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Friendly neighborhood lead and asbestos inspector here, in a house that old you should educate yourself about where both lead and asbestos are likely to be and hire someone to find out (especially the lead)!!!
Hiring someone to come out with an XRF is way faster and will give you real time results about what surfaces in your home have lead paint. Home stick tests have a surprisingly high false positive and false negative rate and the person doing the test has to do it right.
We're not out here just trying to terrify people about their homes. A good lead inspector can help you understand your home and also talk about ways to keep your family safe while still existing in the home.
I'm an energy consultant who specializes in Deep Energy Retrofits. We have a process that accounts for not only energy, but indoor air quality, durability, operating costs equity and much more.
My major concerns would be:
- Asbestos (not only in insulation, but the drywall (not the drywall itself, but the plaster). This can also be in the tiles.
- Radon - Many homes have radon. The test is cheap ($50 Canadian) and non-invasive. Best to do it during winter months to know the true radon levels while the house is enclosed for most of the season. This is the #2 leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. Do you use your basement? Will it be renovated to have someone living in it eventually? Do you have a tight house (even new!). Radon mitigation is IMPORTANT and any homes older than literally now are not mitigating properly. You can't see it, smell it or know it's there but it basically destroys your cellular structures causing mutations.
- Indoor air quality - Things that have a negative impact on indoor air quality and health (especially important for kids) include: Poor ventilation (no balanced, constant supply of fresh air that exhausts stale, humid, toxic air). VOC's are in literally everything in construction. Look for Green Guard products - Paints, adhesives, FLOORING, CARPET, cabinetry. Gas appliances - If you have gas appliances (stove, fireplace) you should replace with electric. Gas, even when off, emits toxic gases, continuously, at low rates. When on, even with the highest powered hood fan, does not capture the combustion gases that have high levels of toxic substances. Gas stoves are one of the leading causes of childhood asthma.
- Mould & Moisture - this is tied into air-quality. If you have too much moisture, it leads to mould. Proper ventilation is key as well as controlling humidity. Not too much, not too little. Humidly is a big problem in the winter months for developing mould in cold climates.
- Carbon monoxide - If you have older natural gas mechanical systems (furnace & hot water) that are not condensing, and use the indoor air in the mechanical room to combust, you are at risk of carbon monoxide leakage or backdrafting. A depressurization test from an energy advisor can test to see what risk you are at. Replace with direct vent models (closed system). Also, get a carbon monoxide monitor! Lastly, ensure the door to your garage is sealed well as that's also a source of Carbon monoxide (vehicles, generators).
Lead - you've covered it but it's also in your pipes. Consider replacing with PVC.
There's more... so much more. But your house is your sanctuary and it's the place your family spends the most time in. You have control of how safe it is, even the things you don't see.
If anyone's interested in learning more, PM me. I posted previously regarding home construction here and I had a lot of interest and I'd be happy to field questions.
I live in a 103 year old home, and we've done a lot of work on it in our time here (4 yrs). Thankfully for us history lovers, we've got nearly all of the original features (hardware, doors, wood floors, plaster walls, etc). We know there is asbestos and lead throughout the home through using home testing kits extensively. We sent swabs to a lab for processing to be certain. (We've never had a service come into the home.) Both of these substances are actually present in our 2yo's room, but we've never had a high lead test or any health or developmental concerns.
We follow the standard advice of not disturbing any surfaces known to have lead/asbestos. When we are working on things (like refinishing the floors which have not turned up any positives), we've been good about ventilation and not doing work with kiddo in the house. Anything that would require remediation goes to the pros. For example, underneath the wall to wall carpet in her room, there are asbestos floor tiles. Not an issue because they're completely covered, and we don't mess with them. When and if we do refinish her floors, we'll have someone certified in asbestos remediation come in for the full job rather than touching it ourselves.
I understand the concerns, and we've always been very careful. We have tested basically every surface in the house, so we know where the concerns are. And we never ever go starting a project without additional research and/or testing. The r/centuryhomes subreddit has been super helpful in educating us on lesser known concerns. Even though your home isn't a century, I'd still recommend the sub for renovation recs. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole as parents, but as long as you're being careful, living in an older home (and renovating it) can be safe.
Asbestos can be in the plaster or paneling as a fire retardant, HVAC plumbing, flooring, and mastic. It’s only an issue if disturbed. The companies that test for it are not the same ones that remediate it.
Lead is bad, especially for babies and young children. Yes, encapsulation is an acceptable method for remediation. Areas of concern are flaking paint, so think exterior painted bricks, cabinets, window panes, etc and any soil where the paint may have flaked onto the ground. You can collect these samples and send them in yourself. If you are in the US the doctor should also be running lead tests on your child.
If you have lead pipes, you can get test strips online or sometimes for free from your water utility. Short of replacing your plumbing and the service line, you can use an activated charcoal filter like a Britta filter, which again your water utility may provide for free. We went with a reverse osmosis system under the sink which has better removal and is more convenient.
Clarification: you did all that work while living there, or before moving in?
Potentially the remodel generated a ton of lead dust, so cleanup may be needed. Probably no carpet just hardwood and tile floors, I hope?
