Critics seem always to focus on the past and not about the positive acts taken to resolve a problem. Lead paint has suffered under this thinking and little has issued forth from critics about lead paint remediation and how many of the challenges of removing have led to success.

At one time, lead paint covered everything from houses to bridges, much has occurred to reverse that mistake as the impact of lead has entered into the mindset of America, much as cancer and other dangerous diseases and substances. An entire industry has emerged to address the problems. Tying economics to the problem's resolution often proves the best way to meet most challenges society faces.

In the case of bridges, a symbol long thought of as connecting people and places, the problem of removing lead paint from its surface presents a special problem. Bridges span waterways, valleys, and other difficult topographical features, making it easier for travelers and shippers to move from one location to another. Though they provide convenience in one regard, they are difficult to build, paint, and maintain for all the obvious reasons.

The Mackinac Bridge is a good example of what it takes to properly and safely remove lead paint from a bridge. Unlike other great structures, bridges are generally made of a metal. In this case, it requires not just stripping the paint off down to the metal, but it also requires an enclosure to prevent airborne lead from spreading and to ensure that all lead-based paint removed makes it to an approved disposal site.

Involved in the removal is, of course, human beings. These workers will do their job suspended high off the river below. Possessing the requisite, training safety workers began on the bridge along with tackling the lead paint problem and preventing it from becoming airborne. Working in tight places, high up, clearly indicates that workers are at risk and rescue training is the key to protect these workers.

But safety goes beyond just the rescue aspect, it also involves assuring the workers do not inhale the lead dust that will spread when they start sanding the paint off the metal structure. Masks and uniforms have become part of the toolbox of preventive care. These important tools, used by remediation enterprises, protect workers from the harmful lead particulates that become airborne as the lead paint is removed.

Still, further and extreme measures include removing the lead-paint covered steel altogether. This is what contractors decided to do for the Kennedy Mill bridge. Rather than build an encasing structure to prevent airborne lead from spreading during the paint removal phase, they chose to remove all the metal painted with lead-based paint. 

When the measure taken appears long, drawn out, or even excessive, it is not fair to assume that contractors are overdoing the job. In the case of bridges, not just humans assume a risk in immediate terms, but they may suffer exposure to lead dust, as is true for the public. All these measures indicate, instead, that the lessons of the power and danger of lead-paint are known -- connecting today with the promise of a better tomorrow.

While lead paint is a problem that mostly affected people decades ago, there are still plenty of bridges in the nation with this dangerous paint. It is important to get this paint removed as soon as possible to keep a town safe from serious health problems. Most people know that lead paint is a health risk in homes and buildings, few may realize the problems it can pose on bridges.

Failure to remove lead paint in this situation can be very serious. For example, lead paint could flake off and fall into the river. If this river is used as a water source, or if people swim in it, they could suffer from the dangers of lead exposure. When this happens, they could suffer from health problems such as:

• Confusion and agitation
• Decreased mental acuity
• Problems with focusing
• Lowered IQ
• Lead poisoning (which can be deadly)

That's why managing this problem quickly is so important. However, it also needs to be approached in a careful and measured way to avoid any accidents that could make the situation even worse.

The Process Can Be Complex

Getting rid of lead paint on a bridge is a complex process that requires a careful approach. First of all, the paint must be treated, not merely painted over. In this way, the bridge is rendered free of the danger from lead paint. Some types of specialty paint can also minimize airborne lead spread. In this way, you can protect yourself and your employees from serious lead poisoning potential. ECOBOND® - LEAD DEFENDER® is the nation’s leader in developing and distributing products that improve the protection of human health and safety from the hazards of lead in the home, workplace, and the environment. With over 15 years in patented and proven success, the ECOBOND® - LEAD DEFENDER® family of products have been extensively used in successfully treating lead hazards in over 11,000,000 tons of material while serving over 100,000 customers in the United States and Internationally.

To learn more visit www.EcobondPaint.com

Home renovation can be daunting when your to-do list starts to grow. Hiring experts to help can be expensive and waiting for them to have availability can delay your schedule by weeks or even months.

While renovations involving plumbing and electricity are usually best handled by professionals, there are plenty of other projects you can handle without calling in the pros. Check out these DIY projects that even a novice can handle. 

Paint your space

This sounds obvious, but repairing minor imperfections in your walls and getting a fresh coat of the right paint is one of the most impactful projects you can do to improve your home.

