe practices.

Check out the Contractor section on this website. For more information, or to become a Trail Area Lead Safe Contractor, please contact the Community Program Office at 1319 Bay Avenue or 250.368.3256.

Please contact the Community Program Office at 1319 Bay Avenue or 250.368.3256 for information on the Lead Safe Renovation Program supports and information available to you.  

The Lead Safe Renovation Program applies to all pre-1990 homes anywhere in the Lower Columbia.

Resources are also available online.

Primary prevention is the most effective way to prevent lead exposure. Actions you can take to reduce the risk of lead exposure include:

• Wash your hands and your children’s hands especially before eating and after playing outdoors.
• Eat foods that have enough iron and other vitamins and minerals. A person who eats a balanced, nutritious diet may absorb less lead. Eat at the table.
• Keep your floors dust-free by vacuuming and damp-mopping often. Leave outside shoes at the door. Damp dust frequently, especially window ledges and countertops.
• Keep outdoor play areas clean. Cover the sandbox when you are finished playing. Hose off patios, play equipment, and driveways often. Play on the grass and cover bare soil areas.
• Renovate safely. Seal off the area of work, and clean well when complete. Keep children and pregnant women away if possible.

Secondary prevention including blood lead testing and follow-up minimizes further exposure. Trail offers an annual voluntary blood lead testing clinic for children under five years old.

Dust that settles in and around homes in the Trail area may contain lead as a result of air emissions (mainly historical) from the smelter. Lead dust may also come from older, chipping indoor and outdoor paint. If a young child puts their hands in their mouth, they may unintentionally ingest lead from dust on their hands. Keeping dust down inside and outside the home, especially in drier months, is one way to reduce potential ingestion by children.

One trick we’ve learned is to rub dish soap around the seal and turn on the vacuum. If you see bubbles, there’s a leak. Consider fixing the seal with Vaseline or something similar. If that doesn’t work, you may need a new part, a new vacuum, or maybe you’ll find a new fix and have a new tip for us. If you are buying a new vacuum, buy a HEPA shop vac to really keep dust down!