In 1998 or so, I purchased my first "Baltimore Row Home". It was a real "beauty" that needed a full gut. It was a 15' wide, 60' long end of group, two story row home.
From what I understand, it may have been used as an abortion clinic at sometime way before I purchased it, and a few years before I purchased it, apparently some radical right wingers might have called it home, but I never met them either.
I proceeded to gut and renovate the home in what some might call a "come to jesus" project physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It took nine months, one magical human connection called "Charlie", and about a half dozen lightening strikes, but I made it.
After my final building inspection I applied for a Use and Occupancy permit. That was supposed to be the easy part.
Except, I was told there was an outstanding lead paint violation that I had not been made aware of at any point during the purchase, permitting or inspection process. This was before computers. That's the only guess I have for the experience...
A woman from Baltimore City Housing called and informed me of the violation. She indicated to remove the violation she needed to do a swipe test of the home. I told her she wouldn't need to do that because there wasn't even a single square inch of home that remained. She laughed and told me that didn't matter... (???)
We scheduled a time for her to do an inspection. She walked through my home. She pulled out small material swatches and wiped on molding and trim all over my home that was new, raw wood that had been stained and was very obviously not 1978 or prior. She bagged each up separate to be sent to a lab for testing.
I was scratching my head -- and then IT HAPPENED...
"Can you open that window?" she asked...
"You mean my new vinyl window that has new, unpainted wooden window boxes that are fully encased in aluminum?"
"Yes"
"I can, but why"
"Because I need to test the sill"
"The sill is brand new bent aluminum that has been on for two weeks at most"
"That's part of what we test", she said...
And you know what?
A week later, she called to tell me I failed my lead inspection because lead dust was found on the exterior of my home on a brand new second floor aluminum sill that was 40' at a minimum from any other properties.
From this experience, it was apparent that the air quality in Baltimore City was too toxic to pass a lead test on a horizontal exterior surface 40' from anything moving.
With that understanding I was distraught.
How on earth was I ever going to pass this inspection?
(never mind how I was going to protect myself from a city with airborne lead issues)
I asked her, "Well what am I supposed to do? I can't control Baltimore City air quality."
"The morning I am coming for retest, just open the same window and wipe down the sill. It'll test fine then", she said.
"Well, if we are just going to play that kind of game, can't you just issue a pass?"
"Unfortunately, no, I have to come out and do the test"
And that is how I became indoctrinated into the world of Baltimore City lead paint "issues".
