Lead Rule for Window replacement. New RRP law.

The Lead Paint Renovation Law

On April 22, 2010, the new EPA  Lead; Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule went into effect. The rule applies to all persons who are paid to perform renovation, repair and painting projects where painted surfaces are disturbed in pre-1978 housing, child care facilities and schools where lead paint is present. The rule contains requirements to distribute an EPA informational brochure in advance of the work and to follow lead-safe work practices outlined in the training, including proper clean up and verification testing to determine compliance with the rule, as well as requirements for proper record keeping. The rule requires EPA certification for contracting firms and contractors performing the work. Window and door replacement is impacted by the rule.

The EPA’s ruling goes into effect April 22 and it requires that lead safe practices are used during any Renovation, Repair or painting project (RRP) done on homes built before 1978 where lead is present.   This ruling means big changes for contractors accross the country - including your favorite Universal Windows Direct window installers. 

The EPA’s ruling addresses certain types of renovation, repair and painting projects (including window installation) that disrupt lead based paint in homes and child occupied facilities.   The ruling promotes education homewoners on  the dangers of lead based paint. It  also requires that  contractors use lead safe work practices on job sites where lead paint is present.

In short, the  EPA’s ruling will affect your window install in 5 ways.

1. All companies must hold the Certified Firm designation by the EPA.
2. Every worker on the job site must hold the  Certified Renovator Certificate from the EPA, or have been trained as a non-certified worker by someone who does.
3. Every homowner must receive a copy of the “Renovate Right” brochure  prior to the window install beginning.  Homeowners must sign a receipt of the pamphlet, and in some cases may choose to “opt out” of the lead testing.
4. If the home is built pre-1978 it must be tested for the presence of lead paint.
5. If lead based paint is present, the window installers must follow lead safe practices and lead dust containment throughout the project.

So now the government wants to regulate Lead paint removal, huh? I guess there just isn't enough work for them in the Gulf with the oil leak and all...right. Effective April 22, 2010 (Earth Day ironically enough) the EPA put into place very strict procedures that all renovators, including window replacement companies, must follow or be subject of fines of EXACTLY $37,500 per day! Hmmm, wonder what the meaning behind that number is? Oh well, I digress. Seems that the EPA wants to make sure that Window Replacement companies are held responsible if they circulate lead paint dust or particles into the homeowner's environment without cleaning it up properly. On the surface, this sounds like a great idea because Lead Paint has long been linked to developmental issues with children under the age of 6 and birth defects in pregnant women. But upon further review they have created a 3-headed monster that they will not be able to control. First, they cannot inspect companies effectively to hold negligent installers' feet to the flames. Second, they open the doors for home improvement companies to make this another profit stream when they overcharge unsuspecting or uneducated consumers with good 'ol price gauging. Finally, there is no provision if YOU, the homeowner decides to do this on their own. That's right you can tear your own home apart to your little old heart's content and no problem with the government at all. You can unknowingly expose your children and pregnant wife to the very thing that the rule was intended and designed to eliminate, They at least tried to try Jack Kevorkian for helping people assist in suicide. Here they say "Go right ahead and kill yourself, we don't mind at all". The basic premise of the rule is simple and has 3 components:
1. Communicate to home owners what you are going to be doing and have them sign off on it.
2. Eliminate all dust and debris from leaving the work area by containing it and using safe practices while working in the area.
3. Clean up afterward in such a fashion that there no mess that could be left over for any of the occupants to have to deal with.

Most companies are charging beetween $50 & $125 per window installed or even a fixed percentage of the total of the sale of up to 10%-25%. The current Opt-Out is going away very soon and all window replacements will be subject to this type of red tape, regardless of size or region of the country unless your house is built AFTER 1978. You can check out all of the details at the EPA's websitehttp://www.epa.gov/lead/. So when you get the estimate from your local contractor and it is more than you thought it was going to be, remember that there is still even more  that you never asked to HAVE TO PAY, but the EPA thinks you should pay for the changes that they think should be made. Perhaps they have a solution for th Gulf Oil issue, too...

cost difference to install windows rather than hire a contractor

Assume you're upset with the way your old windows look and work, and you decide it's time to upgrade your home to some new vinyl replacement windows. You get a few contractors to come out and give you quotes. After they leave, you're shocked at the prices. Having to get financing to replace your windows just doesn't seem right. 


