Charlesinrichmond t1_iuftnk1 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 12:14 AM

Reply to comment by Fit-Order-9468 in Rising mortgage rates will exacerbate the housing situation in RVA by BumbleBeeVomit

lead is just not a big deal. Asbestos isn't either in most situations, and is easy to remediate.

Your take on old houses is totally wrong, speaking professionally as someone who has built and rebuilt plenty of houses. It really depends on the house.

Plumbing and electrical are much bigger deals btw. With plumbing usually the biggest pain.

Fit-Order-9468 t1_iufzog2 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:01 AM

Lead as a concern is less about cost and more about giving your kids brain damage. For example, lead that has chipped and fallen into the nearby soil. Related infrastructure is also a problem as it’s not always accessible to the resident.

Perhaps. I’ve also worked on houses but I’m sure less than you have. I’m also aware my condo building has cracks in the brickwork and foundation that are impossible to fix. It also gets tiresome having to pay 5-10k a year to maintain the 100 year old building in general.

Charlesinrichmond t1_iuie5fx wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:49 PM

it's just not an issue if you don't let your kids eat the house. I was raised in a lead paint house. As, I expect your were. As is my daughter and most of the kids here. You can google incidence of lead paint poisoning, but it's basically all in the projects you'll find.

Given I've been building and remodeling houses, primarily old houses, for 20 years now, yeah, I'm sure you have worked on them less than I have.

There are no cracks that are impossible to fix btw. It may be that you guys don't want to pay to fix them, which is another thing. Condos are famously cheap and pass the buck on repairs, it's the incentive structure

Fit-Order-9468 t1_iuijmrb wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:25 PM

>it's just not an issue if you don't let your kids eat the house. I was raised in a lead paint house.

Unfortunately it isn't this simple. Unless your only concern is with acute exposure, breathing in dust or other particulates can cause long-term damage during childhood, say, lower IQ, impulsivity and other mental health related issues. Google the lead-crime hypothesis for a broader view of chronic lead exposure. Luckily things aren't nearly as bad now as then, but, children are getting lead exposure from somewhere.

Kids often dig in the dirt and get filth on their hands, which then can end up in their mouths, which is another avenue for lead exposure. Digging in the yard is a normal part of childhood and soil contamination, say paint shedding into the yard over time, is not at all unusual in older homes.

>Given I've been building and remodeling houses, primarily old houses, for 20 years now, yeah, I'm sure you have worked on them less than I have.

I was reflecting on this, and I can see why what you're saying would make a lot of sense from a contractor's perspective. You're likely to deal with known lead issues, with owners (presumably of single-family houses) who are willing and able and aware to address maintenance issues, you are focused on the houses themselves directly and you aren't there for DIY home renovations.

Not everyone lives in a single family home where they're in full control of maintenance, not everyone has access to high quality contractors like yourself, not everyone is as knowledgeable or careful as you or your parents.

>There are no cracks that are impossible to fix btw. It may be that you guys don't want to pay to fix them, which is another thing. Condos are famously cheap and pass the buck on repairs, it's the incentive structure

For sure, although I'm not sure you can lift a multifamily unit for major foundation repairs. The issue here is primarily cost over time. Typically newer homes don't need foundation repairs.

Otherwise I agree. The incentives are pretty fucked for condos. People really, really hate tall buildings which understandably leads to bad policy.

Charlesinrichmond t1_iuillxl wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:38 PM

it really is this simple. We have data. Data trumps anxieties.

No one is saying lead is good to eat. But your fears of consumption are almost entirely irrational. I had regular blood lead checks done on my daughter still, with no issues. Unsurprisingly.

I've worked on plenty of non single family homes. Lead is very easy to deal with. It requires dealing, yes, but it's really not a big deal. A few thousand dollars in equipment. It can be done perfectly safely DIY also. Or unsafely of course. But it's really like crossing the street - you can get killed, but it's easy to cross the street safely. Doesn't mean everyone does of course.

You can lift a multi. But you wouldn't. You'd prop it up and fix the issue. no need to lift. Lifting is a pain even for single family houses. Very few old buildings have foundation issues, they are much more common in the newer places for various reasons.

Fit-Order-9468 t1_iuim48b wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:42 PM

>it really is this simple. We have data. Data trumps anxieties.

This isn't my understanding, but, I hope you're right. Seems like lead as an issue has been taken more seriously over the 10 15 years so its getting a lot better anyway.

For the rest, sure. I'm skeptical things are as cheap and easy as you're implying, but, perhaps I'm wrong.