Lead-based paint is incredibly common in older homes since lead was contained in nearly all interior paint before the health hazards of lead were discovered. If you're planning on purchasing an older home, it's a good idea to have it inspected for lead-based paint beforehand.
However, if you're in a hot seller's market where homes move quickly, it can often be a tough decision to make the home purchase contingent on a lead inspection. Sellers may decide to take another offer where the buyer doesn't require an inspection. When you're in this situation, it's a good idea to consider how much risk lead poses to you and your family. To assess the amount of risk, consider the following factors.
Do You Have Kids?
Children are much more susceptible to the negative health effects of lead-based paint than adults. They're smaller, so it doesn't take as much lead to affect them. Young children also sometimes eat or lick lead-based paint chips, since they have a slightly sweet flavor and may look like colorful candy. As a result, lead-based paint becomes a much more serious risk in your home if you have children — it's worth considering a lead inspection before you purchase a home.
Is the Paint in Good Condition?
If the paint in the home is chipping or cracking, it's much more likely to pose a health hazard if it contains lead. When the paint is in good condition, the lead is safely sealed away within it — lead doesn't affect you unless you breathe it in or ingest it. Unfortunately, chipping and cracking paint can release small bits of lead-based paint dust into the air, where it can collect on surfaces. Lead-based paint on a window trim, for example, can release quite a bit of lead-containing dust into the window trough when it begins to deteriorate, and you can get the dust on your hands whenever you open or close the window. If the paint in the home is in bad condition, it's a good idea to have it checked for lead.
Are You Planning Any Renovations?
Another way that lead dust can get into the air is when you're performing home renovations. If you need to open up a wall cavity and the drywall has been painted with lead-based paint, for example, then you'll release a considerable amount of lead-containing dust into the air when you saw through it. If you're planning to make renovations to the home soon after you buy it, have the paint inspected for lead to make sure that your renovations won't coat the inside surfaces of the home with lead dust during the renovation process.
Overall, the risk that lead-based paint presents to you is based on how likely you are to be exposed to it. Children suffer ill effects quicker, and they're more likely to accidentally ingest it. Renovations can release a substantial amount of lead dust into the air, and paint that's in poor condition can also result in lead dust being present on all the surfaces of the home. If you're at high risk for exposure, it's a good idea to make a lead inspection a requirement before you purchase a home — you'll keep yourself safe from the health hazards posed by lead exposure.