Example Lead Paint Projects in Novato

Scope of work

Plastic inside the room and along the base of the wall outside, the old sashes, stops and casings misted and taken out whole, one new large unit set in the existing opening, the inside trim refitted, HEPA cleanup and a wet-cloth check of the sill and floor. The siding is not part of this price.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1950s ranch house in Novato replace the large window on the long wall, which no longer seals. Its frame and sill carry older paint, so they are tested first, and the test shows lead paint.

Replacing windows in a house built before 1978 is always covered by the federal lead-safe rule, so the room is sealed and plastic is laid along the base of the wall outside, under the oaks, while the old window comes out. The siding is left alone.

The goal

The goal is a large window that seals, with no lead dust left in the room or on the ground below.

Process

1. Testing Frames and sills tested and the opening measured for the large unit.
2. Setup Plastic laid inside, and along the base of the wall outside.
3. Windows Old sashes and casings out whole, new unit set, trim refitted.
4. Check HEPA cleanup and a wet-cloth check of the sill and floor.

Planning right

• A large unit costs more to set than a small one, which is why this price sits near the top of the line.
• Leaves and acorns blow the plastic about, so it is weighed down and checked each morning.
• The other windows on the long wall may carry the same old paint. Test them before they are touched.
• Old sashes leave the house wrapped, not dropped on the ground.

Scope of work

Plastic spread over the lawn and beds and sheeting along the front and side walls, scaffold and ladders, the siding, porch, bay and trim stripped with paste stripper and wet scraping, waste bagged each day, primer and two coats of lead-free paint, and a clearance check of the porch, the ground and the sills. Rotten boards and window repair are extra.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of an 1890s Victorian in San Rafael are repainting the house and learn that its many layers of paint contain lead. A test shows lead paint on the siding, the porch, the bay and the trim on the front and one side wall.

Stripping removes the lead paint, so the job is abatement and goes to certified workers. Form 8551 reaches CDPH at least five days before the start, and the neighbors hear in writing. The owners also ask the city whether the house is on its historic survey, and the lead-safe rules apply either way.

The goal

The goal is a front and side wall with no lead paint left on them and a yard free of chips.

Process

1. Paperwork Form 8551 posted and sent to CDPH; letters to the neighbors on both sides.
2. Setup Plastic over the lawn and beds, sheeting and scaffold along the front and side walls.
3. Stripping Siding, porch, bay and trim stripped wet, waste bagged daily.
4. Paint Bare wood primed and given two coats.
5. Clearance Porch, sills and ground checked for chips and dust before the plastic comes down.

Planning right

• Ornate trim and two stories are why the price runs well above a plain one-story house.
• Boards and turned parts that are too far gone are replaced at extra cost.
• The other two walls carry the same old paint. Do them in a later stage, lead-safe, or the dust comes back.
• File the clearance report with the repaint papers.

Scope of work

Plastic over the floors and across the doorways, the walls and wainscot washed, loose spots misted and scraped, a bonding patch tested, two coats of a coating made to last 20 years or more, HEPA cleanup and a clearance test of each room. Rooms are worked one at a time.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1930s house in Petaluma love the plaster walls and the wood wainscot in the hall, living room and dining room. A test shows lead paint on both, and the paint is mostly sound, with a few loose spots.

Sealing keeps the original surfaces in place. The coating is made to last 20 years or more, which makes the job abatement. It is done by certified workers under a written plan, with the notice posted and sent at least five days ahead and a clearance test at the end. The owners also ask planning staff whether the house is in a historic district.

The goal

The goal is the original plaster and wainscot kept in place, with their lead paint sealed behind a coating made to last.

Process

1. Paperwork Written plan prepared, Form 8551 posted and sent.
2. Room prep Floors covered, walls and wainscot washed, loose spots scraped wet.
3. Test patch One panel coated to see whether the coating bonds to the old paint.
4. Coating Two coats room by room, then HEPA cleanup and the clearance test.

Planning right

• A test patch on one panel shows whether the coating bonds, before any room is done.
• Wainscot and door edges rub, so they are checked first at each yearly look.
• A new switch or outlet cut into a sealed wall disturbs the lead again, so plan it lead-safe.
• Keep the plan, the clearance result and the yearly checks in one folder.

Scope of work

A visit after the work, six dust wipes and two soil samples, lab fees, a written result, and a retest of the two wipes that fail after the second cleaning.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1960s house in Novato had a painter scrape and repaint the front porch and the window sills, with plastic and HEPA tools. They want proof that the work left the porch clean before the grandchildren play there.

A certified inspector wipes the porch floor, the sills and the entry and samples the soil at the foot of the steps. Two of the six wipes fail, so the painter cleans the porch again and the inspector retests those two. The second result passes and goes in the owner’s file.

The goal

The goal is a porch that has passed a test and a file that shows it.

Process

1. Booking The date the cleaning is done, and what was scraped.
2. Sampling Dust wipes on the porch floor, sills and entry, soil from the foot of the steps.
3. Result Two wipes fail, the porch is cleaned again, and those two are retested.

Planning right

• Book the test for the day the cleaning is done, before the porch is used again.
• A clearance test is a different job from the painter’s own cleaning check, and a separate visit.
• Keep the result with the house papers for any later sale.
• The rest of the house still carries the old paint. Test it before the next job.

Scope of work

Plastic over the floor and across the doorway of each room, misting of the painted casings, sills and baseboards before scraping, HEPA vacuums on the sanders, daily HEPA vacuuming and a wet wipe, a cleaning check before each room reopens, and bagged disposal. The repainting itself is priced separately.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1970s house in Novato are repainting five rooms where the paint on the casings, sills and baseboards is chipping, and the painter will scrape and sand it first. A test shows lead paint on those parts.

That much scraping and sanding goes past the minor repair limit of 6 square feet per room inside, so the federal rule applies: an EPA-certified firm and renovator, sealed rooms and a cleaning check on each room. The extra cost sits on top of the repaint.

The goal

The goal is five repainted rooms with no lead dust left behind from the scraping.

Process

1. Test Casings, sills and baseboards tested before the painter prices the job.
2. Sealing each room Furniture out, floor and doorway covered, the room sealed.
3. Scraping and sanding Surfaces misted, then scraped and sanded with HEPA-vacuum tools.
4. Check before painting HEPA vacuuming, a wet wipe and the room checked before painting.

Planning right

• Check the build year first, since a house finished in 1978 or later is outside the rule.
• Ask the painter’s bid to say who does the lead-safe setup and cleanup.
• Paint goes on after the room check, not before.
• Keep children and pets out of each room until its check is done.