Charlotte Asbestos and Lead Paint Inspection & Abatement Company Earns “Best of Charlotte” Ecological Engineers Award for 2011

“I am pleased to announce that Get The Lead Out® has been selected for the 2011 Best of Charlotte Award in the Ecological Engineers category by the US Commerce Association,” said Pete Hubicki of Get The Lead Out®.   “We are all excited about receiving the ‘Best of Charlotte’ award for the third consecutive year.”

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

“Since we began Get The Lead Out® back in 1993, our goal has always been to excel in providing the knowledge, professional training, certifications and experience to our Charlotte customers,” added Hubicki.  “We are proud to serve Charlotte home and business owners with top-notch, professional, trusted asbestos and lead paint inspections and abatement services.  We've always said that our company is large enough to serve you and small enough to care.”

For more information on the asbestos and lead paint services offered by Get The Lead Out®, please call Pete Hubicki at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  We look forward to serving you in 2012!

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Free Asbestos & Mesothelioma Awareness Wrist Bands - Charlotte Asbestos Awareness

Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte would like to present more information to Charlotte residents about the dangers of asbestos removal and the terrible lung cancer of Mesothelioma.  Part of our education effort is to pass along opportunities for the Greater Charlotte public to become more aware of both.

When a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, family and friends may not be sure how to support their loved one. Because of its rarity, mesothelioma can make a patient feel isolated or alone. While there are many opportunities to help care for and comfort their friend, sometimes a touching gesture is simple one of solidarity.

Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte would like you to know that the Mesothelioma Center offers free mesothelioma and asbestos awareness wristbands to patients and their families and friends. These bands can help wearers feel more connected while spreading awareness about the cancer. Patients and their loved ones can wear a wristband as a reminder of the ongoing fight for a cure.  Click here to request your free wrist bands.

If you would like to learn more about safe and professional asbestos removal practices or asbestos inspections in Charlotte, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  Get The Lead Out® has 18+ years of experience in asbestos inspections and asbestos abatement (removal).

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Where Can I find Asbestos in My Charlotte NC Home?

Get The Lead Out® is a trusted, professional asbestos inspection and asbestos abatement (removal) company with full certifications and licenses.  We have been working with homeowners, commercial buildings, apartment properties, and government agencies on asbestos inspections and asbestos abatement since 1993.  Clients trust us.

Where Can I Find Asbestos And When Can It Be A Problem?

Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release fibers, include:

• STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.

• RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.

• CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD, and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and wood burning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling or sawing insulation.

• DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.

• SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling or scraping the material.

• PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.

• ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGLES, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled or cut.

• ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS, and certain HAIRDRYERS.

• AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS.

Get The Lead Out® asbestos inspectors and asbestos abatement professionals are highly-trained, certified, tested and experienced in working with and around asbestos.  Our professionals regularly attend government-mandated courses and workshops where we are given mock setups to learn new procedures like building containment areas.  OSHA and EPA require us to participate in refresher seminars every year.  We are dedicated to training and educating our asbestos professionals to be the best-equipped and the best-certified in our Charlotte area.

If you would like to learn more about our professional asbestos inspections and asbestos abatement programs, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  Homeowners, shopping center operators, public building agencies, and business owners have trusted Get The Lead Out® since 1993!

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When You Should Hire a Professional Asbestos Testing & Asbestos Abatement Company

Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte would like you to know that because asbestos can be found in a number of materials, some companies employ professionals who are trained in one specific type of asbestos abatement. Some may handle only roofing. Others may handle only plumbing. Or only flooring.  Get The Lead Out® inspects and manages abatement of all asbestos products and locations.

Get The Lead Out® professionals are trained to use safety measures like polyethylene sheeting, waste disposal bags and HEPA filtration systems. That’s why abatement performed by a licensed company like outs is less likely to result in bystander exposure than abatement performed by someone who is untrained.

Reducing the risk of asbestos inhalation is one of the most important benefits of hiring an asbestos abatement company like Get The Lead Out®!

Why Choose Get The Lead Out® for Professional Asbestos Abatement?

• We inspect your house or building and identify materials that may contain asbestos
• We take samples of suspicious materials and obtain laboratory testing
• We draft a removal plan that includes the location of asbestos, the best way for it to be corrected, and the procedures by which the asbestos will be handled
• We perform and manage the physical removal of asbestos
• We monitor air quality during and after the abatement
• We dispose of all asbestos and remove all contaminated materials from the worksite

Get The Lead Out® asbestos inspectors and asbestos abatement professionals are highly-trained, certified, tested and experienced in working with and around asbestos.  Our professionals regularly attend government-mandated courses and workshops where we are given mock setups to learn new procedures like building containment areas.  OSHA and EPA require us to participate in refresher seminars every year.  We are dedicated to training and educating our asbestos professionals to be the best-equipped and the best-certified in our Charlotte area.

