Harmony Painting warns Denver homeowners on lead-safe work in older homes

Harmony Painting is urging owners of pre-1978 Denver homes to check painted surfaces before sanding, scraping, or repairing them this fall and winter. The reminder comes as federal rules require lead-safe practices for paid work that disturbs paint in older housing.

Why it matters: - Homes built before 1978 can still contain lead-based paint beneath newer coatings. - Disturbing painted surfaces can create dust and hazards, especially during sanding, scraping, renovation, repair, or painting. - Paid contractors working in qualifying older homes generally must be certified and follow lead-safe work practices.

What happened: - Harmony Painting issued a lead-safe reminder for Denver-area owners of pre-1978 homes. - The company linked the advice to the seasonal shift toward indoor home-improvement work in cooler weather. - Founder and CEO Spencer Melfi said the first question in an older home is often not the color to use, but when the home was built.

The details: - The federal government banned lead-based paint for use in homes, childcare facilities, and preschools in 1978. - EPA guidance says paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes and certain child-occupied facilities built before 1978 generally requires certification and lead-safe work practices. - Harmony Painting says it is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. - The company reports certification number NAT-F341962-1 is valid through August 6, 2031 for qualifying work. - Older paint layers can remain on walls, windows, doors, trim, and other architectural components. - Visual inspection alone cannot confirm whether a painted surface is lead-free. - EPA notes that deteriorated paint can create hazards. - EPA also says renovation, repair, or painting can generate dust when painted surfaces are disturbed. - Harmony Painting advises homeowners to determine when the home was built before starting work. - Harmony Painting also recommends identifying which painted surfaces the project will disturb. - Newer paint coats do not erase concerns about earlier paint layers. - Homeowners should ask paid contractors about EPA Lead-Safe certification and work practices. - Homeowners should understand how the work area, dust, and debris will be managed before work begins. - EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule generally applies to paid work in pre-1978 housing and certain child-occupied facilities. - EPA says the rule generally does not apply to homeowners working in their own homes, though the agency recommends lead-safe practices for do-it-yourself projects. - Project requirements can vary by scope and property use, so EPA guidance should be checked before work starts. - Melfi said Denver’s older homes often include original trim, windows, doors, and woodwork people want to preserve. - Melfi said lead-safe work starts with understanding what is being worked on before disturbing painted surfaces.

Between the lines: - The message is both a safety reminder and a contractor-selection guide for owners planning fall maintenance. - Denver’s older housing stock makes lead-safe preparation a practical issue, not just a compliance issue. - The guidance also reinforces that homeowners should not assume a fresh topcoat makes an older surface safe to sand or scrape.

What's next: - Homeowners planning interior projects should check the home’s construction date before work begins. - Contractors working on qualifying properties should confirm certification status and dust-control practices ahead of time. - Owners considering do-it-yourself projects should review EPA lead-safe guidance before disturbing painted surfaces.

The bottom line: - In pre-1978 homes, the safest first step is to identify the age of the house and the painted surfaces before any work starts.