Spend some time in each room you want to update taking notes on any cracks, nail holes, or rough spots you want to touch up, and do some research on colors that will work in your space.

Even if you’re only planning to paint one room, invest in the mid- to high-range painting supplies like decent brushes, a safe ladder or brush extension, and quality painters tape. Your results will look more professional and you’ll save time and frustration.

A good rule of thumb is to give yourself three half days for each room: one day to patch and prep the walls, one day to apply two coats of paint with drying time in between, and a final day for touch ups and trim. 

Dangers of Lead Paint

Healthy Homes estimates that between 25% and 40% of homes throughout the U.S. still contain lead based paint. In other words, there are thousands, perhaps even millions of families at risk of health concerns related to lead paint.

Both adults and children are at risk of experiencing serious symptoms associated with lead paint exposure. Small children may become exposed if they happen to ingest cracked or peeling chips of paint containing lead. They may also be tempted to chew on surfaces containing lead paint, such as window sills. In addition, both children and adults can experience exposure since lead paint creates a talc-like powdery substance as it deteriorates, which puts you at risk of inhalation. Attempting to remove lead paint on your own can exacerbate these issues. The good news is, home owners and residential contractors alike can manage lead paint removal with our NEW & IMPROVED Paint-it-on Leave-it-on® Lead Paint Sealant and Treatment Formula which is Now Lower Cost, Easier-to-Use and Even Safer. Fortunately, ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® serves as part of a well-planned program. When sealing & painting over lead paint becomes a necessity, our product will treat paint containing lead when applications remain on walls. If removing paint from those walls is necessary, lead dust is effectively rendered as non-hazardous and safe for removal.

Give your bathtub new caulk

Over time caulking tends to shrink, leaving gaps around the shower and bath that can lead to expensive water damage. Cracked or aging caulk can also harbor mildew and bacteria leaving your tub smelling musty or looking dirty.

A professional handyman could charge over $100 to redo your whole tub, while investing in the materials should cost you about $25 for tubes of caulk and the application tool plus a few hours of your time.

While cutting out the old caulk and piping in new material doesn’t require special skills, a polished look might take a little planning and some trial and error, so give yourself time and permission to make mistakes at first. 

Freshen up your cabinets

Buying and installing all new kitchen cabinets is expensive and can be tricky to get just right. Instead of totally replacing outdated cabinets, consider refacing them with new doors, painting them, and adding new hardware.

You might even consider removing the doors, giving the interior a fresh coat of paint and enjoying your trendy new open-shelving concept. Keep in mind that painting cabinets will be different from drywall or wood trim, and that replacing cabinet doors might mean installing new hinge mechanisms.

Neither task is difficult, but you may need to research the supplies and techniques that apply to your specific cabinet materials. 

Try new tile

Tile sounds daunting, but if your bathroom or entryway floors are damaged or dingy, small areas of tile can make a big impact and are a manageable project to tackle before you commit to DIY tiling a kitchen or fireplace.

First, get familiar with the process and watch how the different steps take place. The list of supplied looks a little long at first, but they’re mostly affordable and you may already have some items like goggles, a level, and a trowel in your tool box.

It’s often possible to rent a tile saw for a weekend from a hardware store and you may be able to get a package deal if you purchase tiles and rent the saw at the same time. Tiling is fairly messy for first-timers, so clear the area well and wear your work clothes. 

Update the outdoors

Landscaping a garden or yard yourself can save you thousands while increasing your curb appeal. Figure out which areas of your outdoor space you want to focus on and tackle one area at a time. It can be tempting to make a master plan and order all your dream plants at once, but it’s better to make sure anything you purchase is replanted quickly and carefully.

Reasonable sized projects include putting in one or two new flower beds with good compost, attractive plants, and fresh mulch. Or, if you have the strength for some heavier lifting, take a long weekend to install a paver patio by leveling the ground and placing wide, flat stones in an attractive pattern.

Make sure you always call before you dig to avoid hitting electrical lines or other underground utilities. 

Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever before to learn about DIY home renovation and take on improvement projects without the expensive help of professionals. Make sure to spend a little time researching the techniques you will be using, but don’t be afraid to jump in and try these projects. Everyone makes mistakes their first time, but the satisfaction you'll feel will be well worth the time you spent. 

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Scaffold Store, the favorite and trusted scaffold supplier of the largest contractors.

