EPA Lead Paint Rules for Pre-1978 Homes

I've been busy with "family stuff" lately, but figure it's about time to post here again. And I've been meaning to get this out.

There's a new issue that is plaguing the remodeling industry and owners of pre-1978 homes who want to remodel:

April 22, 2010 marked the onset of new EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rules on testing and remediation of lead paint in pre-1978 homes (also schools and child care facilities) to protect children and pregnant women from the dangers of lead paint dust and chips generated during remodeling.

Here's the EPA RRP Rule:

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

Remodeling contractors all across the nation are in a tizzy over new requirements for training to deal with the new rule. Some have entirely precluded work on pre-1978 homes from their businesses. It's the asbestos thing all over again.

Here's what contractors have to deal with to get certified:

Shawn McCadden's very well presented synopsis (Thanks Shawn)

Do-It-Yourselfers are excluded. This from the EPA site:

"Information for Homeowners Working at Home

If you are a homeowner performing renovation, repair, or painting work in your own home, EPA's RRP rule does not cover your project. However, you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family or children in your care. If you are living in a pre-1978 home and planning to do painting or repairs, please read a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet (11 pp, 1.1MB). | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). You may also want to call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) and ask for more information on how to work safely in a home with lead-based paint."

That doesn't mean that you DIYers shouldn't be concerned or that homeowners should be cavalier about hiring a contractor who doesn't initiate testing as a first action when talking to you about renovating your pre-1978 home.

In fact, you yourselves should spend the money and have the testing done on the room(s) you plan to renovate before talking to contractors. Most pre-1978 homes going back as far as the 1950's will test negative for lead based paint on the INTERIOR of the home. Exterior is another matter (Much more likely to contain lead-based paint unless it has all been removed in the past).

If your kitchen and bathrooms show negative on testing, you can pretty well assume there is no lead-based paint in your home. If they show positive, you should get all rooms tested. If you plan to replace windows or doors or add on, disturbing exterior paint as part of your renovation, you should have those areas tested too.

Here's a Consumer Product Safety Commission info sheet on lead-based paint and testing options:

What You Should Know About Lead Based Paint in Your Home: Safety Alert

I'm sure in a few years we will all settle in with the new rules and things will get comfortable again for contractors and homeowners, but right now is definitely a bit more difficult for both with the new rules. Saving children from lead poisoning or reduced leaning capacity is a valid reason to support the rule, which has been a long time coming.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1990:

"The persistence toxity of lead was seen to result in signifiant and serious impairment of academic success, specifically a seven fold increase in failure to graduate from high school, lower class standing, greater absenteeism, impairment of reading skills sufficiently extensive to be labeled reading disability (indicated by scores two grades below the expected scores), and deficits in vocabulary, fine motor skills, reaction time and hand-eye coordination."

America's children have enough to deal with these days without the added burden of lead poisoning.

Peggy

Green Home Construction on the Rise

New Energy-Efficient Designs Now Represent 17% of All New Home Construction

Even as home sales continue to struggle through this recession, green home building is one real estate sector that’s thriving.

According to recent data, more than 1 million homes have been certified by the government’s Energy Star program since it began in 1995 and more than 75,000 more were added in 2009 alone. In 2008, homes with the Energy Star rating accounted for almost 17% of all new single-family dwellings built, which marked a more than 5% increase from 2007.

The Energy Star label may be familiar to many consumers—the seal appears on all kinds of appliances and household electronics—but Energy Star home construction is a relatively new concept.

In order to receive the Energy Star seal of approval a home must be at least 20% more energy-efficient than similar new houses. Generally, Energy Star homes have more efficient lighting, insulation, windows, heating and cooling systems, and appliances.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification program is not the only one to report growth in eco-friendly home construction. There are also several private and not-for-profit organizations that certify green homes, including the United States Green Building Council and the National Association of Home Builders.

These private groups also report significant increases in green-certified new home construction despite an overall 30% slide in new homes built or completed by October 2008.

Nate Kredich of the US Green Building Council, a group whose rating standards are even stricter than those of the Energy Star program, says that the council’s number of certified homes has risen from just over 1,100 in 2008 to more than 3,000 in 2009. Though the increase is small, Kredich notes that growth has been steady and suggests that more and more homeowners are considering greener alternatives to traditional residential construction.

Kevin Morrow, from the National Association of Home Builders, echoes Kredich’s assertions. The NAHB certified just 99 green homes in 2008; in 2009, that number jumped to nearly 600. As Morrow suggests, the increased interest in green home construction is driven by consumers looking to save money on their energy and utility bills, and to reduce their impact on the environment.

And it’s not just new construction that’s going green. A recent USA Today poll showed that more than 68% of homeowners surveyed made home improvements designed to make their houses more energy efficient. Of those, nearly 72% said it was to save money on utilities, while almost 30% said the changed were prompted by concerns about the environment.

Regardless of their motivation, homeowners are clearly impacting the way new houses are built. Typical best-sellers are those products that pay for themselves quickly—like solar panels, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, or major appliances like dishwashers and light fixtures. Price is a key factor, as many consumers are willing to pay a little extra up front to ensure considerable savings in the long run.

As energy prices continue to rise and concerns about the environment reach the mainstream, most building experts expect green construction and renovation initiatives to increase in popularity. At Horizon Services, we believe it; our heating and air conditioning technicians are seeing more and more Energy Star certified homes in our Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland service area. Soon, we predict, these eco-friendly options may be the norm rather than just a passing trend.


Related Information from Horizon Services...

• Green Your Home...Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
• Cutting Edge Solutions For Energy Efficiency
• Home Energy Myths Debunked!
• Energy-Efficient, Green Plumbing Services for the 21st Century and Today’s Economy

Chinna vengaya vadakkal-Baby onion/Shallot fry

CHINNA VENGAYA VADAKKAL

My mother is not very fond of onions.But she has never denied us the pleasure of savouring onions in the various delicious dishes she specially cooked for us.Vengaya vadakkal (Onion fry) is her speciality and on the days she prepared this dish none of us even glanced at sambar or rasam. We gorged on the onion fry with steaming hot rice for lunch and dinner.We ate it with any 'tiffin' during tea time.We even used it as a spread on the bread and tucked it in greedily.
Since onion shrinks drastically after cooking mother had to chop a mound of onions, intermittently sniffing away the stream of 'tears', to make a large quantity of fry that was required to satiate the needs of our huge family.She cut the big onions lengthwise,into thin slivers and cooked it with spice and salt,and finally gathered it into a whole flavoursome mass.
I have used the same method here to prepare the 'chinna vengaya vadakkal'.

INGREDIENTS
Baby onions/shallots - 500 gms
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsps
METHOD

1. Peel,wash and drain the onions.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When the mustard splutters add curry leaves and then the onions.
4. Add chilly powder,coriander powder,cumin powder,turmeric powder and salt.(I used my home made spice powder).
5. Mix well with a spatula, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on low fire.
6. Remove lid and stir the fry so that the spices get evenly distributed.
7. Sprinkle little water if necessary and cover and cook again till the onions are cooked.
8. When the onions start looking glassy remove lid and keep frying till the oil sepatates.
Enjoy the chinna vengaya vadakkal as a main dish with hot rice or as a side dish with your favourite meal.