If you would like to learn more about our professional asbestos inspections and asbestos abatement programs, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  Homeowners, shopping center operators, public building agencies, and business owners have trusted Get The Lead Out® since 1993!

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Lead Paint Project Designer Certification Earned by Pete Hubicki of Get The Lead Out in Charlotte NC

Charlotte-based Get The Lead Out® announces that Peter M. Hubicki, principal scientist at Get The Lead Out®, has earned the Lead Project Designer certification from the Health Hazards Control Unit (HHCU) of the State of North Carolina. The Project Designer certification allows Hubicki to legally work as a Lead Project Designer on large lead paint-based abatement projects like multi-family apartment units.

Get The Lead Out® and Pete Hubicki have been performing lead paint inspections and abatement since the company opened in 1993. Lead paint abatement is the safe and managed containment and removal of lead-based paint that exists in older apartment buildings, homes, businesses or child care facilities around our state.

“The certification of the word ‘Design’ means a written or graphic plan prepared by a certified project designer specifying how a lead paint abatement project will be performed,” said Hubicki. “This includes, but is not limited to, scope of work and technical specifications of the lead paint abatement project. “

With the Lead Designer certification, Hubicki becomes one of only three licensed and certified lead paint abatement design professionals in Charlotte. The certification allows Hubicki and his company, Get The Lead Out®, to legally manage much larger multi-family apartment projects.

“All across the state of North Carolina there are older, larger multi-family apartment communities that are in need of remodeling and repair,” says Hubicki. “Many of these older communities were constructed prior to 1978 when the use of lead-based paint was routine.”

The Project Designer certification allows Hubicki and Get The Lead Out® to draft and create Occupant Protection Plans for larger lead-based paint abatement projects. "Occupant Protection Plan means a written plan which describes the measures and management procedures that will be taken during abatement to protect building occupants from exposure to lead-based paint hazards,” adds Hubicki. “The plan shall be unique to each residential dwelling or child-occupied facility.”

Get The Lead Out® performs lead paint testing and lead paint abatement projects across the southeast and has been selected by the Hilton Hotel chain to provide these services should a natural disaster, like a hurricane, harm one of their properties.

Get The Lead Out® is a Charlotte-based environmental company that specializes in lead paint, asbestos, mold and radon gas testing and abatement services. Since 1993, Get The Lead Out® has worked with thousands of homeowners, property managers, government agencies, and commercial properties on these environmental safety projects.

For information on lead paint inspection schedules and costs, please call Pete Hubicki at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

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Charlotte Lead Paint Inspection & Abatement Company Earns NC Lead Project Designer Certification

Charlotte-based Get The Lead Out® announces that Peter M. Hubicki, principal scientist at Get The Lead Out®, has earned the Lead Project Designer certification from the Health Hazards Control Unit (HHCU) of the State of North Carolina. The Project Designer certification allows Hubicki to legally work as a Lead Project Designer on large lead paint-based abatement projects like multi-family apartment units.

Get The Lead Out® and Pete Hubicki have been performing lead paint inspections and abatement since the company opened in 1993. Lead paint abatement is the safe and managed containment and removal of lead-based paint that exists in older apartment buildings, homes, businesses or child care facilities around our state.

“The certification of the word ‘Design’ means a written or graphic plan prepared by a certified project designer specifying how a lead paint abatement project will be performed,” said Hubicki. “This includes, but is not limited to, scope of work and technical specifications of the lead paint abatement project. “

With the Lead Designer certification, Hubicki becomes one of only three licensed and certified lead paint abatement design professionals in Charlotte. The certification allows Hubicki and his company, Get The Lead Out®, to legally manage much larger multi-family apartment projects.

“All across the state of North Carolina there are older, larger multi-family apartment communities that are in need of remodeling and repair,” says  Hubicki. “Many of these older communities were constructed prior to 1978 when the use of lead-based paint was routine.”

The Project Designer certification allows Hubicki and Get The Lead Out® to draft and create Occupant Protection Plans for larger lead-based paint abatement projects. "Occupant Protection Plan means a written plan which describes the measures and management procedures that will be taken during abatement to protect building occupants from exposure to lead-based paint hazards,” adds Hubicki. “The plan shall be unique to each residential dwelling or child-occupied facility.”

