Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Painting and Lead Tests

Q: Are you supposed to be using paint????? --Jenn

A: Well, in a perfect world, a team of pros would be doing all the work while I recline on the sofa!

I think painting while pregnant is okay, provided one uses excellent ventilation and latex paint. I would not use spray paint. Outdoor brush painting is even better on a breezy day like today.

I'm also experienced enough that I rarely drip or spill. Maybe that comes from painting the complete exterior of our first house when I was pregnant with Andrew?

One safety factor I feel strongly about is testing for lead. Since I am of childbearing age, I have myself tested every year since we started renovating. Lead accumulates in the body, so if you are a young renovating woman, you need to be careful even before you conceive. It's even more essential for children who live in old homes or fixer-uppers. By the time you suspect lead poisoning, irreversible damage to your child's brain may have been done.

I have had my son tested every year since birth. In fact, HUD required a copy of his test before we could buy our last foreclosure! Even though we've done little-to-no scraping or sanding, it's worth the effort to me. Our insurance has never balked at covering the test. I think you can even get tested at low cost by the health department.

1 comment:

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate said...

Glad to know you are safe :)