You may keep your house in great shape, and you've probably repainted with latex paint at some point.
But if your home is pre-1978, you might want to dig a little deeper to keep your family safe.
That's because there's a chance that underneath that latex paint is dangerous lead paint.
Aaron Grant brings bad news to people, when his team of inspectors from People Working Cooperatively find lead paint in homes.
We accompanied him on a visit to a home built in 1950, where their testing gun found lead on the front porch railings.
"That positive reading means lead based paint is here," Grant said.
The good news is that it was outdoors.
But Grant says that indoors, even safe latex paint can wear off, revealing old lead paint below.
He showed us worn paint on the edges of a closet door, where several layers of paint were revealed.
"This is a good example of something we are looking for in an inspection," Grant said. "Even just normal things like opening and closing a door can lead to a lead-based paint hazard."
EPA: Millions of homes contain lead risks
Marc Edmonds is with the Existing Chemicals Risk Management division of the US Environmental Protection Aagency.
He says that while lead-based paint was banned by the government in 1978, it’s still around today.
"I think some people look at this like, it's an old problem, but it's not. There's lead-based paint in 34 million homes across the country," he said.
The older your home is, such as a home from the 1930's, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint.
Edmonds say the risks occur mostly in areas with daily friction (such as that closet door) or during a home remodel.
"Children are more susceptible," he said." Little kids crawl on the floor, and then they put their hands in their mouth."
If you want peace of mind or are planning to renovate an older home, Edmonds arc recommends you get a risk assessment, and avoid a DIY approach.
"There are probably 70,000 firms across the country that will test your home," he said.
How to get your home tested
You can search the EPA's database of authorized inspectors by clicking here.
"They know how to do the work properly," he said.
Meantime, if you are in Cincinnati, you can contact Aaron Grant's team at People Working Cooperatively, which does free inspections if you meet low income guidelines, and charges a small fee for other homeowners.
After finding lead paint on the front porch railings, Grant's team recommended professional sanding and repainting to remove the hazard.
In many cases, lead paint does not have to be removed like asbestos: a thorough repainting will cover and encapsulate it, unless it is on a wear item like a door or window frame.
That way, your family stays safe and you don’t waste your money.
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