Home Lead Testing In Bellevue

In general, Bellevue has substantially newer housing stock than Seattle.  This makes lead based paint less likely than it’s western neighbor.  However, the majority of homes built prior to 1978 contain lead.  Below is a screen shot of homes colored coded by date.  Darker colors represent a higher percentage of homes built prior to 1950.  This is not entirely helpful, as it leaves out homes built between 1950 and 1977, which still have a high likelihood of lead based paint.

Below is a lead exposure risk map provided by the Washington State Dept of Health.  

Direct access to the map can be found here. An important caveat from the agency: “This measure models potential lead exposure based on the age of housing. The age of a building by itself does not reflect the actual exposure to lead. Some older homes have had lead paint removed through a process called remediation.  Additionally, the age of housing is an individual-level risk factor. This measure represents the whole census tract, which is not the actual risk for a specific house or community within the tract. 

Not all houses within a census tract were built at the same time, so not all homes within a census tract actually have the same risk. To find the risk for their home, people should consider checking its specific age and lead status. Conditions can vary widely. For a map of lead exposure risk in WA state incorporating both housing and poverty factors, you can visit the Lead Exposure Risk Index on our Information by Location tool.” 

Below is a zoomed out view, providing a better picture of the relative risk and age of homes in the surrounding areas. As noted earlier, many homes in Bellevue built prior to 1978 have undergone sufficient remodeling to greatly reduce or eliminate lead based paint exposure risks.  As always, it’s best to consult with a certified lead risk assessor.

VOC testing in Bellevue

VOC (volatile organic compounds) tend to have an inverse relationship to the lead levels.  Newer homes are lead free, however, they are built much tighter, which increases the accumulation of indoor pollution.  A home built in the 1950’s naturally leaks a substantial amount of air each hour.  This can be measured with a blower door test or simply observed through high heating/cooling bills.  While unhelpful for utility bills, this natural ventilation dilutes the levels of indoor pollutants before they can reach problematic levels.  This is a common tension between building codes focused on increasing energy efficiency and those targeting indoor air quality.  In most cases, energy efficiency wins the battle.

As observed in the map below, Bellevue has slightly lower rates of NOx Diesel emissions than Seattle.  However, rates are much higher than adjacent cities to the east.  This is likely due to the proximity of major freeways and industrial regions.  Note – this map is for information purposes only.  VOC testing for residential homes is primarily focused on indoor sources of pollutants, i.e cleaning chemicals, air fresheners, etc.  Outdoor sources of pollution are generally far less of a factor in indoor environments.