Charlotte Realtors and Charlotte Real Estate Agents Want You to Know More About Lead Paint Testing and the Lead Paint Disclosure Laws!

Get The Lead Out is the leading lead-based paint testing and removal company in Charlotte.  We work closely with individual homeowners, apartment communities, government housing agencies, individual Charlotte realtors and Charlotte real estate agents to help educate homeowners and renters about lead-based paint and lead paint disclosure laws.

Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X, to protect families from exposure to lead from paint, dust, and soil. Section 1018 of this law directed HUD and EPA to require the disclosure of known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978.

Why is this important in Charlotte?  Because we have thousands of homes, condos, townhomes and apartment communities that were built before 1978!  And Get The Lead Out has performed thousands of lead paint testing and lead removal jobs on older homes around Charlotte.  We work with Charlotte realtors and Charlotte real estate agents to help them understand about the laws protecting homeowners and renters about the hidden dangers of lead-based paint and lead paint.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development works hard to help educate the community about lead paint.  See their latest brochure on protecting your family from the dangers of lead-based paint.

Also visit the US Department of Housing and Urban Development website for more information on the Lead Paint Disclosure Laws and how they exist to protect homeowners and renters.

Get The Lead Out in Charlotte can help Charlotte realtors and Charlotte real estate agents in complying with the Lead Paint Disclosure Laws as well with lead paint testing services should there be a need.  Call Get The Lead Out at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz.

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Charlotte Lead Paint Poisoning – How to Protect Your Family from Lead Paint Poisoning

Because Charlotte and the surrounding area has thousands of homes, apartments and condos that were built before 1978, there could be a much larger risk of exposure to lead-based paint.  Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly, especially for younger children.

Get The Lead Out is a professional, Charlotte-based environmental air quality inspecting and testing company that has provided lead-based paint testing since 1993.  Get The Lead Out routinely performs lead-paint testing in Charlotte homes, apartments and condos because of the older age of many properties.

Lead From Paint, Dust, and Soil Can Be Dangerous If Not Managed Properly.

FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.

FACT: Even children that seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies. 

FACT: People can get lead in their bodies by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips with lead in them.

FACT: People have many options for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard.

FACT: Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to your family.

What can you do to protect your family from lead paint poisoning beyond lead-paint testing from Get The Lead Out?  Well, there are several things that you can do around your home should you suspect that your home have high levels of lead.

Get your young children tested for lead, even if they seem healthy.

Wash children's hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.

Make sure children eat healthy, low-fat foods.

Get your home checked for lead hazards.

Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces.

Wipe soil off shoes before entering house.

Talk to your landlord about fixing surfaces with peeling or chipping paint.

Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when remodeling or renovating (call 1-800-424-LEAD for guidelines).

Don't use a belt-sander, propane torch, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper on painted surfaces that may contain lead.

Don't try to remove lead-based paint yourself.

If you would like to learn more about professional lead-based paint testing, call Get The Lead Out at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz. We can provide you an affordable lead paint testing service to help give you peace of mind about possible lead paint exposure to your family!

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Charlotte Asbestos Inspections from Get The Lead Out Can Calm Fears about Cancer from Asbestos

Charlotte and the surrounding area has a number of neighborhoods and buildings that were built before 1970 and the asbestos regulations that were passed to protect people from exposure to asbestos-containing products.  Could your home be at risk?  Where is asbestos found?  Get The Lead Out can help you find out.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.

From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know at Get The Lead Out that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:

• lung cancer;
• mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity; and
• asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.

The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos. (photo at left is a cancerous lung from asbestos)

Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard.

Examples of Where Asbestos Hazards May Be Found In The Home

• Some roofing and siding shingles are made of asbestos cement.

• Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation.

• Attic and wall insulation produced using vermiculite ore, particularly ore that originated from a Libby, Montana mine, may contain asbestos fibers.

• Asbestos may be present in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling joints. Their use was banned in 1977.

• Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos.

• Older products such as stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds.

• Walls and floors around wood burning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets.

• Asbestos is found in some vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives.

• Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape.

• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.

Get The Lead Out can provide Charlotte asbestos testing to discover if asbestos is present around your home.  Call us at 704-376-3594 or email peteh@gettheleadout.biz to learn more about asbestos and asbestos management.  There is no need to panic or live in fear of possible asbestos present in your home.  We can help you accurately determine if asbestos is present or not!

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Charlotte Radon Gas Testing for Your Home – How Does Radon Get Inside?

Get The Lead Out is a Charlotte-based environmental air testing company that takes asbestos, mold, lead, and radon gas threats seriously.  Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.

As a licensed professional company with the NRSB (National Radon Safety Board), Get The Lead Out is trained and licensed to test your home for traces of radon gas.

Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, too. However, building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves.

RADON GETS IN THROUGH:

1. Cracks in solid floors
2. Construction joints
3. Cracks in walls 
4. Gaps in suspended floors
5. Gaps around service pipes
6. Cavities inside walls
7. The water supply

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. While radon problems may be more common in some areas, any home may have a problem. The only way to know about your home is to test for radon gas.
To have your home tested for Radon Gas, call the radon gas testing experts at Get The Lead Out at 704-376-3594.  We will professionally inspect your home and test for the presence of Radon Gas.  If we do find radon gas in your home, we'll educate you on how you can fight back against radon gas entering your home!  Get The Lead Out!

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