My apt building was built in 1949 and the lead paint that was used was supposed to be covered up.?

Question

The paint in my bedroom began chipping. My apartment has ladybugs this time of year and all the ladybugs in my bedroom are dying. The ones in the living room are alive and well! Is there anything to think of this? Ive brought it up to my property manager and she pointed out a clause in the lease that says even if my apt tests positive for lead paint there is little I can do and it is not terms to break the lease. Is this legal? How can a person be forced to live in a place under circumstances that are harmful to their health?

Answer 1

First of all, covering up lead paint does nothing. Lead paint has to be removed.

Second, I don't think I would draw any conclusions from the living/dead lady bugs.

I can't address the legal issues, since laws vary from state to state.

Lastly, You are not being forced to live there. You are free to live wherever you want. If you feel your health is in danger, I'm sure there are legal actions you can take to get out of your lease.

Answer 2

I hate to tell you this, but ladybugs don't eat paint, lead based or otherwise, so the cause of their deaths from one room to the next is not lead.

Having been built in 1949, your apartment is nearly guaranteed to have lead based paint in it somewhere. The management should remove the chipped paint safely and repaint the areas from which it was removed.

Lead paint is only harmful to YOUR health if you eat the paint chips. Are you using the chips to dip up guacamole ?

Answer 3

Federal laws require disclosure about the possibility of lead paint but not the removal. You should have received a disclosure statement when you rented the pat.

Painting over is not an acceptable removal method of removal. Sanding down to the bare wood and repainting is.

Lead paint only causes health risk if you chew on it or sand and the particles get into the air.

Answer 4

It depends on how complicated the design. If you have a lot of tight corners and you want to show off the details, i'd paint first then build. If it's a simple table and your not being to painstaking with the craftsmanship, build first then paint. Best wishes, BillyT