The rules a wood floor is actually held to
The EPA lead rule decides how a floor sander is allowed to run in an older house
If your home was built before 1978 and someone is paid to sand your floors, federal law is already involved. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E) covers any paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing, and it specifically restricts high speed sanding machines. In Philadelphia this is not an edge case: 82.8 percent of the city's housing stock was built before 1978, and in 45 of the city's 132 residential neighborhoods the figure is above 90 percent.
- Governing rule
- 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E (Renovation, Repair and Painting)
- Applies to
- Paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in housing built before 1978, and in pre-1978 child occupied facilities
- Who must be certified
- The firm, and each job must be directed by a certified renovator
- The sanding restriction
- 40 CFR 745.85(a)(3)
- Small job exemption
- 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room, interior. A floor is never this small.
- Philadelphia housing built before 1978
- 82.8% (ACS 2023 5-Year, aggregated across 132 neighborhoods)
- Service area housing built before 1978
- 60.5% of 3,899,409 units (ACS 2023 5-Year)
What the rule actually says about sanding machines
Machine sanding of painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing is prohibited unless the machine has containment and a HEPA vacuum attachment collecting dust where it is generated.
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Does refinishing a clear-coated floor count?
It depends on whether the work disturbs a painted surface, and floor work usually does, because the edger reaches the baseboard and shoe molding.
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The exemption stops at 6 square feet of painted surface per room for interior work, and it does not apply at all if a restricted practice is used.
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Containment, no open flame, heat guns under 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a documented cleaning verification before the warning signs come down.
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EPA publishes a public search of certified firms, and a firm certification is separate from any state registration.
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Questions about The Federal Lead Rule and Your Floor Sander
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Sources and references
- 40 CFR 745.85 - Work practice standards. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/745.85
- 40 CFR 745.83 - Definitions. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/745.83
- EPA - Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program. https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2023 5-Year, table B25034. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/
Related work
Send a photo and we will tell you what you are looking at
The Federal Lead Rule and Your Floor Sander (EPA RRP) starts with someone reading the house. We quote every job ourselves, with no salesperson in between, and a photo of the floor gets you a straight answer faster than a form does.
