A lot of Metro Atlanta's most charming neighborhoods predate 1978. That's meaningful, because federal law changed that year: homes built before it may have lead-based paint on original surfaces, and there are specific rules for how repainting has to be handled.

Why 1978 is the cutoff

The U.S. banned consumer lead-based paint in 1978. Homes built before that date, especially anything with original trim, doors, or exterior siding, may have lead paint layered underneath newer coats. It's not something to panic about, but it does change how prep work should be done.

What changes with an older home

• Certified lead-safe practices: Any surface being sanded, scraped, or disturbed gets contained work areas, HEPA vacuum cleanup, and careful handling rather than standard prep.
• No open dry-sanding or heat guns: These methods can release lead dust into the air; we use wet-sanding and containment methods instead where surfaces are suspect.
• Debris disposal: Paint chips and sanding residue are bagged and disposed of properly rather than swept into the yard.
• A bit more time: Lead-safe prep is more methodical, which can add some time to exterior and trim jobs on older homes.

This isn't a reason to worry

Plenty of well-maintained pre-1978 homes have had multiple coats of modern paint applied over the decades, meaning original surfaces are already sealed away. The point of lead-safe prep is to keep it that way; contained, controlled, and cleaned up properly rather than kicked up into the air or the soil around your home.

What to expect from us

When we quote a pre-1978 home, we build lead-safe prep into the estimate up front, so there's no surprise mid-job. It's already reflected in our pricing for those properties: no guessing, no change orders halfway through.

P.S. Not sure when your home was built? A quick look at your county tax assessor site usually has the answer in seconds.