Lead testing San Diego is a very important process if you suspect the presence of lead in your home. Lead brings a lot of health risks for homeowners. Fortunately, it is easy to gain peace of mind by hiring a professional environmental testing company to test for lead.
Some people use guesswork to determine if lead is present in their home but guesswork will not work. Testing for lead is a straightforward process that shouldn’t be difficult for a professional. Here are some steps involved in the process.
Analyze painted surfaces
Getting a lead testing kit is pretty easy. If you live in a remote place then you don’t have to worry because you can purchase it online and have it delivered to you. If you live in a town then you can just walk into a store and buy your kit. Make sure you buy a kit that has the EPA seal of approval. Because of their nuanced results and thoroughness, they are considered the best.
Some kits come with everything you need to test painted surfaces on your property, including paint scoring, sanitizing wipes and scraping tools. You may also track down certified testing kits at your home improvement center or hardware shop.
Wear a facemask and protective gloves
If you are testing for lead then you probably know the risks involved. You should therefore take care during a lead testing project by wearing a facemask and rubber gloves. When you are handling things containing lead, it is crucial to ensure that your bare skin is completely covered. This also applies to orifices such as your mouth and nose because they are very sensitive.
You might consider wearing long-sleeved clothes and laboratory goggles or any other form of eye protection to minimize your exposure.
Clean your testing tools and surface
When you buy a testing kit, it will come with sanitizing swabs. Use the swabs to clean the surface you will be testing. Wipe down your scraper tool and scoring tool with a different swab to clean them. Most test kits can be used on both soft surfaces and hard surfaces. Standard kits include sanitizing swabs that are enough for about six uses.
Remove the paint chip
You should dig the tip of your scoring tool into the inconspicuous section of paint. After loosening the circular chip, you should proceed to use the edge of your scraper tool to pry it free from the wall. Areas such as the interior corners, baseboards and closetsmake good testing sites for lead. This is because they are not immediately visible and pose less risk of further peeling or chipping than in areas that are frequently used.
Put your fresh paint sample in a pre-filled vial
A chip catcher tray works as a great funnel to ensure the paint chip does not come into contact with other surfaces before going into the solution. You should therefore add the sample to the vial and don’t attempt to pick up the paint sample using your hand. Follow the lead testing San Diego instructions on the kit to test for lead.