Let us explain. Lead is a toxic metal that was used in products and around homes for many years. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk, so it is extremely important that your remodeler is a Lead-Safe EPA certified firm.

So what does it mean to be “Lead-Safe?” This means that your contractor or builder is not using lead in your home with your family and is following certain procedures to keep your family safe from its side effects. Lead has many severe side effects that can be detrimental to the health of you and your family if to highly exposed to it. Here are a few facts about lead from the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency to keep in mind:

- Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.

- Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.

- You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust or by eating soil or paint chips containing lead.

- You have many options for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard.

- Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to your family.

According to the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency, “common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint. To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.”

Those practices include following three procedures:

-      contain the work area

-      minimize dust

-      clean up thouroughly

T.W.Ellis takes great pride in knowing that they put their customer’s and their families health first when building in their personal homes. T.W.Ellis is a certified Lead-Safe EPA firm, among many other certifications they have acquired. For more information on T.W.Ellis and their firm certifications, please visit www.twellis.com!