Get The Lead Out® performs lead paint testing and lead paint abatement projects across the southeast and has been selected by the Hilton Hotel chain to provide these services should a natural disaster, like a hurricane, harm one of their properties.

About Get The Lead Out®

Get The Lead Out® is a Charlotte-based environmental company that specializes in lead paint, asbestos, mold and radon gas testing and abatement services. Since 1993, Get The Lead Out® has worked with thousands of homeowners, property managers, government agencies, and commercial properties on these environmental safety projects.  For assistance in your next lead paint or asbestos inspection or removal project, please call Pete Hubicki at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

 

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Dangers of Removing Lead-based Paint from your Charlotte Home!

Get The Lead Out® wants you to know more about the dangers of removing lead-based paint from older Charlotte homes!  Before the 1970s, household paint often contained lead. As lead paint ages, it can chip or crumble into dust. Exposure to lead-paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems. Children and pregnant women are at higher risk. So, if you live in or own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others if you detect and remove lead paint.

There are many ways to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint — but SOME METHODS OF REMOVING PAINT ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RISK OF LEAD EXPOSURE. It's important to pick the safest method for your project; the goal is to reduce the hazards while creating as little lead dust as possible.

If lead paint on ceilings and walls is in good repair, then painting them or covering them with wallpaper may be all that is needed to keep the lead paint in place.

BUT — if lead paint is chipping or peeling, or if it's on a surface such as a windowsill or stair rail where children can chew on it, then the lead paint (or the painted material) should be removed or covered. Painted surfaces that rub on each other, such as doors and windows, require special attention to stop the friction. And if the paint has been damaged by other problems, such as water damage due to leaks, then the underlying problem should be fixed first.

Lead-based Paint Removal Safety Tips from Get The Lead Out®

1. Children and pregnant women must NOT DO any lead paint removal work and they should stay out of the work area until clean-up is complete;
2. Work in one room at a time and seal off the work area from the rest of the house, including all heating and ventilation ductwork using heavy plastic sheets;
3. Everything in the room MUST be removed;
4. Workers should wear disposable coveralls, shoes, hair covering, goggles and a respirator approved by NIOSH (the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) or MSHA (the Mine Safety and Health Administration);
5. Workers should not eat, drink or smoke on the job to avoid ingesting lead;
6. Clean up each work area carefully by disposing of coveralls and removing lead dust from clothes with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner.

Removing lead-based paint is dangerous!  Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte has many years of lead paint inspection and removal projects in residences, large housing projects, apartment buildings and commercial facilities.  To learn more about lead paint inspections and lead paint removal, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  We look forward to helping you with your next lead paint inspection and lead paint removal project!

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Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is October 23-29, 2011 - You Can Help Educate Our Charlotte Community on Lead Paint Testing & Poison Prevention

Get The Lead Out® is joining the National Centers for Disease Control to help spread the word about children and the dangers of exposure to lead paint and lead paint poisoning!  National Lead Poisoning Prevention week is October 23-29, 2011.

Please watch this video and share the video link with young people and their families to help educate more people in our Charlotte community about the dangers of lead paint poisoning!

 

Over the next few weeks, Get The Lead Out® will be working to promote the October 23-29 week and conducting lead paint testing at homes and buildings across the Greater Charlotte area.  If you would like to learn more about lead paint testing, including the basic lead paint test prices, please contact Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  Please spread the word about Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to be held October 23-29, 2011.  Thank you for your help!

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Get The Lead Out® Prepares You for National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week!

Get The Lead Out® has conducted thousands of lead paint tests over the past 18+ years.  Keeping children and families safe from the dangers of lead paint and lead poisoning has always been one of our top concerns as our business has grown.

Get The Lead Out® is participating again this year in the National Lead Poisoning Prevention week to be held October 23-29, 2011.  This important program is sponsored every year by the Centers for Disease Control.  They do a fantastic job with getting the word out through national and local media every year to try to educate as many people as possible about the dangers of lead poisoning.

This year’s media push includes so many unique and interactive tools for companies and educators to use through the Internet.  We are sharing one of those tools right here on our Blog post.  To view the tips, just press the “Previous” or “Next” button.  Get your kids to sit with you at the computer and talk with them about these easy-to-understand tips on lead poisoning safety.

