Feb 16 2012

Lead Certified Renovators Are Safer Renovators Lead Certified Renovators Are Safer Renovators

category: lead certification author:

In the current real estate market, fewer people are buying new homes and opting to renovate instead. Renovations are typically less expensive than new home purchases, and a stunning renovation can add considerable value to the resale price of a home. While some renovations, such as gut renovations, can take up to year to complete, others, such as simple retrofits and energy efficient appliance upgrades, can be completed within a single day. When a savvy homeowner is looking for a cost-effective way to add value to a property, he might turn to a renovator who has experience transforming older properties into contemporary homes. A contractor who works on a home that was built before 1978 must have lead certification in order to legally provide any renovation, repair, or painting work.

Lead based paint chips can easily migrate beyond a working area during a renovation, and children can consume the paint chips, which have a sweet taste. When children ingest lead based paint chips, they risk lead poisoning, which poses serious health problems that impact nervous system and physical development. The EPA passed its lead RRP rule to regulate activities that increase the risk of lead based paint exposure.

Why might a homeowner prefer to contract with a lead certified renovator? For one, lead certified renovators have completed an EPA training course in lead safe working practices. Lead training courses teach building professionals how to minimize the risk of lead based paint exposure using EPA-mandated tools such as HEPA vacuum and zip-up barriers for cleanup and containment of lead based paint chips.

Lead certified renovators are more competitive than non-lead certified renovators because they pose a lesser risk to the homeowners who hire them. A renovator or renovation firm that works in pre-1978 buildings without EPA certification might be less careful with containment and his work could cost him a fine of up to $37,500 every day. Lead safety is an EPA priority, and lead training courses will teach you and your team to conduct lead safe renovations.

tag: lead certification, Lead Certified

Jan 12 2012

Lead Certified Renovators Comply With RRP

category: lead certification author:

Green jobs are not as hard to come by when you equip yourself with relevant professional training, especially as a green building professional. As a matter of fact, certain green jobs require you to be certified before you can legally work in the field. For example, any renovator whose work involves drilling, sanding, painting, or any other activity that can disturb lead based paint, must be lead certified in order to comply with the EPA rule surrounding lead based paint. In an effort to reduce the health hazards associated with lead based paint exposure, the EPA enacted its lead RRP rule that sets standard working procedures that renovators must follow when working in lead homes or childcare facilities built prior to 1978, when the use of lead based paint was made illegal in the United States. Without your lead certificate, you can be fined as much as $37,500 per incident, per day.

Complying with the EPA’s lead RRP rule is much easier when you understand the legislation as well as its impact on your work. Taking a lead certification class will familiarize you with the lead safe working practices that the lead RRP rule defines. If you work within a renovation firm, then you might also need to have your firm certified through a separate process. The best way to make sure that your renovation work is in line with EPA rules is to enroll in a lead training course as soon as possible. You can complete a lead certification course online in as few as 8 hours. In addition to the instructional online portion of the course, you will participate in a hands-on interactive lead training, in which you will have the chance to apply lead rules to typical renovation activities.

Lead certified renovators can stay competitive in the green building market by complying with the EPA. Now is the time to register for a lead certification course.

tag: Lead Certified

Dec 30 2011

Lead Certified Building Professionals Can Capitalize On Renovation Work

category: Uncategorized author:

The real estate market has changed considerably since the start of the recession, making new home purchases out of reach for many. Many regions have experienced decreased home sales amid plummeting property values. Savvy homeowners, however, have chosen increasingly to renovate their homes on the promise of a return when the home might sell in a few years in a hopefully better economy. Renovators who can provide these customers with cost-effective services will find themselves with a sustainable revenue stream, but those renovators must be lead certified before working in any home that was built prior to 1978.

The EPA’s legislation around pre-1978 renovations derives from the continued public health issue of lead poisoning, specifically childhood lead poisoning which poses an array of health dangers, including mental health problems that can carry on into adulthood. The EPA rule for lead renovations, called the lead RRP rule, regulates working practices for building professionals who renovate, repair, or paint pre-1978 childcare facilities, homes, schools, and rental properties. In order to prove that you are fluent in these lead safe working practices, you must obtain your EPA lead certification by taking a lead training course from an EPA-approved provider.

Along with the real estate market, the climate for new construction has also changed in light of the recession, meaning fewer people are buying or building brand new homes and more people are renovating their current properties. As renovations prove to be more cost-effective at generating future returns on investment for potential home sales, the demand for qualified renovators should also experience an increase. To stay ahead of the curve, you should certainly become lead certified in order to protect yourself from costly EPA fines for violating the lead RRP rule.

Only lead certified building professionals can renovate pre-1978 homes, so if you have not enrolled in a lead training course, then you should do so immediately.

