NAHBR – National Association of Homebuilders and Remodelors

Why should you care if your home remodelor is a member of NAHBR?  Well, first off, what is it?

Founded in 1982, NAHB Remodelers of the National Association of Home Builders represents and serves the interests of more than 14,000 remodeling industry members.

The Federation of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) exists to represent the home building industry by serving its members and affiliated state and local builders associations. The NAHB members, who are involved in all aspects of a diversified building industry, create jobs for millions of people and contribute significantly to the economic activity of their community, the nation and the world.

The NAHB strives to improve housing affordability, availability and choice. To achieve this mission, some of NAHB’s goals are:

• Public appreciation for the importance of housing, housing affordability and those who provide housing.
• Recognized premier resource for industry and consumer information, education, research, technical expertise and networking.
• Improved business performance of its members.

The NAHB provides education to its members and we are proud to say that Rose Construction Inc’s own DyLon McClary is a graduate of the CGR training program. CGR stands for Certified Graduate Remodelor and means that you are doing business with an individual who is committed to continuing education and professional growth and will bring exceptional skill and knowledge to your project.

To become a CGR, a remodeler must have at least five years of experience in the industry, take a qualifying exam and successfully complete a pre-set curriculum of courses specific to the remodeling industry, including project and business management.  

In addition, CGRs and GMRs are required to carry workers’ compensation and liability insurance and maintain a valid business license, where required by their state or local jurisdiction. Upon earning the designation, they must sign a Code of Ethics specific to their designation. CGRs and GMRs also are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education related to building and remodeling every three years. 

To find a CGR for your remodeling or renovation project or home addition, go to the NAHB designations directory and search by state or ZIP code.

Should you be concerned about lead in paint?

If your home was built prior to 1978 and you are going to disturb the paint – i.e., sanding, sawing, then yes. For two reasons: 1) health concerns; and 2) The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Paint rule.

The following paragraph is borrowed from the website For Renovation Pros

“The Renovation, Repair and Paint (RRP) Rule Summary: If you engage in a renovation, repair, and/or painting project that disturbs lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools, you must be certified by the EPA (via training by an EPA-approved training provider). This pertains to work that disturbs more than a 6 sq. foot area (interior, non-HUD). The deadline for certification is December 31, 2010. Fines can run as high as $37,500 per infraction, per day.”

If you wonder why the contractor you are considering hiring is adding some costs to your remodel project to deal with lead based paint, that is why. He or she could suffer from large fines if they are not RRP certified and do not follow the guidelines set out by the EPA for renovations in homes with lead based paints.

If you might be considering ignoring the warnings and finding someone to do the remodel without the proper precautions to save costs, consider the heath risks, listed here from the EPA:

“Why Do You Need to Be Concerned About Lead?

Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead also can be emitted into the air from industrial sources and leaded aviation gasoline, and lead can enter drinking water from plumbing materials. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.

Most Common Sources of Lead Poisoning:

• Deteriorating lead-based paint
• Lead contaminated dust
• Lead contaminated residential soil”

Rose Construction, Inc. is an RRP certified firm and our employees are certified as well, through taking the EPA approved classes.

Rose Construction, Inc. certification

The EPA’s Lead Renovation Law for pre-1978 Structures

 

Older home renovation project - lead check important!

I found an excellent website with all the information anyone could want on the topic of renovation and how the EPA’s law affects your renovation project in that 1978 or older structure.  Whether you are a homeowner or contractor this website provides all the information you could want! 

Check it out: http://www.forrenovationpros.com/

EPA Lead Safe Certification

We recieved our EPA logo with our companies certification number embedded in it today. Just thought we would show it to you!

EPA Lead Safe Certified Firm

For information on current rules regarding renovation in older homes (pre-1978) that may contain lead-based paint, you can go to the website: www.epa.gov/lead.

