Lead-safe window replacement in Iowa

What the rules require

• Iowa's lead-safe renovation rules cover target housing, meaning housing built before 1978, plus pre-1978 child-occupied buildings such as daycares.
• In Iowa, a company that does renovation in that housing must be certified as a lead-safe renovator firm, and at least one certified lead-safe renovator must be assigned to each job. DIAL runs the program.
• The EPA says window replacement is always covered by the lead renovation rules, regardless of how many square feet of paint it disturbs.
• Contractors must notify the owner and occupants before they disturb paint in target housing, and Iowa law says people must receive the booklet Lead Poisoning: How to Protect Iowa Families before renovating more than one square foot of painted surfaces.

What lead-safe work looks like

The EPA's lead-safe approach comes down to containing the work area and keeping dust down, then cleaning up thoroughly. On a window job, ask the installer to walk you through:

• How the area inside and outside each window will be covered and closed off.
• How old sashes and trim come out without sanding or burning painted wood.
• How dust is collected and the area cleaned when each window is done, and how they check it.
• Where kids and pets should be during the work.

Where the older housing is

In the Census figures, the highest shares of pre-1980 homes are in central and older Des Moines ZIP codes such as 50311 (Drake and Sherman Hill), 50310 (Beaverdale), 50312 (Waterbury and Greenwood Park) and 50316 (the east side near Union Park), each above 80%. Every ZIP code.

Check the certification

You can check a renovator's certification number on the state's public search, linked from dial.iowa.gov.