 

tag: Lead Certified, lead course

Dec 20 2011

Lead Certified Renovators Are RRP Compliant

category: lead certification author:

On a good day, a renovator or a team of renovators might complete an entire upheaval of a kitchen, a process that might involve replacing kitchen fixtures, ripping up the flooring and putting down new tiles, painting, hanging backsplash elements, and much much more. If the kitchen is in a home that was built in, say, 1975, then the renovators face a whole new set of challenges. Renovations in homes built before 1978 require that those working on the project are lead certified renovators, meaning that they have obtained their EPA lead certification.

You can get your RRP certificate for renovators by taking a lead certificate class, which is comprised of a classroom portion that details the fundamentals of lead RRP, including the lead RRP rule, how to clean your work area and check your work, and how to train renovators on your team who are not themselves lead certified. In the above scenario, if one renovator has obtain a lead certificate in compliance with the lead RRP rule, then it is possible that this renovator can train those who will accompany him prior to the job. Most importantly, a lead certification class can help you discern in situations when it might not be clear how to proceed. While the classroom training is essential to understand the necessity of the lead RRP rule and how it impacts your work as a renovator, the field component of lead training is key to helping students practice the skills they learn in class or online.

Lead certification is necessary for any person who provides renovation, repair, or painting services in pre-1978 homes. When you take a lead certification course, you will learn exactly why lead must be handled with care and what the consequences can be of spreading lead dust during renovation activities. Enroll in a lead training course so you can stay safe on the job.

 

 

tag: Lead Certified

Dec 08 2011

Get Lead Certified Without Leaving The Office

category: lead certification author:

When the EPA passed its lead RRP rule, renovators around the country found themselves facing the challenge of becoming lead certified in order to continue working safely and legally in pre-1978 buildings. The EPA’s lead RRP rule specified lead-safe working practices, including cleanup and containment measures, for any renovation, repair, or painting work in buildings that were constructed before 1978 when the use of lead paint was made illegal in the United States. As the dangers of exposure to lead continue to impact adults and children, especially those living in lower-income subsidized housing developments, the need for stricter legislation of lead paint activities arose. Now, any activity that can disturb lead paint and lead to the migration of lead dust beyond a working area is subject to intense EPA scrutiny under the new lead RRP rule.

To become a lead certified renovator, you must enroll in and complete an EPA-approved lead certified renovator training course and then pass the EPA’s lead certified renovator exam. Once you pass the exam, you will receive an official lead certificate which enables you to work in pre-1978 buildings. If you live and work in an area with mostly older homes, then you are well aware that renovation could be your most popular building service. Given the state of the commercial and residential real estate market, many renovators might also have noticed fewer people are purchasing new properties and opting instead to renovate their current ones. However, only those renovators and renovation firms that are lead certified after completing an EPA-approved lead certification class can legally take on any clients who occupy pre-1978 buildings.

It is never too late to become a lead certified renovator. To protect yourself and your business from steep EPA fines for violating the lead RRP rule, enroll today in an EPA-approved lead certification class.

 

tag: Lead Certified

Dec 06 2011

Boston Lead Certified Renovators Can Profit From RRP Rules

category: lead certification author:

The EPA’s lead RRP rule enumerates a set of regulations for the safe renovation, removal, and painting of spaces larger than 6 square feet in buildings proven to contain lead paint. Because the use of lead paint was made illegal in 1978, any facility built before 1978 can be considered a lead home or lead facility. Before working in a lead home or lead facility, all parties who engage in any activities that can disturb lead paint and spread lead paint dust must receive EPA-approved lead certification. Lead certified renovators afford themselves access to a great deal of clients who live in pre-1978 buildings without facing steep EPA fines for violating the RRP rule.

A recent report from the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch showed that homeowners and commercial building owners can expect to see renovation costs increase from 1% to 5% due to the EPA’s stricter regulation of activities that disturb lead based paint. Due to longer and more costly cleanup and containment procedures of working areas that contain lead based paint, renovation of lead homes and lead facilities has grown more expensive. When you factor in the cost of additional lead testing tools, such as lead check testing kits, lead renovations become even most time and cost-intensive. Lucky for lead certified renovators, higher renovation costs increase the profit potential for building professionals, provided that those professionals equip themselves with an EPA-approved lead certificate.

The EPA is extremely serious about punishing building professionals who continue to work in pre-1978 buildings without obtaining relevant lead certification for themselves and their firms. EPA fines for lead RRP violations can reach up to $37,500 per incident, per day. Boston lead certified renovators can take advantage of increased renovation costs in lead homes by completing an approved lead certification course that culminates in a taking the EPA’s lead certified renovator exam.

