Houses built before the 1970s are most likely to have been painted with lead paint, which has been implicated in a number of health problems and is particularly dangerous to growing children whose brains can be damaged causing lifelong learning difficulties.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cautions homeowners about houses built before 1978, when lead paint was banned in residences, but buyers and renters should be particularly wary of houses built in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s or earlier, the group says on its website, epa.gov/lead.
For a thorough study of the process called encapsulation that encases the lead that makes in inaccessible see hud.gov/offices/lead/ lbp/hudguidelines/Ch13. pdf.
Home centers sell lead paint test kits, but the EPA doesn’t endorse them. The agency recommends hiring an EPA-certified inspector or assessor to test a house for lead-based paint. Likewise, if renovations are in store and lead paint might be an issue, it’s important to hire an EPA Lead-Safe Certified renovator for the project, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
HomeStyle, Pages 42 on 09/28/2013