In conjunction with National Painting Week-May 19 – 29 ECOBOND® will donate $100 for every 100 gallons of ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® or ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® PRO sold in May and June 2017 through their website and phone orders to organizations including: The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning and The Colorado Lead Coalition.

Call or Click to Buy Now

1-888-520-7132

The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning is an advocacy and education nonprofit organization composed of nearly 100 individuals and community organizations who share the following conviction: Childhood lead poisoning can and must end.

The Centers for Disease Control reports: “Today, childhood lead poisoning is considered the most preventable environmental disease among young children, yet approximately half a million U.S. children have blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter, the reference level at which CDC, recommends public health actions be initiated. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC are committed to eliminating this burden to public health.”  The CDC reports that today at least 4 million households have children living in them that are being exposed to high levels of lead.

James M. Barthel, creator of the ECOBOND® family of products stated, “We enthusiastically embrace a mission of restoring our environment and protecting people from the hazards of lead with our patented ECOBOND® lead paint treatment technology. It is for this reason that we are pleased to donate $100 for every 100 gallons of ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® or ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® PRO, to further the cause of preventing lead poisoning.”

Barthel made the strategic decision to add Bitrex® Bitterant Technology, which is the bitterest substance known, to their lead paint treatment product, ECOBOND® to reduce accidental ingestion of potentially harmful materials.  This creates an added safety barrier to further protect children from lead poisoning by reducing the amount of paint chips or dust a child may ingest.

Recently, there's been increasing publicity in the news throughout the United States about the impact of unsafe lead paint on children's health. One of the states highly impacted by lead paint poisoning is New Jersey. Recently, Governor Christie signed a bill into law that reduces the threshold of lead levels in a children' blood that requires the state to take action.

The Ohio Department of Health just published a list of 540 hazardous homes that should be vacated due to lead. It's the last step to get property owners to clean up the houses and get rid of the poison lurking inside.

Lead poisoning impacts hundreds of families in Milwaukee and some parents say they don’t know where the lead is coming from. The City of Milwaukee launched the website leadsafeMKE.com earlier this year to help parents learn about lead poisoning.

With the increased awareness of lead hazards in our communities, it is important to have a good understanding of the lead hazard and your options. There are several methods for reducing lead hazards, the two most frequently used methods include:

1. Abatement
2. Interim control

Abatement is designed to eliminate lead based paint or lead based hazards for up to 20 years. Abatement includes removing the lead based paint and dust, encapsulating the lead based paint or replacing the lead based components.

Interim Control temporarily (<20 years) reduces exposure to lead-based paint hazards through: repairs, painting, maintenance, special cleaning, occupant-protection measures, clearance and education programs. Some of the typical activities include: paint stabilization, correcting dust generating conditions and creating smooth, cleanable horizontal surfaces.

But NOW there is a NEW method that takes interim control to the next level because ECOBOND® Lead Defender® is our Patented Paint-it-on Leave-it-on® Formula which seals and treats the lead and lead dust in lead-based paint. This is an exciting NEW category we are calling “Treatment”.
This preferred solution, ECOBOND® Lead Defender®:

• Reduces Lead Hazards up to 99%  EPA Method 1311
• Reduces Airborne Lead Dust up to 99% ASTM E1613-12
• Reduces Lead Bioavailability up to 85% EPA 9200.1-86
• Now includes Bitrex® a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact!
• Protects against Water and Acid Rain Leaching
• Is Mold & Mildew Resistant ASTM D5590-00 modified
• Is Fire Resistant ASTM E84
• Has excellent Hiding Power
• Has excellent Adhesion
• Can be used for Interior & Exterior Use with Smooth Texture & Finish
• Has very Low Odor
• Is tintable with up to 4 oz. of Universal or Water Based Colorant

Understanding the Options for treating lead paint:

ECOBOND® Lead Defender® is a Paint-it-on-Leave-it-on patented specialty paint, primer and sealant product that seals and treats lead dust and lead-based paint.  ECOBOND® Lead Defender® provides enhanced safety protection with a multi-purpose, low cost solution which is specially designed to provide broad lead based paint solutions with excellent coverage.

ECOBOND®, patented lead paint treatment technology, is the premier lead paint solution and surpasses all other lead paint products because it is the ONLY product on the market that seals as well as treats lead dust and lead in paint. While lead poisoning can cause serious health problems for adults, children are especially vulnerable. ECOBOND®, LLC is the nation’s leader in developing and distributing products that improve the protection of human health and safety from the hazards of lead in the home, workplace, and the environment.