At that site there are several documents that can be downloaded with more guidance on how to renovate an older home safely, why you should be concerned about lead in paint and regulations that professional home remodelers must follow when performing work in your home.  Titles of some of these documents are:

• Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools
• Joint EPA-HUD Curriculum: Lead Safety for Remodeling, Repair, and Painting
• Lead Paint Safety: A Field Guide for Painting, Home Maintenance and Renovation Work
• Testing Your Home for Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil
• Fight Lead Poisoning with a Healthy Diet
• Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home
• Lead in Your Home: A Parent’s Reference Guide

 Lead paint gets into our bodies through swallowing something with lead dust on it or through breathing air that has lead contaminated dust in it, such as when sanding surfaces painted with lead containing paint.   It is hazardous both to adults and children, but more so to children, due to their small size and their still developing bodies and brains. 

Homeowner’s doing their own remodeling are not required to follow the EPA rules, but it would be wise to use the lead safety precautions just to be on the safe side. 

Happy remodeling!

EPA Certification for Older Homes Lead Renovation Rules

 

Well the EPA has changed the rule already; owners of older homes cannot opt-out anymore!  You can read my blog on lead renovation rules by the EPA that went into effect on April 22, yes, just last Thursday. 

The amendment to the rule goes into effect in July 2010 and I’ve pasted a portion of the modified rule here:

• Removes the opt-out provision. Under the current rule, owner-occupied pre-1978 housing units (i.e., not inclusive of rental properties) where no pregnant women nor children under age six, nor a property qualifying as a “child occupied facility” (such as a day care facility) could sign a waiver. The remodelers must keep a record of the waiver for three years, which waives the implementation of the work practices dictated by the rule. The new amendment to the regulation that goes into effect in July revokes the opt-out completely. All work in pre-1978 must then follow all work practices dictated by the regulation as of the effective date in July.

For more information, go to the EPA website using the link below:

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/regulation.htm

If you have remodeling projects coming up, be assured that Rose Construction is fully trained, certified and prepared to properly perform the remodel in your pre-1978 home.

Is Your Remodeling Company EPA Certified for Lead Renovation?

This Thursday, April 22, home remodeling companies working in pre-1978 homes are required by the EPA to be certified in lead-safe work practices. 

Many homes built prior to 1978 were painted with lead-containing paint.  You may think this is not a problem since the walls have undoubtedly been repainted since then, but when a carpenter tears out a portion of a wall with lead based paint on the bottom paint layer, a lot of dust is created and that dust will contain lead particles.  The dust could then be breathed in by anyone in the home if it is not contained properly, or it may fall as a fine layer of dust on any surface.  This dust will be cleaned up at some point and may end up in your vacuum cleaner, or as dust adhering to the walls, or be deposited in your carpet.

At some point the hazardous dust will get into your living space and if there are children or pregnant women living or frequently visiting, it can have harmful effects.  That is why the EPA has required that all home renovators be certified in safe methods of work and cleanup, ensuring that the residents are not affected by lead containing dust.

Rose Construction, Inc. desires to provide the best remodeling for our clients and to do so safely, our master carpenters and our company have been certified to perform this work according to EPA designed procedures.   The following link takes you to the EPA’s brochure that home remodelers are expected to provide to homeowners of pre-1978 homes, explaining the dangers and what to do to remodel your home safely.
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf

Lead Renovation Certification

Rose Construction now has a Certified Renovator for safe renovation techniques when working in homes with lead paint.  Our Project Manager, DyLon McClary, CGR, received his Lead Safety Certification for Remodeling, Repair and Painting, on March 23. The new EPA regulation goes into effect on April 22 this year.

The Rule requires that strict procedures be followed during renovations in homes built before 1987 that disturbs more than six square feet of potentially contaminated painted surfaces if that home is inhabited or frequented by pregnant women or children under the age of six.

The required practices during renovation and cleanup are quite rigorous, including the posting of warning signs, setting up dust containment zones, and specified cleaning and waste disposal procedures. The clean up must be supervised by a certified renovater.

The rule applies to any contractor doing work that disturbs potentially contaminated paint:

• Remodeling and repair/ maintenance
• Electrical work
• Plumbing
• Painting
• Carpentry
• Window replacement

However, if there are no pregnant women or children under 6 living or regularly frequenting the residence, the rule allows the homeowner to “opt-out” of the lead renovation requirements by signing a statement to that effect.