Lead Glaze On Flooring Tiles
Variations of lead glaze date back to the Romans who crafted different glazes with raw materials like lead, tin or copper, to be utilized as a coating for overall strength, aesthetic appeal, and water-resistance. For example – flooring tiles made with materials such as ceramic or terra cotta (clay) are not originally water-resistant and can be damaged quite easily, making lead glaze the perfect finish.
Lead glaze maintained it’s popularity as there was no other, or very few, known finishings with similar properties. Still to this day you can find high levels of lead in glazes on a large variety of newly-made products from many foreign countries. Sparking the interest in ‘lead-free’ and ‘lead-safe’ labels on imported products such as flooring tiles, tableware and home décor. Lead-free means exactly that, there is zero lead content. Lead-safe on the other hand means the product does contain some lead but still passed government standards. These labels are generally only placed on products that come from large manufacturers over the last 30 years. Items that are from smaller businesses, antiques, or are hand-made, likely do not have these labels and should be tested for your own safety.
Lead 101
Lead is a toxic substance that is present everywhere in our environment in very small amounts. We are all exposed to some level of lead with our daily actions – inhaling dust, drinking water or eating food. The problems begin when we are exposed to large amounts of lead, which can turn into lead poisoning before we realize what is happening. Lead poisoning can seriously damage the brain and nervous system, as well as other vital organs such as the kidneys and lungs. This could lead to learning disabilities, behavioural problems, reproductive complications, or a host of other issues. Recognizing the presence of lead around you, your home, and your environment, could potentially save your life or the lives of those around you.
What you should do..
If you are concerned about the lead content of any structural feature in your home, from paint to flooring tiles, your best bet is to contact the highly trained professionals at Stutters Restorations and let us perform testing. If the products we test prove to have high levels of lead, we will create a remediation plan of action and explain every step that we will take to ensure you are living in a safe environment.
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