Let me explain why the vinyl windows can be so expensive. In most cases, you're paying the salary of the salesman who comes over to give you your "free" estimate. Then, you have to pay the salary of the installers that will be putting the windows in and finally you have to pay the owner of the company. Of course there's also the office staff that needs to get paid, as well as their rent, business expenses, office supplies, insurance, workers compensation, and advertising costs.  In some cases there is a broker who acts as a middleman, and he or she gets a cut too. No wonder you need financing! Now imagine if you already knew how to shop for windows, how to measure for new windows, how to remove the old windows, and how to install the new vinyl replacement windows. You've just eliminated everybody that was having to get paid! All of a sudden you can afford to replace your windows without financing them.

It's important to properly measure for your windows. If you order them too small, you're going to end up having to shim in order to get them to work. Even if you do get them to work, you're probably going to have problems. And if you order them too big, you're really in trouble. Chances are you will be ordering more windows. So, measuring is very important. Fortunately, it's also very simple. We are dealing with old double hung wood windows here, so if that doesn't apply to you, don't worry. Future articles will discuss other types of windows. In the case of the wood sash windows, you want to measure the width first, and height second. When you go shopping for windows, always give the dimensions as WIDTH X HEIGHT. To measure your width, you want to pull a tape measure from the top right corner to the top left corner. Put the tape measure in that 1 1/2" pocket where the window frame slides. Measure to the sixteenth of an inch. Do the same thing at about the midway point, right above where the window locks. Then, raise the bottom sash and take the same measurement at the bottom. If you can't raise the window for whatever reason, go outside and measure from there. You will have to remove the screen though.

The majority of the time all three of those measurements will be the same. If they're not the same, use the SMALLEST measurement. Now subtract 1/4" from that measurement. This is your width for the new window. The height is a bit tricky. If your window sill outside slopes downward for water drainage, you have to make sure that you measure from the HIGHEST Point of the sill. You want to measure from the top right corner to the bottom right corner. Put your tape at the top where the upper sash closes. If the bottom has a 5/8" high inside wood sill piece to prevent water from coming inside, you need to raise the bottom sash and run the tape past the 5/8" sill and down to the high point of the sloped sill. Do this in the middle and on the left. Once again, take the smallest measurement, but this time deduct 3/16". 


On the other end of the quality spectrum, you can buy an economical replacement window that will not have the tilt-in feature. The mechanism that holds the window open will consist of a block and tackle assembly made up of a spring and string. Another mechanism in lower quality windows is called a spiral tube balance. These lesser grade assemblies are notorious for failing after 5-10 years. The spacer material used on lower quality windows will be aluminum or something called swiggle seal. And many times the U-Value of these lower grade windows will be up around .50. The thing to remember is that a window that uses a super spacer more than likely isn’t going to use a block and tackle balance system. It would be like buying a new car with leather interior and no power window and door locks Follow those guidelines and you will have a good idea what quality you are buying. Once you make the decision and purchase your windows, it's time to get them home and take out your old windows. 


This is your height. If you order your windows using these dimensions, they'll fit perfect and leave just enough room to adjust if needed. The final step is to measure the depth of the pocket where both sashes slide. By depth, I mean from the point outside where the top sash rests against the outside wood stop to the point inside where the inside bottom sash rests against the inside stop. This measurement should be between 3 1/4"- 3 1/2". The reason you need to know this dimension is because not all replacement windows have a 3 1/4" depth frame. You want a replacement window that's going to fit right into the existing pocket of the wood frame. If you purchase a window with a 2 5/8" frame depth, you're going to have approximately 3/4" to fill. That means buying new wood stops for the inside of the house that are 3/4" wider than the existing stops. Get the 3 1/4" frames and save yourself a lot of extra work. Now, if you're on a really tight budget, the lower grade windows will be the 2 5/8" frame, and you will have to get the wider trim. But that's something you should weigh in your mind, whether the money saved on the lesser grade window is worth the extra expense and time of installing new stops around the inside of all your windows.

So, now you have the measurements and it's time to go shopping. What should you look for to know you're getting quality windows? A top quality double hung replacement window will have tilt-in sashes that allow you to clean the outside glass from inside the home. All double hung windows have a mechanism that keeps the window in the open position. The better windows use a state of the art mechanism known as a constant force balance coil. All replacement windows will have double glazing, meaning there will be two panes of glass in each sash separated by a 1/2"-5/8" spacer material around the edge of the unit. A quality window will use an intercept spacer or something called a super spacer. Find out the U-Value of the window. The lower the number, the better insulating properties. You want a window with a U-Value under .40. There is a special glass called LowE that will lower that U-Value number. In fact, most quality windows include LowE as standard. Those are the main things to ask about when window shopping.