 

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Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is October 23-29 2011

Get The Lead Out® is launching a special four-week promotional and marketing campaign to alert residents, schools, and businesses about Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to be held October 23-29, 2011.

Today, childhood lead poisoning is considered the most preventable environmental disease among young children, yet an estimated 250,000 U.S. children have elevated blood-lead levels. A simple blood test can prevent permanent damage that will last a lifetime. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Get The Lead Out® in Charlotte are committed to eliminating this burden to public health.

This year's NLPPW theme, "Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future," underscores the importance of testing your home, testing your  child, and learning how to prevent lead poisoning’s serious health effects.

Parents can reduce a child’s exposure to lead in many ways. Here are some simple things you can do to help protect your family:

1. Get your Home Tested. Before you buy an older home, ask for a lead inspection.
2. Get your Child Tested. Even if your young children seem healthy, ask your doctor to test them for lead.

Over the next few weeks, Get The Lead Out® will be working to promote the October 23-29 week and conducting lead paint testing at homes and buildings across the Greater Charlotte area.  If you would like to learn more about lead paint testing, including the basic lead paint test prices, please contact Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  Please spread the word about Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to be held October 23-29, 2011.  Thank you for your help!

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Apartment Owners and New EPA Requirements for Apartment Renovations

Get The Lead Out® works with apartment and property owners across the south and southeast on lead paint testing and inspection programs and asbestos testing and removal projects. 

We always like to keep our apartment and property owners updated with the latest requirements, guidelines and laws introduced by the EPA with respect to remodeling and renovating their properties.

2011 has been an active year for the EPA in introducing new requirements for apartment and property owners on how they must interact with their tenants with respect to apartment and property remodeling and renovations.

New EPA Requirements for Apartment Owners & Building Renovations

EPA now requires apartment owners to post signs where they will be seen BEFORE work starts and must provide the following info: Describe the renovation work location… type of work being done… dates of work start & completion… & “Renovate Right” brochures for tenants or how to get a free copy.

60 days before the work starts, the Renovator firm must provide copies of the “Renovate Right Brochure” to the building owner or the property manager. In addition, the owner or property manager must provide the Renovator with written acknowledgement that the “Renovate Right Brochure” has been received at least seven(7) days prior to the lead-based paint renovation work starting. And the tenant living in the apartment where the lead-based paint removal work is to be done must also be given a copy of the “Renovate Right” brochure.

The certification notice from the owner/property manager must include name of person receiving “Renovate Right Brochure”  property address… unit number being work on… date… and method of delivery of “Renovate Right” brochure.

Apartment owners and property managers can contact Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz to find out more information about proper lead paint and asbestos testing for apartment buildings.  We look forward to serving your unique needs!

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Charlotte Lead Paint Testing Company Earns “Best of Charlotte Environmental” Company Award for the 4th Year in 2011

Charlotte lead paint testing and asbestos testing company Get The Lead Out® has been selected for the 2011 Best of Charlotte Award in the Environmental & Ecological Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) for the 4th consecutive year.

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

“We are very excited to receive this Charlotte environmental award again in 2011,” said Pete Hubicki of Get The Lead Out®.  “Our lead paint testing, asbestos testing and mold remediation professionals undergo consistent training to provide the best and latest counseling and service to our customers.”

Call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz to learn more about our lead paint and asbestos testing programs for residential, government, apartment housing and commercial buildings!

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East Coast NC Hurricane Irene Emergency Lead Paint & Asbestos Testing from Get The Lead Out

Get The Lead Out is in full Emergency Deployment Mode to assist our East Coast hotel, commercial, and multi-family property clients with any possible lead paint or asbestos inspection/removal needs.

We realize that the brutal strength of strong tropical storms and hurricane-force winds bring terrible destruction to older properties, especially those built prior to 1978.  Lead paint and asbestos were used in building products and processes during that time.

We are posting this message in case any of our East Coast clients have lost telephone lines and still have Internet or cell phone access and need to contact us in an emergency.

Get The Lead Out can be reached at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

We are praying for all of our customers, friends, family and fellow residents along the Eastern Seaboard for a safe outcome from Hurricane Irene. 

Lead Paint and EPA New Rule Exemptions for Working with Lead Paint

Get The Lead Out® keeps all of our customers informed as to the latest rules and guidelines from the EPA with regards to Lead Paint inspections, Lead  Paint testing, and Lead Paint removal.  Because we work with so many large apartment communities, government properties, and hotel properties, we always want our clients to understand the regulations when 100% knowledge is not present about Lead Paint contamination or presence.

