Remodeling Older Denver Homes: Lead and Asbestos

Denver's older neighborhoods are full of houses people love: brick bungalows, Denver squares, Tudors and mid-century ranches. They're also full of materials that were standard when those homes were built and are now regulated: lead-based paint and asbestos. Neither has to stop a remodel. Both need to be planned for.

Lead paint: the 1978 line

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, so houses built before then may have it on trim, windows, doors, siding and walls. When that paint is sanded, scraped or demolished, it creates dust that's especially harmful to young children and pregnant people.

The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule requires that contractors who disturb painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes be certified and follow lead-safe work practices: containment, limiting dust, and specialized cleanup. When you're hiring:

• Ask for the firm's EPA (or state-authorized) RRP certification.
• Ask how they'll contain the work area and clean up each day.
• Expect to receive EPA's lead information pamphlet before work starts.
• Expect slightly higher prices for lead-safe work. It's worth it.

Window replacement, kitchen and bathroom demolition and exterior painting are the projects most likely to disturb lead paint.

Asbestos: Colorado's trigger levels

Asbestos was used in many building products: some floor tiles and their adhesive, pipe and boiler insulation, popcorn ceilings, some plaster and joint compound, vermiculite attic insulation and some siding. CDPHE notes that buildings of any age may contain asbestos-containing materials.

In Colorado, if a renovation will disturb more than the trigger levels of suspect material, it must be inspected by a Colorado-certified Asbestos Building Inspector before work starts. CDPHE lists these trigger levels for single-family residential dwellings:

CDPHE says an exception may be made for buildings, or portions, constructed after October 12, 1988, if the responsible architect or engineer or a certified inspector completes the division's form stating no asbestos-containing material was used.

If asbestos is found above trigger levels, it generally must be removed before renovation disturbs it. Friable material must be removed by a Colorado-certified General Abatement Contractor, which submits a notification and permit application to the state. CDPHE says a ten-working-day notification period is required before work can begin. That's two calendar weeks you need to build into your schedule.

How this plays out on common projects

Kitchen remodel. Old vinyl flooring and mastic are frequent suspects. Test before demolition. See kitchen remodel cost.

Bathroom remodel. Old tile, adhesives, and plaster walls may need testing. Painted trim and doors in pre-1978 homes trigger lead-safe practices. See our bathroom remodeling guide.

Basement finish. Pipe and duct insulation in older homes can contain asbestos.

Siding. Some older siding contains asbestos. HomeGuide lists asbestos siding removal at $7 to $10 or more per square foot.

Additions. Tie-ins to existing walls and roofs count as renovation of those components.

Lead in water lines

Lead can also be in water service lines in older homes. Denver Water runs a Lead Reduction Program to replace lead service lines. It also says that, outside that program, it will replace any customer-owned lead service line with a copper line at no direct charge to the customer when one is discovered during a water main replacement project. Check whether your address is in the program, and filter your water as Denver Water instructs if you're enrolled.

Budget and schedule

• Testing: Asbestos inspections and lab samples cost money but are usually small next to the project.
• Abatement: A real cost if asbestos is found. Get a separate abatement bid.
• Lead-safe work: Adds labor for containment and cleanup.
• Time: Add at least two weeks if abatement needs state notification.

Ask your contractor in the first meeting how they handle these, and get the plan in writing. Homes in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and Park Hill often need both. For kitchens, see our kitchen remodeling guide.