Canada's $44 billion renovation industry has been the fastest growing part of the housing sector for the last 10 years, but it is risking the health of those living in the houses under construction -- particularly children -- says a report by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA).

Renovation activities including energy retrofits, if not done carefully, can greatly increase indoor contaminant exposures, says the report. Renovations may disturb toxic contaminants such as lead, asbestos or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that are legacies of past product uses and practices. Air sealing or tightening a building can reduce the frequency of air exchange and potentially lead to higher radon levels in indoor air, as well as moisture and mould problems.

While the dangers of contaminants such as lead paint have been known for some time, Canada is lagging behind the U.S. and other countries in educating homeowners, energy auditors and renovation contractors about safe renovation procedures, says the report.

Lead was used in interior paint until 1977 and in outdoor paint until 1992. Lead paint in older homes doesnít pose a major threat if undisturbed, says CELA, but replacing old windows or drilling holes in walls to add insulation could contaminate the house with lead dust. Children with lead exposure may suffer neurological and behavioural changes, says CELA, and long-term effects may include slow development, learning disabilities, hearing loss and reduced height.

Potential exposure to lead from paint is not covered in the federal governmentís training of energy auditors. In a CELA survey of Canadian auditors, only 7.1 per cent said they test or screen homes for lead content. In the U.S., contractors are required to be certified in lead remediation training if they are working on homes built before 1978, schools or child-care facilities.

"Solid evidence confirms that, compared with adults, children are at greater risk from exposure to environmental contaminants, particularly those that occur indoors where children spend most of their time," says the report. "The developing fetus is especially vulnerable, highlighting the need to limit maternal exposure to contaminants."

The report says that "particulate matter in indoor air and contaminants in house dust are priority concerns. There is a lack of both awareness and policy guidance to address these and other key issues, most notably the still very current problem of lead in old paint."

A Scotiabank report says the home renovation industry has been growing at an annual rate of almost eight per cent for the last decade, compared to just three per cent growth for new housing and four per cent growth for resale home transactions.

"Homeowners typically undertake their largest renovation expenditures in the first three years following a resale home purchase," says Scotiabankís report. "With home sales having peaked in 2007, the largest share of these "new buyer" renovations should be winding down. At the same time, outlays in recent years have been considerably higher than would be expected simply given overall sales."

Other factors contributing to the boom include low interest rates and several government incentive programs to encourage energy efficient renovations.

The federal government estimates that its retrofit programs have resulted in almost one million homes being audited for energy efficiency, and 400,000 have been upgraded to improve efficiency.

CELA says it strongly encourages retrofits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and home energy costs, but urge government co-operation to ensure such work is done without damaging the vulnerable health of children. Many of the government incentive programs are now winding down, but CELA is calling on government agencies and utilities to make sure that any future programs make indoor environmental health ìan integral part of the program objectives and deliverables.

There should be mandatory requirements established for the training, certification and conduct of lead paint remediation activity, with these requirements applicable to all renovation activities, including but not limited to energy efficiency retrofits, CELA says.

The federal governmentís NRCan training model for energy auditors should include a module specifically addressing the danger of indoor pollutants to children, and another module that covers prevention and control options for paint, PCBs in old caulking, radon and volatile organic compounds in new building materials, states another recommendation.

For mould remediation, CELA is calling on Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. to expand its Indoor Air Quality training program to provide certification for contractors so homeowners "have a more reliable means of evaluating the credentials of those offering indoor air quality or mould remediation services."

CELA would also like to see retailers make radon testing kits more widely available and use educational materials from Health Canada to promote them in stores.

"There is very little awareness in Canada of these issues," says CELA researcher Kathleen Cooper. "We need measures in place to ensure that renovations and retrofits are done in a way that minimizes potential health problems. Implementing our recommendations would help ensure that retrofits also create indoor environmental health benefits."

In the meantime, if you are a homeowner about to embark on the renovation of an older home, don't disturb old insulation or paint before you know what it is. If in doubt, shop around to find a contractor that you believe has the necessary credentials to carry out a safe and healthy renovation.

Published: March 15, 2011

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Jim Adair is editor of REM: Canada's Real Estate Magazine, a business publication for real estate agents and brokers. He has been writing about Canadian real estate, home building and renovation issues for more than 30 years. You can contact Jim at .