<div dir="ltr">Sarah, there are two types of lead tests -- the swipe test and the x-ray test.  <div><br></div><div>The x-ray test certifies the house as lead-free and never has to be repeated.  This test is more expensive and if there is any lead paint in the house, even buried deep under layers of non-lead paint, the house will fail the test. <div><div><br></div><div>The swipe test measures surface lead and certifies that there is no lead hazard to occupants at present.  However, there may be encapsulated lead paint that will be exposed at some point in the future and, therefore, the test needs to be repeated periodically.</div><div><br></div><div>The swipe test always includes samples from around windows, since that's where the friction of sashes opening and closing often exposes underlying lead paint.  If you have window jambs that were painted prior to 1978, you probably won't pass the swipe test unless you've recently repainted them or you've taken a lot of care to clean in and below the windows (there is a nine-step process recommended by some).  That doesn't mean that if you don't do that regularly your children will get lead poisoning, but it does mean you will likely flunk the swipe test. </div><div><br></div><div>I grew up in a 1920s Tudor bungalow in Detroit, and I remember my brother and I chewing on the peeling paint on our bedroom window jambs when we were preschoolers.  I'm sure our exposure to lead was a lot higher than what is considered tolerable today, but my brother went on earn multiple patents in electronic engineering and I routinely scored in the 99th percentile in standardized tests, so it seems that our brains weren't pickled by our early lead exposure.</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Message: 2</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 11:13:04 -0400</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">From: Sarah Wayland <</span><a href="mailto:sarah.wayland@gmail.com" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">sarah.wayland@gmail.com</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">To: TownTalk <</span><a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Rental properties</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Message-ID:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">        <</span><a href="mailto:CAPUuQYmaMeeqc5SGps1ZU895_GbDn3WS9VEfX6HWXYSPEKHByQ@mail.gmail.com" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">CAPUuQYmaMeeqc5SGps1ZU895_GbDn3WS9VEfX6HWXYSPEKHByQ@mail.gmail.com</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I really appreciate the notice, and the outreach to help us all be</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">compliant with what I think is a good law that protects people from</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">avoidable brain damage.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I would very much like to understand why repeated testing is necessary. If</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">you've had the test once (and I'm guessing it's for lead-based paint, lead</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">plumbing, and other lead-based building materials) and passed, why is it</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">necessary to get another inspection? Is there lead in the environment that</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">builds up that needs to be addressed?</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I'm asking because, even though I own my own home ( built before 1950), I'd</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">like to know if I should be worried about this for *my* family.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">-Sarah</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"></div></div></div></div></div>