Lead has been banned in the United States since 1978 after health experts and professionals revealed its harmful effects on human health and wellness. Because of this ban, lead has no longer been used to legally produce materials such as toys, appliances, paint, and other objects.
While small lead-made merchandise can easily be phased out and eliminated from the market, the same cannot be done for immovable properties like houses. There is a strong possibility that homes constructed before lead was banned in 1978 were painted with lead-based paint.
Houses with lead paint create a dangerous environment for all their inhabitants. Lead-based paint easily deteriorates and chips off of walls and other surfaces. When these turn into fine dust and are inhaled, it can result in severe damage to a person’s brain and organs. In severe exposure, lead can cause seizures, mental disabilities, and death.
With the rise of awareness of the negative health consequences of lead paint, it can be difficult to sell homes painted with toxic substances. In this article, learn how to test for lead paint in your property and what you can do to sell your house with lead paint.
How to Test for Lead Paint in a House
The best way to determine if your house has traces of lead-based paint is to engage a professional. Home inspectors have the tools and equipment needed to identify lead paint and can give you accurate and quick results. However, lead paint testing can be expensive owing to health concerns.
If you don’t want to spend on professional lead inspection services, you can DIY your lead testing with the use of a testing kit. Some hardware stores offer lead paint test kits for sale that depend on chemical interactions to detect the toxic substance. If you opt to conduct the test yourself, make sure to practice care and follow the instructions in your testing kit.
What You Can Do to Sell a House With Lead Paint?
If you detect traces of lead-based paint on your property, you should do something about it before you put the house on the market for sale. This is to prevent legal consequences and also to protect the well-being of your potential buyers.
Depending on how much lead-based paint was used in your home, you can either contain the lead paint or completely remove it.
Small traces of lead can be contained with maintenance until it deteriorates. This process involves waiting for the lead to chip or flake off, with professionals inspecting and maintaining it frequently until the toxic substance is completely eliminated. The affected area can then be redone with lead-safe materials.
However, if most of the house is painted with lead-based paint, it’s highly recommended that you completely remove it. For this method, you will need to engage a certified lead paint abatement specialist. Although this service is expensive, do note that it’s highly inadvisable to take on the task of removing lead paint yourself.
Sell Your House With Lead Paint to Skye Homes
Selling a house with lead paint is difficult considering the health concerns, as well as the large expenses of removing or containing the toxic substance. Instead of going through the expensive process, you can opt to sell your house to Skye Homes instead.
We are direct buyers of properties across the United States and purchase homes as-is. We don’t require any repairs, renovations, or staging, which means fewer expenses and hassle on your part. Just tell us about your property and we can make you an all-cash offer.