 

 

tag: lead certification, Lead Certified

Dec 05 2011

How To Become A Lead Certified Renovator

category: lead certification author:

Becoming a lead certified renovator might be easier than you think. To obtain EPA lead certification, all you need to do is to enroll in a lead certification course from an accredited provider. Due to the EPA’s lead RRP rule that regulates safe working practices for renovators and building professionals, a lead certificate is now mandatory for anyone who partakes in construction activities in buildings built before 1978. Any activity that disturbs lead paint, including renovation, repair, and painting, is subject to EPA scrutiny as the dangers of lead poisoning continue to affect adults and children. Only renovators and firms that are lead certified can legally work in pre-1978 buildings.

Lead certified renovators can position themselves well to take on residential and commercial clients who occupy pre-1978 buildings. When you consider how many large-scale government-subsidized buildings were painted with lead based paint, the scope of potential clients becomes even greater. Renovators who complete a lead certification course are competitive with their peers in the building industry who do not possess the proper lead certificate because they can legally work in pre-1978 buildings and other buildings that were painted with lead based paint.

Lead certification classes are a valuable certification for any building professional who works in renovation. Without an EPA lead certificate. An EPA-approved lead certification course will teach you how to protect yourself from lead paint exposure when working in pre-1978 buildings. Additionally, a lead certification class will inform you as to how to comply with the EPA’s newest regulations concerning lead RRP. From proper containment procedures to safe and effective cleanup, a lead certification course is designed to teach building professionals to be diligent, safe, compliant, and transparent. There is no better time than the present to enroll in an EPA-approved lead certification course to become a lead certified renovator.

 

 

 

tag: lead certification, Lead Certified

Nov 08 2011

How RRP Certified Renovators Comply With EPA Rules

category: lead certification author:

Completing an EPA-approved training course and becoming lead certified in RRP (renovation, repair, and painting) is mandatory for anyone doing renovation, painting, or repair work in pre-1978 buildings. However, an EPA certificate s not the last step. In addition to completing an EPA lead RRP course, passing the EPA certification exam, and receiving your EPA certificate, there are still more steps to take to ensure compliance with EPA rules concerning lead RRP.

For one, a lead RRP certified renovator must provide every occupant of a lead home or pre-1978 building that contains lead based paint with a required brochure entitled How To Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home before doing any work in the facility. This brochure details the dangers of lead based paint and recommendations for paint safety, including only investing in the services of an RRP certified contractor. Failure to distribute this brochure can result in steep EPA fines and loss of certification, two consequences that could put you out of business entirely.

A renovator must give the required brochure, How To Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home, to any occupants of a pre-1978 building. Similarly, any person who is selling a pre-1978 home must give the required lead based paint safety brochure to prospective homebuyers. The objective of the required brochure is to increase transparency between renovators and buyers and to elicit compliance to EPA rules from renovators.

Before any work can be done on a surface in a pre-1978 building, a lead RRP certified renovator musty use a lead check testing kit to prove or disprove the presence of lead. If the lead sampling kit detects lead, then containment is necessary before beginning any renovation. EPA rules for vertical containment specify what precautions a renovator must take to prevent the dispersal of lead paint beyond the contained area. An EPA-approved lead certification course teaches renovators how to stay in compliance with EPA rules regarding lead RRP.

 

tag: lead certification, lead training courses

Nov 04 2011

Lead Course Teaches Lead Based Paint Safety

category: Lead Training author:

Only an EPA-approved lead course with equip you with all you need to know to comply with EPA rules that dictate safe lead based RRP (renovation, repair, and painting). Without completing a lead course from an EPA-approved lead training provider, you can no longer legally work in homes, schools, or childcare facilities that were built before 1978. The reason for these EPA rules is to reduce the hazards associated with exposure to lead based paint, the dangers of which increase when lead based paint is disturbed by renovation and repair activities. Given how easily it is to spread lead dust when entering and leaving a work area containing lead paint, the EPA lead course serves to inform contractors of the health hazards they and their clients face and provide specific recommendations on the safest way to work around lead based paint.

An EPA-approved lead course is beneficial to contractors who work in any pre-1978 building and to lead abatement professionals who are responsible for removing lead based paint and paint chips from facilities. Lead abatement professionals need simply to register for and complete an accredited lead course in order to renew their lead abatement licenses in compliance with these EPA rules. A lead course could make the difference between hefty EPA fines and your ability to continue working in pre-1978 buildings. Even if you might not think that your job puts you at risk of lead based paint exposure, the EPA certainly acknowledges the health hazards of lead based paint in the form of mandatory lead training.

In addition to learning lead based paint safety, a lead RRP course will prepare you to pass a 25-question exam that will earn you a lead course certificate from the EPA that you must present to each of your clients before working in an area that has been deemed at-risk in terms of containing lead based paint or lead chips. The course will only take up a small part of your time while providing you with valuable EPA certification that you will need in order to continue working legally in pre-1978 buildings.

 

tag: lead certification, lead training courses