By Rob Fanjoy
Looking for new and creative ways to create market share and develop business niches is a part of the construction business—or any business, for that matter. But contractors are not used to huge new markets just falling into their laps. Replacing windows with lead-based paint is becoming that huge new market. It creates a healthier population, and it represents potential windfalls for remodelers.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that there are 95,688,000 homes in this country with lead-dust hazards. And a huge proportion of that lead dust comes from windows installed prior to the 1978 ban on lead paint. Through various testing and research methods, HUD has determined that replacing these windows is the most effective way to lower lead dust levels in the home, and they have been funding initiatives to help homeowners get the replacement windows they need. The federal government provides more than $2.2 billion every year to fund home upgrades, and HUD lead abatement funding alone reached $167 million in fiscal year 2005.
HUD's Operation LEAP Initiative (Lead Elimination Action Program) has been working to leverage private-sector resources to develop marketing materials to alert the public and the construction trades about the problem. It has also developed financing strategies and incentive programs to help people pay for replacement.
Windy City window replacement
In the Chicago area, where there are an estimated 600,000 housing units built prior to 1950 with lead paint window hazards, those programs are starting to show results. Anne Evens, director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says they plan to complete lead-hazard remediation in these 600,000 units by the year 2010. And they're not stopping there.
"Since our first program in 1996, we've trained hundreds—if not thousands—of contractors to replace windows with lead-based paint," Anne says. "We've also helped them create marketing materials that alert other consumers to the potential problems. We have a few [marketing materials] out there now, but we're working with other contractors and window manufacturers to alert people to the benefits of replacing windows beyond aesthetics and energy efficiency."
Currently, Chicago's lead abatement initiatives consist of:
- Training and certifying window installers
- Working with regulators to streamline the contractor certification process
- Creating a property tax benefit to help homeowners fund window replacement
- Developing marketing materials for consumers
- Providing grants to subsidize the cost of replacement.
"There are similar window replacement programs and initiatives in other cities and states," says Anne. "If a contractor is interested, he or she should go to their local Department of Public Health. If they don't offer something like this, they'll know who does."
Anne also recommends contractors contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), HUD (www.hud.gov), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage) for more information. There is also the National Clearing House for Lead Safe Resources at www.leadsafeclearinghouse.com, a website with hundreds of links to other resources.
Not as complicated as you may think
While lead dust is a hazardous material, working with windows coated with lead paint is not a difficult process. Anne explains that the only materials that are needed are 6-mil plastic sheeting, duct tape to secure the sheeting, a NIOSH-certified dust mask, protective clothing (usually an inexpensive, hooded paper suit with elastic wrist and ankle cuffs) and a spray bottle to mist the paint to keep it wet while working.
"Proper cleanup after the job is done is really key," according to Anne. "There is a risk of not only leaving some lead dust behind in the home, but contractors can also track it into their vehicles and end up bringing it into their own homes. Take-home lead poisoning is a possibility if you're sloppy."
With the various training programs and marketing help that is available to contractors, it should be fairly quick and easy to not only become trained and certified as a window installer, but to attract and convince homeowners that this is a necessary home improvement.
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