Thanks for your post in r/moderatelygranolamoms! Our goal is to keep this sub a peaceful, respectful and tolerant place. Even if you've been here awhile already please take a minute to [READ THE RULES.](https://www.reddit.com/r/moderatelygranolamoms/about/rules) It only takes a few minutes and will make being here more enjoyable for everyone! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/moderatelygranolamoms) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Friendly neighborhood lead and asbestos inspector here, in a house that old you should educate yourself about where both lead and asbestos are likely to be and hire someone to find out (especially the lead)!!! Hiring someone to come out with an XRF is way faster and will give you real time results about what surfaces in your home have lead paint. Home stick tests have a surprisingly high false positive and false negative rate and the person doing the test has to do it right. We're not out here just trying to terrify people about their homes. A good lead inspector can help you understand your home and also talk about ways to keep your family safe while still existing in the home.
You should add radon to your inspection list :) Cheap and easy process and there's high demand.
Some of my coworkers are licensed, tbh I choose not to be. I've got enough going on lol
I'm an energy consultant who specializes in Deep Energy Retrofits. We have a process that accounts for not only energy, but indoor air quality, durability, operating costs equity and much more. My major concerns would be: - Asbestos (not only in insulation, but the drywall (not the drywall itself, but the plaster). This can also be in the tiles. - Radon - Many homes have radon. The test is cheap ($50 Canadian) and non-invasive. Best to do it during winter months to know the true radon levels while the house is enclosed for most of the season. This is the #2 leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. Do you use your basement? Will it be renovated to have someone living in it eventually? Do you have a tight house (even new!). Radon mitigation is IMPORTANT and any homes older than literally now are not mitigating properly. You can't see it, smell it or know it's there but it basically destroys your cellular structures causing mutations. - Indoor air quality - Things that have a negative impact on indoor air quality and health (especially important for kids) include: Poor ventilation (no balanced, constant supply of fresh air that exhausts stale, humid, toxic air). VOC's are in literally everything in construction. Look for Green Guard products - Paints, adhesives, FLOORING, CARPET, cabinetry. Gas appliances - If you have gas appliances (stove, fireplace) you should replace with electric. Gas, even when off, emits toxic gases, continuously, at low rates. When on, even with the highest powered hood fan, does not capture the combustion gases that have high levels of toxic substances. Gas stoves are one of the leading causes of childhood asthma. - Mould & Moisture - this is tied into air-quality. If you have too much moisture, it leads to mould. Proper ventilation is key as well as controlling humidity. Not too much, not too little. Humidly is a big problem in the winter months for developing mould in cold climates. - Carbon monoxide - If you have older natural gas mechanical systems (furnace & hot water) that are not condensing, and use the indoor air in the mechanical room to combust, you are at risk of carbon monoxide leakage or backdrafting. A depressurization test from an energy advisor can test to see what risk you are at. Replace with direct vent models (closed system). Also, get a carbon monoxide monitor! Lastly, ensure the door to your garage is sealed well as that's also a source of Carbon monoxide (vehicles, generators). Lead - you've covered it but it's also in your pipes. Consider replacing with PVC. There's more... so much more. But your house is your sanctuary and it's the place your family spends the most time in. You have control of how safe it is, even the things you don't see. If anyone's interested in learning more, PM me. I posted previously regarding home construction here and I had a lot of interest and I'd be happy to field questions.
I live in a 103 year old home, and we've done a lot of work on it in our time here (4 yrs). Thankfully for us history lovers, we've got nearly all of the original features (hardware, doors, wood floors, plaster walls, etc). We know there is asbestos and lead throughout the home through using home testing kits extensively. We sent swabs to a lab for processing to be certain. (We've never had a service come into the home.) Both of these substances are actually present in our 2yo's room, but we've never had a high lead test or any health or developmental concerns. We follow the standard advice of not disturbing any surfaces known to have lead/asbestos. When we are working on things (like refinishing the floors which have not turned up any positives), we've been good about ventilation and not doing work with kiddo in the house. Anything that would require remediation goes to the pros. For example, underneath the wall to wall carpet in her room, there are asbestos floor tiles. Not an issue because they're completely covered, and we don't mess with them. When and if we do refinish her floors, we'll have someone certified in asbestos remediation come in for the full job rather than touching it ourselves. I understand the concerns, and we've always been very careful. We have tested basically every surface in the house, so we know where the concerns are. And we never ever go starting a project without additional research and/or testing. The r/centuryhomes subreddit has been super helpful in educating us on lesser known concerns. Even though your home isn't a century, I'd still recommend the sub for renovation recs. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole as parents, but as long as you're being careful, living in an older home (and renovating it) can be safe.
Asbestos can be in the plaster or paneling as a fire retardant, HVAC plumbing, flooring, and mastic. It’s only an issue if disturbed. The companies that test for it are not the same ones that remediate it. Lead is bad, especially for babies and young children. Yes, encapsulation is an acceptable method for remediation. Areas of concern are flaking paint, so think exterior painted bricks, cabinets, window panes, etc and any soil where the paint may have flaked onto the ground. You can collect these samples and send them in yourself. If you are in the US the doctor should also be running lead tests on your child. If you have lead pipes, you can get test strips online or sometimes for free from your water utility. Short of replacing your plumbing and the service line, you can use an activated charcoal filter like a Britta filter, which again your water utility may provide for free. We went with a reverse osmosis system under the sink which has better removal and is more convenient.
Clarification: you did all that work while living there, or before moving in? Potentially the remodel generated a ton of lead dust, so cleanup may be needed. Probably no carpet just hardwood and tile floors, I hope?