Note: Iowa has received approval from the EPA to administer this rule at the State level. See THIS ARTICLE for updated information specific to Iowa

Starting on April 22, 2010, every contractor who works on a house built before 1978 or any "child-occupied facility" where work will disturb lead based paint, must have successfully completed a certified renovator course delivered by an EPA-accredited trainer. In addition every firm involved in renovation in target housing must be registered with the EPA. This rule applies, with a few exceptions, to all renovations performed for compensation in target housing and child-occupied facilities. A home owner working on his or her specific owner-occupied housing unit is exempt from the rule, though it is of course strongly recommended that lead-safe work practices be followed.

In a nutshell - covered by the rule is any renovation where the work area will disturb either 1 square foot of painted surface. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Window replacement or repair

• Door replacement or repair
• Gutters
• Trim
• Cabinets
• Blown-in Insulation
• Siding/soffits
• Painting/stripping
• Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC (if walls are disturbed)
• Floor sanding
• Demolition

Zack Bunkers and Mac of Z Painting Studio demonstrate how to repair a cracked plaster wall.

Some key things to remember:

Preparation

Remove all paint from sashes, jambs, sills and interior stools.

[editor's note: Follow all lead safe work practices when working with windows, unless they have tested negative for lead based paint.]

This relatively simple project involved installing a chair rail made from 1x3 clear pine.

Tools

• Hammer and nail set

• Miter saw / miter box
• Chalk line and carpenter's pencil
• Tape measure
• Level
• Caulking gun
• Air nailer and/or cordless drill
• Paint brushes, rollers, trays, and rags

Supplies

• 1x3 clear pine or poplar (measure twice, cut once)

• 2" finish nails
• Wood filler
• Paintable latex caulk
• (optional) Construction adhesive
• Spray primer
• Wall primer and paint
• 120 grit sandpaper
  

Prior to being banned as a paint additive in 1978, lead was manufactured into paint for four primary reasons: pigmentation, durability, corrosion resistance, and as a mold inhibitor. Lead can also be found in primers, stains, varnishes, and shellacs.

What is a Hazard?

Not all lead-based paint is classified as a hazard.

Lead paint can be found on almost any surface of your historic home: windows, walls, ceilings, siding, cabinetry, and trim. Lead is a poison and can affect both humans and pets. Children are particularly susceptible. Contact the Polk County Health Department for more information on lead paint law, lead poisoning symptoms, and how to rid your house of lead.

Lynn Simmons
Program Specialist
Polk County Health Department
1907 Carpenter Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50314

Phone: 515-286-3596

e-mail: Lsimmon@co.polk.ia.us

Congratulations! You are finally ready to move in.

Well, not quite yet. Before you start moving your belongings in, and certainly before you issue the last payment to your contractor, you need to perform a detailed walkthrough and prepare a "punchlist" for your contractor. Renovation is a complex business and there are many opportunities for things to get overlooked, particularly in the final stages as the pressure mounts to complete your project. The punchlist may be your last opportunity to get timely work out of your contractor - once you have approved the final payment and received the final lien waiver, your options become much more restricted.

A punchlist is simply a list of items (these items must be either specifically included or reasonably implied in the contract, of course) that the contractor needs to complete prior to receiving the final payment. You may want to prepare the punchlist with the assistance of your contractor. That way, you can ask questions and make sure that you are on the same page.

Once the drywall is installed, taped, and painted, the cabinets placed, tile laid, and all the fixtures are on site the systems finishing stage begins. You will call back your electrician, plumber, and HVAC contractor to install the final pieces of each trade and complete the contracted work. You should hold back a reasonable portion of the contract payment until the finish work is completed to your satisfaction.

The HVAC finish work includes placing the fan units and condensers, charging the air conditioner if required, and placing the vent covers.

Up to this point, much of the work in your home has been occurring “behind the scenes” – it has now been covered up by the drywall. The finishes include everything from the drywall out.

Many of the Des Moines’ historic homes were built with plastered interior walls. Because it is so labor-intensive (and therefore expensive), plaster is not considered a standard building practice in today’s construction industry. A plaster wall is constructed in several stages. First, small strips of wood called lath are nailed across the studs (walls) and the bottoms of floor joists and rafters (ceilings). Plaster is typically applied onto the lath in three layers. The first layer is the thickest and applied directly to the lath. As it is applied to the wall or ceiling, some of the plaster gets pressed through the horizontal spaces between the lath strips. These “keys” harden and became the supports that hold the plaster to the wall or ceiling. The second layer of plaster is much thinner and helps level the surface. The final layer consists of a mixture of lime and plaster, or plain lime putty, and is applied to a thickness of approximately 1/8” before being floated to a near-flat surface.

You will find it is very difficult to remove small areas of plaster without damaging the surrounding area – if the “keys” that hold the plaster to the lath fall off, the plaster itself becomes very weak. It is likely that during your renovation, you will either completely remove the plaster or significantly damage areas of plaster in order to update the electric, plumbing, and HAVC systems.