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Depending on where your home is, and how old your home is, you may still have lead-based paint on your walls. Lead-based paint is often found in older homes, built before the 1990’s, but it never hurts to check if your home has the hazardous paint. Sure, it’s glossier and prettier and holds the color better, but it can put you and your loved ones in danger. Before your dream-home inspection, here’s the dangers of lead based paint, how to spot it, and what to do about it.

The Danger

Lead-based paint contains high amounts of lead which can lead lead poisoning. This means development problems for younger children which consists of problems hearing, growth delay, short- and long-term learning difficulties, and behavioral problems. For adults, it can result in sleep problems, kidney dysfunction, numbness, abdominal pain and cramps, and more. More serious side effects may include vomiting and seizures.

Thankfully, it’s not illegal to manufacture lead-based paint. However, you should always get a local home inspector to go around your house before moving in, just to make sure you won’t be subjected to harsh symptoms of lead poising.

How to Spot The Danger

There are many signs of lead-based paint. One sign is a fun little thing called “alligatoring,” which essentially means the paint is peeling like scales. Make sure to check all your closets, along baseboards and basement window sashes, or anywhere painters might have missed a spot.

There’s also a paint testing kit available at local hardware stores that can find lead on your surfaces. There is a solution in this kit that you rub against the surface, and if the solution turns pink, there is lead.

How to Deal With The Danger

There is various health risks involved for you and others that enter your home if you have lead-based paint, so it’s best to get a local home inspector to test for lead as soon as you can. At Highland Home Inspections, we can test everything in your household for lead, and send the report directly back to you.

Don’t put yourself or others at risk any longer, contact us today for more information about our lead-based paint testing services.