Project Overview & Homeowner Objectives in Kittanning, Ford City & Worthington

Across Kittanning, Ford City, Applewold, and Worthington, PA, over 75% of the residential housing stock—from grand turn-of-the-century homes along North McKean Street to historic company residences in Ford City—was built prior to the 1978 federal ban on lead-based residential paint. When a young family purchased a 1912 two-story home in Kittanning, a pre-purchase inspection identified deteriorating, alligatoring lead-based paint on the double-hung wood window tracks, interior stair balusters, and the front porch ceiling and columns. They needed a certified contractor to safely renovate the home before moving in with their two toddlers.

Property Profile & Pre-Renovation Challenges

When uncertified contractors or DIYers dry-sand, heat-gun, or smash out pre-1978 plaster, trim, and windows, they release invisible, toxic lead dust that settles into HVAC ductwork, subfloor cracks, and window sills—posing severe neurological risks to children and exposing landlords to up to $40,000+ per day in federal EPA fines.

Scope of Work & Turnkey Single-Team Execution

• Pre-renovation EPA ”Renovate Right” documentation, lead testing, and full EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm containment.
• Removal of high-friction lead-painted wood window sashes and installation of new Low-E vinyl windows with full exterior aluminum coil encapsulation.
• Wet-method stabilization and ASTM E1795 elastomeric lead encapsulation of historic interior staircase millwork and front porch columns.
• In-house HVAC duct sealing and HEPA air scrubbing, plus electrical and plumbing fixture updates inside contained zones.

Federal 40 CFR Part 745 Containment & High-Friction Window Replacement

Isolating the Work Zone & Sealing HVAC Registers

Before touching a single tool, our certified Lead-Safe Renovator sealed all HVAC supply and return registers with heavy-duty adhesive film so zero dust could enter the home’s air ducts. We constructed floor-to-ceiling 6-mil polyethylene zip-walls with tacky walk-off mats at the entry doors, laid dual layers of impermeable floor protection taped 6 feet beyond all work surfaces (and 20 feet outdoors around the front porch), and placed the work rooms under negative air pressure using commercial HEPA 99.97% air scrubbers.

Eliminating Window Friction Dust & Wrapping Exterior Wood

Every time an old pre-1978 wood window is raised or lowered, the friction between the sash and jamb grinds lead paint into fine airborne dust. Using wet-misting techniques, we carefully removed all 14 original window sashes and parting beads without shattering glass or splintering wood, sealed the debris immediately inside 6-mil goose-necked disposal bags, installed energy-efficient ProVia replacement windows, and wrapped the exterior wood jambs and sills in custom-bent PVC-coated aluminum coil stock sealed with OSI QUAD Max so the old exterior paint is permanently encapsulated from Western PA freeze-thaw peeling.

Elastomeric Encapsulation & Three-Stage HEPA Clearance Verification

Preserving Historic Millwork Safely

On the historic interior staircase and front porch columns—where the family wanted to preserve the original architectural profiles—we used Festool HEPA vacuum-shrouded scrapers and wet-chemical stabilizers, then applied two heavy coats of Fiberlock LBC (Lead Barrier Compound), an ASTM E1795 certified elastomeric encapsulant that forms a tough, flexible, impact-resistant barrier over legacy paint. Following our three-stage HEPA vacuum, wet-detergent wash, and final HEPA vacuum protocol, the project passed strict post-renovation cleaning verification—giving the family a safe, healthy home.

Dependable Home Solutions | PO Box 23, Worthington, PA 16262 | (724) 243-2553 | https://www.dependablehomesolutions.net | PA HIC #PA212478 | EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm | Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM