Colorado Hazard Control Provides Insights on Lead-Based Paint, the Health Risks of Exposure and Why Removal Is Essential

The Importance of Lead-Based Paint Removal for Older Homes

/EIN News/ -- Denver, CO, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

For homeowners living in properties built before 1978, the presence of lead-based paint represents a serious, often hidden health risk. Long banned in residential construction, lead-based paint remains in countless homes nationwide, including in older neighborhoods throughout Colorado.

As this paint deteriorates or is disturbed during repairs and renovations, it can release toxic particles into the air and onto surfaces, posing significant health threats to residents. Understanding the dangers of lead exposure and the importance of professional removal is crucial to creating a safer living environment.

This article explores how lead-based paint affects health and why certified abatement services are a key component of maintaining a healthy home, particularly for families in older homes.

What Is Lead-Based Paint?

Before its ban in 1978, lead was a widely used additive in house paints due to its ability to enhance durability, speed up drying time, and improve resistance to moisture. However, we now know that lead is a potent neurotoxin with long-term health effects, particularly for children and pregnant women.

Despite the ban, millions of older homes still contain layers of lead-based paint, often hidden beneath newer applications or located on windows, doors, trim, and exteriors. While intact lead paint poses little immediate risk, it becomes a serious hazard as it begins to chip, peel, or produce dust through friction or abrasion.

How Lead Exposure Happens

The primary danger from lead paint isn’t from the visible flakes but the fine, often invisible dust that forms as the paint ages or is disturbed. Everyday activities like opening a painted window or door can release microscopic lead particles into the air. These particles settle on floors, toys, and hands, creating an exposure pathway that is particularly dangerous for young children who often put their hands or objects into their mouths.

Renovations or DIY projects can significantly increase the risk if they disturb old paint without proper containment and removal techniques. Sweeping or dry sanding lead-painted surfaces can release hazardous amounts of lead dust, contaminating a home far beyond the original worksite.

Health Risks of Lead Exposure

Lead exposure affects nearly every system in the body, but it is especially damaging to the nervous system. Young children, whose bodies are still developing, are most vulnerable. Even low levels of exposure can cause irreversible developmental and behavioral problems, including:

• Delayed growth and development
• Learning difficulties and intellectual deficits
• Speech and language problems
• Attention and behavioral issues

Adults are not immune. Long-term exposure in adults has been linked to:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Kidney damage
• Reproductive issues
• Cognitive decline and memory loss
• Mood disorders

For pregnant women, lead exposure increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and developmental problems in the fetus. There is no known safe level of lead exposure, which makes prevention and elimination critically important.

Regulatory Landscape and Compliance

Because of the known risks of lead exposure, federal, state, and local governments have put stringent regulations in place to control it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have established guidelines that require proper lead-safe practices during any renovation, repair, or painting projects in homes or child-occupied facilities built before 1978.

Contractors working in older homes must be trained and certified under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule, which mandates specific containment, removal, and cleanup procedures to prevent lead contamination. For full lead abatement, especially in homes with high lead levels, licensed professionals are required to assess, remove, or enclose hazardous materials.

In Colorado, these regulations are enforced at the state level through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), ensuring that removal efforts prioritize safety and compliance.

Why Professional Lead Paint Removal Is Essential

Removing lead-based paint is not a typical home improvement task. It requires specialized knowledge, protective equipment, and a detailed understanding of containment protocols. Improper handling during removal can increase contamination risks and create larger environmental and health hazards.

Professional lead abatement companies bring several advantages, including:

Containment expertise
Preventing lead dust from spreading is a top priority. Professionals use methods like plastic sheeting, negative air machines, and HEPA filtration to control dust and debris.

Safe disposal
Lead waste is classified as hazardous material. Proper disposal is regulated, and companies must follow strict guidelines to avoid environmental contamination.

Thorough cleaning
Post-removal cleaning is just as important as the removal itself. Certified technicians perform wipe tests and surface verification to ensure a home is safe to reoccupy.

Legal compliance
Hiring a licensed and insured lead removal contractor ensures that all work meets current legal standards and minimizes liability for homeowners.

Certified removal isn’t just about compliance; it’s about ensuring the long-term safety and livability of your home. Whether addressing visible damage or preparing for renovations, professional services help identify and remove all potential hazards effectively.

Long-Term Benefits of Removal

Lead paint removal is an investment in the health of occupants and the value of a property. Families benefit from a home environment that supports safe development and peace of mind. Children can avoid the threat of a preventable toxin interfering with their growth, and parents can feel secure knowing their home isn’t hiding a silent hazard.

Beyond health, lead removal adds tangible value to a property. Homes free of lead are often more attractive to buyers and easier to insure. It can also simplify remodeling efforts by eliminating the extra precautions and expenses required when dealing with lead-painted surfaces.

For property owners and landlords, lead removal reduces the risk of legal claims and non-compliance penalties. It also fosters trust among tenants and buyers who expect transparency and safety in the properties they occupy.

Final Thoughts

Lead-based paint is a lingering hazard in many older homes, but it's not one that homeowners have to live with. Recognizing the risks of lead exposure and taking proactive steps to address it, especially through licensed, professional services, can make a profound difference in the health, safety, and future of everyone under your roof.

Understanding that even invisible particles can have lifelong consequences underscores the importance of proper removal and compliance. In communities where older homes are the norm, addressing lead paint is not just a personal choice, it’s a public health responsibility.

Learn about our lead abatement services by calling 303-410-4941 in the Denver and Northern Colorado areas or 719-547-2785 in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Southern Colorado.

---

About Colorado Hazard Control
Colorado Hazard Control is the natural industrial, commercial and residential environmental solutions provider achieving the highest quality workmanship by focusing intensely on what we do best — health, safety, and environmental compliance. With locations in Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, we offer our services statewide. Whatever your needs - lead abatement, mold remediation, radon mitigation, demolition, or training - we're there with 24-hour emergency response available. https://www.coloradohazard.com

Media Contact: 
Lynnelle Beaver, 303-410-4941