Lead Paint Removal and Abatement in Georgetown

Inside, we work from a list of surfaces. We name the rooms, trim and other parts the test flagged, and what stays as it is. Protecting the finishes next to them, getting in and out of the work area and putting things back afterward each get their own line.

Outside, the big question is often how much of the old woodwork to keep. Before we price a full repaint, we separate sound wood you want saved from pieces that need repair or replacing. Our plan covers the lead work itself, debris, protecting the surrounding area and the final check the job needs. A painter’s prep work doesn’t cover the lead side just because it’s the same porch.

A window quote can mean very different things depending on whether it includes the frame, sill and casing around it. We look at the whole area, especially where old trim will stay next to a new window.

If your Georgetown house has woodwork worth keeping, settle the proportions and look you want before anything is ordered. We put the test results and the repair notes on one list of parts. If a piece stays, we set out what repairs and paint follow the lead work. If it changes, the new material and any preservation review are separate decisions, made well before installation day.

Sealing or covering lead paint can let the old surface stay, as long as the treatment is chosen for that surface and how it gets used. Encapsulation is a coating made for the job; enclosure is a hard, lasting cover. Both leave the lead paint underneath where it is.

We explain what checks and upkeep a treatment needs later and how to get at the surface if you must. Keep the record of where it went, so nobody opens a sealed wall by accident years from now. On a historic feature people can see, the look of an enclosure matters too. We weigh it against stripping or replacing, comparing the work and how much original material stays.

Before any treatment, decide what you need to know. An inspection tells you where the lead paint is. A risk assessment tells you whether it is a hazard and how to manage it. Removal is a separate job from either report.

If carpentry or a repaint is planned, send us exactly what will change, along with any earlier test results, past repairs you know of and the areas the work will disturb. We lay out who does the testing, what Texas certification it takes in covered housing and what the written report includes. You should be able to plan the job straight from the report.

Georgetown’s historic design guidance gives real weight to keeping original woodwork. So the first call is whether to keep the feature, repair part of it or replace it. The answer decides how much detail we need before our lead price can be set beside a plain painting or carpentry estimate.

This depends on your house and the change you want. An older Georgetown house is not always under the same designation or review as the one next door. Check your address with city preservation staff before changing the outside. Lead testing and treatment are a separate matter from that review.

We start with a list of parts and the result you want. On a porch, that might be posts that stay, railings to repair and trim to replace. On a window, it is which frame and surrounding details you want to keep. That tells us far more than “make the outside look new.”

Historic wood needs care and finishes that suit it, and those goals shape the plan, but general upkeep advice is not a way to remove lead. We work out with whoever does the repairs how the treatment fits the wood you keep. We note any change to the plan before work starts, including who supplies a replacement piece and who paints it.

Before changing outside windows, doors or other visible features on a designated property, ask city preservation staff what review your address and change need. Bring photos and a short description of the result you want. That gets a clearer answer than asking whether every old house needs the same permit.

Pass along what the city says, so our treatment and repair plans match it. If the look or materials are undecided, we quote replacement with that in mind. Keeping a piece also means dealing with any confirmed lead paint on it. If a choice or a review is still open, we leave room in the schedule instead of ordering materials on a guess. Inside lead work and outside preservation questions can be separate parts of the same job.

A job meant to get rid of lead hazards for good may be abatement under Texas rules. If you are remodeling or repainting and the paint just gets disturbed, it can fall under EPA’s RRP program. The two need different certifications, so we name the role we will perform and the certification it needs. They also end with different checks: a clearance test after abatement, RRP cleaning verification after renovation.

Next comes what finished looks like. We spell out whether we leave treated wood ready for your painter or include the final paint. If parts come out, we settle whether they get replaced and by whom. The plan covers belongings, the way in and out, and the use of nearby rooms too. Putting it in writing keeps two trades from each thinking the other one has it covered.

Last come the records. We go over which checks and records your job gets, and federally assisted housing can need more. Covered Texas abatement also needs notice to the state before work starts, so we build that into the schedule. Keep the test report, the treatment records and notes on any paint left in place together for whoever owns or works on the house next, especially near an enclosure or a preserved feature.