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What's In This Newsletter

Safe Renovations Courtesy Of The EPA

Get Ready For More Home Improvement Rebates

Product Focus - Convenient Safety Tubs For Kids

What's New At HomeStyleChoices.com

Safe Renovations Courtesy Of The EPA

Back in April of this year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a ruling (which makes it the law of the land) regarding renovation practices on homes built prior to 1978. It's called the Renovation, Repair And Painting Rule (or RRP for short).

Specifically, it requires a contractor or any paid individual who works on a home built before 1978 to be certified to properly work with surfaces painted with lead paint. In other words, if a painted surface is going to be disturbed by sanding, scraping or some other means, the contractor must be trained in the proper techniques for lead abatement.

The perils of lead ingestion are well known and this ruling is aimed at protecting the dwellings of children and pregnant women who are particularly prone to problems associated with lead exposure. The chance that lead paint was used in a home built in the U.S. rises based on when it was constructed prior to 1978.

The specifics of the law are triggered by the amount of painted area that's affected by the renovation. For interior spaces the number is any amount over 6 square feet whereas for exterior projects, the requirement is 20 square feet or more and this includes window replacement and demolition activity.

If your home falls into the "pre-1978" category and you're going to have some work accomplished, your contractor is supposed to be aware of this issue and be certified to comply with the ruling. In fact, he or she is supposed to present you with an EPA pamphlet titled "Renovating Right" that explains the issue in common language. Even if you're not in the remodeling market yet it's worth reading to learn more about lead paint in the home (it's a pretty quick read). You can find the pamphlet at this EPA link.

While the ruling is admirable for its intended purpose of reducing lead exposure it brings into question the fate of do-it-yourself'ers who engage in home projects. Lead paint doesn't discriminate between paid contractors and the handy homeowner. So any DIY'er that's working on a pre-1978 home should be just as informed as those in the renovation industry.

You can become more informed by reading the aforementioned pamphlet but that's not the same thing as becoming knowledgeable about proper lead abatement practices. For those of us who want to tackle home projects on our own and are smart enough not to simply ignore lead paint issues, the EPA recommends contacting the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323). According to the EPA the Lead Info Center should be able to provide you with information on how to work safely with lead-based paint.

So when it comes time to do those renovations, be the informed consumer and ask prospective contractors whether they're certified in lead abatement practices mandated by the lead RRP program. Working with someone who knows how to handle this scenario is the smart thing to do. That way you won't have to worry about the dispersion of lead particles throughout your house when the dust starts to fly.

A summary of the lead RRP issue including information for homeowners, contractors, property owners and others can be found at this EPA link. You can read the actual ruling here (great reading for insomniacs).

Get Ready For More Home Improvement Rebates

If you didn't take advantage of the federal tax credit for energy efficiency improvements there's still time since it's good through December, 2010. However there's another cash-back opportunity on the horizon that also aims at making your home more energy efficient.

This effort is the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 or Home Star for short. If that doesn't ring a bell you might be familiar with its "cash for caulkers" moniker.

It's not a done deal yet but was recently passed by the House of Representatives. It's with the U.S. Senate now.

If it passes, Home Star will provide two incentive tracks. The first is called Silver Star and includes 50% rebates up to a total of $3000 for energy efficient improvements like more insulation, better windows and doors and more effective sealing.

The next level up is the Gold Star incentive. Homeowners can get up to $3000 in rebates if they have a whole-house energy audit performed and make improvements that garner a 20% gain in overall efficiency. Participants that make improvements which reduce energy use by more than 20% are eligible for rebates up to $8000.

If the legislation passes it's another great way to take advantage of long-term energy saving improvements for about half of what they would normally cost.

The Committee on Energy And Commerce website (U.S. House of Representatives) has more information including a PDF of the full bill text.

Product Focus - Temporary Bathtub Conversion For Kids

If you have an infant or young children you know that bathing them isn't the most comfortable task there is. In most cases you're down on your knees on a hard tile floor leaning over the side of the tub. I remember those days well, as do my knees.

If you can relate and are looking for a more comfortable way to wash junior, check out the new product from Safety Tubs. Its a bathtub conversion kit that raises the existing tub to a more comfortable and easily accessible 36-inch height off the floor.

The unit is made using a steel frame that's covered in an acrylic shell. The shell has child-appropriate designs like a red fire truck or a Cinderella carriage theme. It ties into the existing plumbing and comes with a removable insert for infants as well as a changing pad that can be placed on top of the tub deck.

When the kids outgrow the need for the elevated tub, the conversion kit can be removed.

This would have been nice to have when my 3 boys were little. The new product apparently struck a chord with attendees at the recent 2010 Kitchen And Bath Industry Show (KBIS) as they honored it with the "People's Choice" award.

You can see what the tub conversion kit actually looks like at this link at the Safety Tubs website.

What's New At HomeStyleChoices.com

Here's what's new at the website:

The Latest Blog Entries
(You can see them here at the Home Design Blog page)

Remodeling Tip #4 - Be Prepared To Handle Mistakes
Mistakes are bound to happen in any remodeling project. Anticipating them and having a roadmap established ahead of time on how to resolve them will make them easier to manage.

Maytag Dishwasher Recall Due To Fire Hazard
Specific dishwashers made by the Maytag company were recalled due to a fire hazard. This blog post provides links to more information about affected washers and what you should do.

A Closer Look At Delta Dryden Bath Faucets
Delta's Dryden Collection is the focus of this new web page where you can find out what makes them unique and shop for them too.

Remodeling Tip #5 - Don't Make Decisions Harder Than They Have To Be
In the 5th installment of remodeling tips I look at the number of decisions that need to be made and how to avoid being overwhelmed by them.

New Web Pages and Articles
The Delta Dryden Faucet

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HomeStyleChoices.com

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