Homeowners

Preparation Tips for a Lead Dust Wipe Inspection

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 AREAS TO LOOK AT PRIOR TO THE INSPECTION: 

• All rooms in the dwelling unit should be visually inspected for deteriorated paint conditions (peeling, chipping or cracking, etc) including laundry areas, basements and attics, when access to those areas is directly from within the dwelling unit. 
• All painted, varnished or poly coated areas within the dwelling unit must be intact and not peeling, chipping or cracking. This includes but is not limited to baseboards, doors and door frames, walls, ceilings, enclosed porches, painted cabinets, radiators, window jambs /frames, sills, wells and both sides of the sashes. ​

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CORRECTING AREAS OF CONCERN: 

• If you are performing work that involves window replacement or that disturbs more than six square feet of interior paint or surface coating in a pre-1978 residential rental housing unit you must possess an EPA RRP Certification. This certification number, when applicable, is required to be listed on the owners Residential Rental Property or Family Child Care Home Maintenance Conditions Report. All property managers, contractors and home owners are encouraged to take the 8 hour RRP training. For more information on the RRP training visit EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program. 
• If scraping paint, mist with water before scraping or sanding. 
• Make sure when scraping or sanding to cover the floor or ground area with plastic that will be disposed of. 
• Before any painting, clean the surface with an all-purpose cleaner (e.g. Spic N’ Span, Simply Green, 409), rinse with clean water, then clean again. 
• Paint, or in some cases, cover wells with aluminum and caulk around the edges. 

CLEANING / PREPPING FOR THE WIPE TEST 

• Prior to the inspection gently clean window wells and sills with a suggested cleaner. (wiping one way, not back and forth) Bare floors should be cleaned using a new mop head, cleaner and clean water for each room. 
• Vacuum carpets (using HEPA vacuum is recommended) in one direction, then vacuum again in cross direction. 

DAY OF INSPECTION: 

• You must wait at least 1 hour after the final cleaning before the inspection can be performed. If 1 hour is not allowed in between cleaning and inspection, the inspection cannot be performed. 
• Arrive a bit early to look the dwelling unit over again. All windows that are intended to open must be able to be opened during the visual inspection. 
• You should temporarily remove animals from the dwelling or keep them secured, prior to “touch-up” cleaning and during the inspection, as they may carry lead dust on their feet or fur and otherwise impact the inspector’s ability to perform the test. 
• Remember, the entire area of the dwelling unit will be visually inspected to ensure that no chipping, cracking, or peeling paint is present. If attics/basements that are directly assessable from within the dwelling unit are “locked off,” they must be made accessible for the visual inspection, however, the basement and attic areas will not be wipe tested. Any newly identified paint debris, dust, or chips must be eliminated prior to the inspection, this activity along with any necessary cleaning and paint stabilization must be completed at least one hour prior to testing. 
• The test will not be performed if uncorrected paint conditions are present or clean-up has not been completed.
• Dust wipe samples will be taken on window sills, window wells, and floors at the discretion of the inspector. If no window is present in a room, a floor area may still be tested.