There are some exemptions to the new EPA rules for working with Lead Paint.

Small lead-based Repairs & Maintenance Fix-ups are excluded as follows:

Excluded Lead-based Work:

• Interior work that disturbs less than 6 feet.
• Exterior work that is 20 feet or less that DO NOT involve;
• window replacement
• demolition
• projects involving prohibited practices (e.g. torch removal of paint)
• Renovations that involve identified/specific lead-free components.

Also exempted are senior housing and commercial buildings where children under 6 years of age DO NOT visit more than:

• 2 or more days/week
• 3 or more hours/visit
• 6 or more hours/week
• 60 or more hours/year

The EPA regulations and rules can be confusing when it comes to Lead Paint safety.  We at Get The Lead Out® will always want to reside on the side of safety and real-world knowledge of the presence of dangerous Lead Paint prior to any type of remodeling, painting or refurbishing work is done.

To find out more about our Lead Paint testing, inspecting and removing programs, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz. 

 

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Apartment Lead Paint Inspections - EPA Gets Tough on Apartment Property Owners

Get The Lead Out® wants to advise our multi-tenant property owners that new EPA lead removal laws went into effect on April  22, 2011 and require owners to take pro-active measures to remove any and all lead paint from their properties. If you haven’t had your property inspected and tested you should do ASAP — especially if your property was built prior to 1978.

EPA fines are steep and expect competent contractors removing and handling lead-based paint work to increase their prices for doing work on pre-1978 buildings.

Tenants and their attorneys will no doubt focus on whether you’re in compliance or not — even if there is NO lead poisoning issue; lead-based paint or not could get you fined for a violation!

To learn more about these EPA lead paint testing regulations, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.  We can help you uncover any threats or presence of lead paint on your properties!  Get The Lead Out is a member of the National Supplier’s Council, National Apartment Association.

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Lead Paint Poisoning Can Happen with Renovations in Older Apartment Homes

Get The Lead Out® is always educating homeowners, property owners and residents about the hidden dangers of lead paint poisoning, especially during renovations and remodeling projects.

Lead paint can easily be released into the environment by simple acts of sanding and painting.  Beginning April 22, 2010, federal law requires that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb more than six square feet of paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and trained to follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.  That is directly from the EPA!

Where is Lead Found Around Apartment Homes?

In general, the older your home or apartment building, the greater possibility that there may be a lead paint issue.

• Paint - peeling, chipping or cracked paint chips (also from sanding)
• Soil around a home - soil can pick up lead from exterior paint
• Household dust - lead paint dust being tracked inside from the immediate outside area
• Drinking water - your apartment building could have older plumbing pipes that have lead or lead solder
• Old painted toys and furniture
• Hobbies that use lead - like pottery, stained glass or refinishing furniture

For apartment building managers and property owners, download this special brochure about the dangers of lead paint poisoning from the EPA.

Lead-based paint is a hazard that can be corrected. Get The Lead Out® works with multi-tenant property owners and apartment communities with on-going lead paint and asbestos testing and abatement programs.  For more information about our lead paint testing and asbestos testing programs for multi-tenant properties and apartment communities, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

Get The Lead Out® is a member of the National Supplier’s Council of the National Apartment Association.

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Multi-tenant Properties & Apartment Communities Rely on Get The Lead Out® for Lead Paint & Asbestos Testing

Get The Lead Out® is equipped with both the knowledge and experience to assist you with your environmental issues. Get The Lead Out® has been involved in thousands of lead and asbestos projects in small, residential properties as well as major projects in apartments, shopping centers, and industrial sites across the United States.

Lead-based paint, which contains measurable quantities of lead, has the potential to be a health hazard. Use of the paint in residential buildings was outlawed in the late 1970’s, but many older residences may still contain lead-based paint.

Health Hazards of Lead Paint

The ingestion of lead through lead dust or paint chips poses a significant health hazard; children are more negatively affected  than adults because they absorb more lead into their bloodstream. Children can absorb 30 to 75 percent of the lead that reaches their digestive tracts, while adults absorb closer to 11 percent. Lead disrupts brain chemistry, interfering with the function of neurotransmitters. High levels of lead in a child’s bloodstream can lead to brain damage, nervous system problems, learning disabilities, behavioral issues like hyperactivity, stunted growth, hearing issues, and headaches. In adults, lead poisoning can cause reproductive issues (including miscarriage or stillbirth), hypertension, digestive issues, nerve problems, muscle and joint pain, and difficulties remembering information or concentrating. Extremely high levels of lead can cause anemia and affect kidney function, and can so damage the nervous system as to lead to seizures, coma, and death.

