DAYTON — Despite efforts by the State of Ohio and local leaders in recent years, lead paint is still a big issue in the Miami Valley.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 p.m., a recent study revealed that Dayton is among the worst cities in the nation for the risk of lead paint exposure.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Cause of death revealed for ‘Reservoir Dogs’ actor Michael Madsen
- 42-year-old man dead after shooting in Dayton
- Mary Lou Retton’s mug shot, bodycam footage released from her May arrest
Although the use of lead-based paint has been banned in the U.S. since 1978, many older homes in the region still pose a health risk.
David Roche, the owner of Buyer’s Inspection Service in Dayton, said that he finds the most lead paint in older houses.
“When I say older houses, they could even be houses that are coming into the 80s if someone had someone’s grandpa’s paint still around,” Roche said. “But we’re probably not going to always know that on the newer houses without doing testing, but all the older houses.”
Roche said that the biggest risk is not the paint itself, but rather when it chips or crumbles to dust, leading to exposure.
A recent study by Home-Gnome ranked the 500 biggest cities in the country on two major factors, lead exposure risk and lack of mitigation.
Dayton ranked 32nd, behind fellow Ohio cities Cleveland and Cincinnati.
Professional abatement and removal is the best option, but it can be very costly.
Roche said that carefully priming and painting over lead-based paint and removing high-flaky areas like doors and window sills is also a viable method.
“Most people, if they’re careful and they have the replacement windows, their doors are working properly, and the paint is in decent condition, it adheres,” Roche said. “One of the great things about lead paint is that it sticks to what it was put onto. So if it’s not loose, it’s not a problem.”
Roche says the most important thing is identifying the paint that is there with help from an expert.
Then he recommends going with a licensed painting professional if you plan on covering it up and removing chips and flakes.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