With over 15 years in patented and proven success, the ECOBOND® family of products have been extensively used in successfully treating lead hazards in over 11,000,000 tons of material while serving over 100,000 customers in the United States and Internationally.

ECOBOND® will donate $100 for every 100 gallons of ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® or ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® PRO sold in May and June 2017 through our website and phone orders to organizations including: The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning and The Colorado Lead Coalition..

Call or Click to Buy Now

1-888-520-7132

Lead can be found in many workplaces like construction sites, industrial and commercial workplaces. Because of the serious health problems caused by lead, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set standards for industries to follow, which will help control the risk of lead poisoning to workers.

Industry controls like ventilation, hygiene and general safety at work policies are some of the methods used to minimize exposure to airborne lead at these work places. The controls are important because they are the first line of protection for workers and can help reduce the health effects from prolonged exposure to airborne lead.

In industrial and commercial projects, lead is used frequently for jobs like roofing, electrical conduit work, plumbing, manufacturing, soft soldering, and much more. OSHA estimates that about 1,600,000 workers from industrial and commercial workplaces are potentially exposed to lead. This exposure arises from the use, production, recycling, and the disposal of lead materials and products.

Below are two main industries commonly affected by airborne lead and how lead exposure can be controlled in these workplaces:

Construction Industry

Lead is commonly found in the construction industry, especially in salvage, demolition, renovation, removal and cleanup. Lead exposure is a major health risk for construction workers who are not protected and presents symptoms like severe abdominal pain, headache and loss of motor coordination.

To avoid this hazard, construction workers should:

• Use protective equipment like gloves and approved respirators;
• After work and before eating, wash hands and face;
• Remove PPE gear, clothing and shoes immediately after work;
• Understand lead poisoning and know the symptoms;
• Ensure that enclosed work spaces are properly ventilated;
• Whenever possible, use lead-free materials and chemicals.

Manufacturing Industry

Even though there are potentially harmful effects of lead, it is still being used in a variety of sectors within the manufacturing industry. Most manufacturing workers are exposed to lead during the production and fabrication of products like paints that contains a high lead concentration. To avoid this hazard, manufacturing workers should:

• Use protective gear during the fabrication and assembly of products;
• Make sure to follow safety standards when handling or storing manufacturing tools like chemical mixers, die makers and more;
• Follow industry regulations when cleaning furnaces, kilns, ovens, driers and others;
• Understand lead poisoning and know the symptoms;
• Whenever possible, use lead-free materials and chemicals.

There are other industrial and commercial projects that are high risk for lead poisoning like wholesale trade, transportation, remediation and even some recreational sectors. Taking the appropriate steps to avoid exposure is the key to occupational safety. Even though the main responsibility lies with employers, workers in these industries are also responsible for keeping their work spaces free of contamination.

Industry drives this great nation, but it can be a serious problem if airborne lead infects peoples' bodies. This type of lead could get in the lungs, spread through the bloodstream, and affect mental health and development. Thankfully, it is possible to deal with this difficult problem.

Where It Originates

In an industrial factory, lead may result from the various processes involved in the factory. For example, lead smelters, waste incinerators, and battery manufacturers typically produce a high-level of lead. Unfortunately, this lead can go airborne in these facilities and threaten the health of those who work there. Dealing with this problem can be difficult, but it is manageable.

There Is A "Permissible Amount"

One fact that may surprise many is that the government allows a certain small level of lead exposure for employees in their workplace. This level is set at no more than 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour work period. A small level like this typically isn't dangerous, but for those who work in an industrial environment, it may be advisable to take steps to remove exposure to airborne lead as much as possible

Minimizing Lead Exposure Is Crucial

Proper ventilation of the work area, such as opening windows and setting up an airflow system, is crucial to avoiding excessive airborne lead. It is also important to use proper HEPA filters and vacuums to get lead out of the air.

Some types of specialty paint can also minimize airborne lead spread. In this way, you can protect yourself and your employees from serious lead poisoning potential. ECOBOND® - LEAD DEFENDER® is the nation’s leader in developing and distributing products that improve the protection of human health and safety from the hazards of lead in the home, workplace, and the environment. With over 15 years in patented and proven success, the ECOBOND® - LEAD DEFENDER® family of products have been extensively used in successfully treating lead hazards in over 11,000,000 tons of material while serving over 100,000 customers in the United States and Internationally.

To learn more visit www.EcobondPaint.com, view our lead paint treatment video