Example Lead Paint Projects in Union City

Scope of work

Plastic on the ground well out from the wall and sheeting hung below the eave, the fascia, rake boards and window frame stripped with a paste stripper and wet scraping, waste bagged each day, primer and two coats of lead-free paint, and a clearance check of the ground and the sill. The window itself and the stucco are not part of this price.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1950s stucco house in Union City see white and blue-gray paint peel to bare wood on the fascia and rake boards at one corner, and the blue frame of the window under it is going the same way. A test shows lead paint on the fascia, rake boards and frame. The stucco and the bare wood blocks under the eave are clear.

They want the frame and the eave done in the same visit, and for good, so the job is abatement. Form 8551 is posted at the house and sent to CDPH at least five days ahead, and the neighbors on the shared fence are told in writing.

The goal

The goal is a corner with no lead paint on it and a window frame that is done at the same time.

Process

1. Notice Form 8551 posted and sent; letters to the neighbors.
2. Setup Plastic laid on the ground and hung below the eave.
3. Stripping Fascia, rake boards and frame stripped wet, waste bagged daily.
4. Paint Bare wood primed and given two coats.
5. Clearance Ground and sill checked for chips and dust before the plastic comes down.

Planning right

• Never dry-scrape or sand an eave. The dust lands on the yard and in the open window below.
• Soft wood at the lower end of a fascia board is replaced at extra cost.
• Stucco that tests clear can be left as it is, so only the wood is stripped.
• Put the clearance report in the folder with the house papers.

Scope of work

Plastic over the porch and the entry floor, the door taken off whole and stripped on a covered table in the garage, the frame and threshold stripped in place with paste stripper and wet scraping, primer and two coats of lead-free paint, the door rehung, HEPA cleanup and a wet-cloth check of the threshold and the entry floor.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1960s stucco house in Union City like the original wood front door and want to keep it. Paint peels from the door and the frame, and a test shows lead paint on the door, the frame and the threshold.

Stripping the paint for good is abatement, so certified workers do it with the notice and clearance check that come with it. The door comes off its hinges and is stripped in the garage on a covered table, so the work stays out of the entry, and the family uses the side door in the meantime.

The goal

The goal is the original door kept, with no lead paint left on it and no dust in the entry.

Process

1. Testing Door, frame and threshold tested before any scraping.
2. Setup Plastic laid over the porch and the entry floor.
3. Stripping Door stripped in the garage, frame stripped in place.
4. Finish Primer and two coats, door rehung.
5. Check HEPA cleanup and a wet-cloth check of the threshold and floor.

Planning right

• A door that sticks may need its edges planed. Planing old paint makes dust, so it is done before the stripping, not after.
• Hinges and lockset are cleaned in place or in a bag, not by hand sanding.
• A flat door can cost less to replace than to strip. A solid old door is usually worth keeping.
• Keep the family and pets out of the entry until the check is done.

Scope of work

Plastic over the floor of the hall and the bathroom, misting of the painted casing and plaster before each cut, a HEPA vacuum on the saw, daily HEPA vacuuming and a wet wipe, a cleaning check before the doorway reopens, and bagged disposal. The carpentry, the new door and the plaster patching are priced separately.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1970s house in Union City widen the hall bathroom doorway for a family member who uses a wheelchair. The carpenter will cut out the old casing and a strip of plaster, and a test shows lead paint on the casing and the plaster around the opening.

Cutting out the casing is paid work that disturbs painted wood, so the federal lead-safe rule applies, and cutting through plaster adds to the area. The hall and the bathroom are sealed, the cuts are misted, and the doorway is checked before it reopens. The cost is an add-on to the carpentry.

The goal

The goal is a wider doorway in a house with no lead dust left in the hall.

Process

1. Testing Casing and plaster tested before the carpenter prices the job.
2. Setup Floor of the hall and bathroom covered, doorway sealed.
3. Cutting Casing and plaster misted and cut with a HEPA-vacuum saw.
4. Check HEPA vacuuming, a wet wipe and the doorway checked before it reopens.

Planning right

• A house of 1978 or later is outside the rule, so confirm the build year first.
• Ask the carpenter’s bid to say who does the lead-safe setup and cleanup.
• The new casing and the plaster patch are painted after the check, not before.
• Keep the check result with the house papers.

Scope of work

Plastic and drop cloths over the floors, loose and chipped paint misted and scraped, the trim washed, a bonding patch tested, two coats of a coating made to last 20 years or more on the baseboards, window trim, door casing, door and lower wall, HEPA cleanup and a clearance test. Bare wood where paint chipped away is primed first.

Project overview

In this example, the owners of a 1960s house in Newark plan to stay for good and like their original wood trim. A test shows lead paint on the baseboards, the window stool and apron, the door casing, the door and the lower wall. The baseboards are chipped to bare wood in places.

Sealing the trim keeps it in place. The coating is made to last 20 years or more, which makes the job abatement. It is done by certified workers under a written plan, with the notice posted and sent at least five days ahead and a clearance test at the end.

The goal

The goal is the original trim kept in place, with its lead paint sealed behind a coating made to last.

Process

1. Plan Written plan prepared, Form 8551 posted and sent.
2. Cleaning Floors covered, chipped paint misted and scraped, trim washed.
3. Bond test A small area coated to see whether the coating bonds to the old paint.
4. Two coats Trim, door and lower wall coated twice, then HEPA cleanup and the clearance test.

Planning right

• Bare wood and chipped edges are primed first, or the coating will not hold there.
• Door edges and window stools rub and get wet, so they are checked first at each yearly look.
• Replacing a baseboard later disturbs the lead again. Plan any trim work lead-safe.
• Keep the written plan and the clearance result with the house papers.

Scope of work

A visit to the whole house and the outside, readings on each type of painted part, paint chips to the lab where a reading is unclear, and a written report that lists each part as positive or negative.

Project overview

In this example, buyers of a 1960s tract house in Fremont are told by the lender’s appraiser that the porch ceiling is peeling. They want to know what the old paint contains before closing.

The test shows lead paint on the porch ceiling and railing and on the garage door. The windows were replaced years ago and test clear, and so does the rest of the house. The report tells the buyers exactly which parts need lead-safe repair and which do not.

The goal

The goal is buyers who close knowing which parts of the house carry lead paint and what to fix first.

Process

1. Booking Build year and the lender’s note shared with the inspector.
2. Testing Readings on every type of painted part, with chips sent where a reading is unclear.
3. Report Positive and negative parts listed, ready for the buyers and the seller.

Planning right

• Ask for the test while the buyers still have time to ask the seller for a credit or a repair.
• Peeling paint on a porch ceiling is the first thing to fix, since chips fall where people walk.
• Parts that test clear can be repaired the usual way.
• Keep the report with the closing papers.