Lead Paint in Montpelier, Barre, and Northfield

There are a lot of houses for sale in Montpelier, Barre, and Northfield that were built before 1978.  Most of them, in fact.  As you get further out of town (think Worcester, Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, and Middlesex) there has been more newer construction, so you're more likely to see post-1978 housing.

All sellers with homes built prior to 1978 are required to fill out a lead-based paint disclosure form and provide you, the buyer, with a lead-based paint educational booklet in any sale. Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes.  In Vermont, it may seem as if you're getting more information on lead paint than on the purchase of the actual house.

Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly.  But, since it's been so much in the publie eye (thankfully) for the last many years, there are plenty of protections in place.

The most important part of buying a pre-1978 house in Montpelier, Barre, or Northfield is that the paint should not be deteriorating.  Chipping, cracking, peeling, or flaking paint should be touched up (contained).  Remember not to dry sand--the goal is to produce as little dust as possible.

As for buying said houses--if you're using an FHA loan, paint can slow things down.  I had a case this fall in which the appaiser needed to come back a second time to verify that the trim on a window had been repainted. 

There are millions of homes with lead paint out there, and many have been painted and repainted several times so the lead paint is well covered up. If in doubt, have the paint tested and evaluated either at a local laboratory, or with one of the home test kits available at your local hardware store.

To sum:  If you're looking at an older house, it probably has lead paint somewhere.  It's also probably been painted or papered over a dozen times.  It's almost always the case.  If you're particularly concerned, definitely have a lead test done.