Lead-based paint is a hazard that can be corrected. Get The Lead Out® works with multi-tenant property owners and apartment communities with on-going lead paint and asbestos testing and abatement programs.  For more information about our lead paint testing and asbestos testing programs for multi-tenant properties and apartment communities, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

Get The Lead Out® is a member of the National Supplier’s Council of the National Apartment Association.

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Charlotte’s Get The Lead Out Joins the Hilton Hotel Chain Disaster Response Program

Get The Lead Out® was just selected by the Hilton national hotel chain to be involved with their national disaster response program for the eastern seaboard!

Get The Lead Out® is a nationwide lead paint, asbestos, mold and radon gas testing and removal company based here in Charlotte.  We have performed thousands of tests and inspections on all types of buildings and houses since we began in 1993.

Hilton selected Get The Lead Out® to participate in the Hilton Disaster Response Program for our depth of services and experience pertaining to detecting and removing potentially hazardous materials that might surface following some type of disaster.

“Buildings that were constructed prior to the mid-1970′s could have used lead-based paint or asbestos in some part of the building process,” said Get The Lead Out® Principal Scientist Pete Hubicki.  “If there is damage to parts of a building from a tornado or other natural disaster, or maybe a fire, some of these materials could be released or exposed if they existed.”

Get The Lead Out®’s emergency response duties will include identifying possible material threats, isolating these hazards, and safely removing them.

If your company would like to establish an emergency response action plan or program, please call Pete Hubicki at Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

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Charlotte Asbestos Testing for a Standard Home Begins at $250 plus $15 per Sample!

Get The Lead Out® has tested thousands of homes, apartment buildings and commercial buildings for Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) since 1993.  We are a professional company with experienced, qualified, licensed asbestos inspectors that will uncover any asbestos-containing material on your property!  It is estimated that thirty million tons of asbestos building materials were used in the U.S. between 1900 and 1975 with probably eighty to ninety percent of that still in place.  This is why it can be found in many commercial and residential buildings built before 1975.  Because of its needle-like shape, an asbestos fiber can stick to lung tissue if inhaled and cause an inflammation.

Types of Professional Asbestos Tests

There are two types of professional asbestos tests that Get The Lead Out® inspectors use to identify the presence of asbestos.  One is a basic test and the other is a more advanced test.  As asbestos fibers cannot be seen without the use of a microscope, these two methods are the recognized tests that the EPA utilizes.

PLM (Polarized Light Microscopy) Test
The EPA requires that the asbestos content of suspect materials be determined by analyzing samples with polarized light microscopy (PLM). PLM analysis results give the percent and type of asbestos in the sample. The asbestos content of manufactured items ranges from one percent to 100 percent.  Our experienced and licensed asbestos inspectors carefully target and collect enough individual samples to proficiently determine the presence of asbestos.  These samples are then shared with our EPA-approved laboratory partners. With this method, a small amount of the sample is crushed and placed on a microscope slide using the appropriate refractive index oil. Polarized light is used to observe the many optical properties of asbestos fibers that allow the microscopist to distinguish it from non-asbestos fibers.

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Test
TEM is also used to identify and quantify asbestos in a bulk sample. TEM uses a beam of electrons from a filament in a vacuum. The TEM's electron beam passes through the sample and an image is displaced onto a screen. Using an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and a computer system, information about the fiber's elemental properties can be gathered and graphed in their appropriate ratios. The higher magnification used by the TEM allows for more accurate asbestos concentration estimations in samples that contain very little asbestos (less than 5%). TEM samples are ashed at 480°C for 6-8 hours to eliminate the organic binder and/or tar material, and are then treated with acid for a few minutes to eliminate the carbonate material. This allows hidden asbestos fibers to surface and be easily noticed and identified under the TEM.

Cost of Basic PLM Asbestos Test
A basic PLM Asbestos Test with Get The Lead Out® costs $250 plus $15 per sample.  The number of samples collected at your home depends upon the initial survey and findings of our inspector.  The variance in cost is tied to the number of samples that are collected for testing.

The cost of a TEM test varies widely and we can give you an estimate for bulk sample collecting under this very advanced asbestos testing method.

Please call Get The Lead Out® at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz to find out more about PLM and TEM asbestos testing for your home.  Peace of mind and general safety for your family is the very reason we provide these asbestos tests. 

 

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