ASTM E1796-03

This standard primarily addresses encapsulant products for residential and child-care facilities. It may also be appropriate for some commercial buildings.

Encapsulation provides a means of protecting occupants from exposure to lead in paint in buildings that are likely to remain standing for a long period of time. This nondestructive abatement strategy is useful in situations in which the primary structure needs to remain intact for either historical or economic reasons. Encapsulation offers an abatement strategy that may be more cost effective than abatement by removal of the paint.

There are many environmental and use conditions that affect leaded paint liquid coating encapsulation products, and different types of liquid coating encapsulation products have been developed specifically to meet the requirements of the various conditions. Product types include reinforced and non-reinforced liquid coatings, as well as products for interior or exterior use. These products may be applied over many different surfaces coated with one or more layers of leaded paint and possibly other coatings. Encapsulation products in service are subjected to many kinds of wear. Various colors and finishes are also available. This guide is intended to assist the purchaser in determining which product is most appropriate for the specific conditions under which the product will be used.

As described in this guide, an encapsulation product must be compatible with the surface to which it is applied. An encapsulation product must bond to the surface coating, and not cause the subsurface layers to separate or adversely deteriorate.

1.1 This guide is intended to provide building users such as private building owners, contractors, architects, homeowners, and regulatory authorities with assistance in selecting an appropriate liquid coating encapsulation product for architectural residence and child-care facility use situations for abating leaded paint. This guide also provides information that can be used to assist in the following: (1) determining whether a painted surface is suitable for encapsulation, (2) applying a liquid coating encapsulation product, (3) evaluating installed liquid coating encapsulation products, and (4) maintaining the encapsulated surface.

1.2 This guide applies to any liquid-applied product that relies primarily on adhesion for attachment to the surface and is designed to reduce human exposure to lead in paint.

1.3 This guide is not intended for use as a training manual. The information contained herein is not all-inclusive and does not provide comprehensive instructions for the selection, application, or maintenance of specific liquid coating encapsulation products. This guide is intended to supplement information supplied by encapsulation product manufacturers and safety requirements established by law. The user of this guide shall refer to the encapsulation product manufacturer's instructions for encapsulation product application and maintenance.

1.4 This guide does not cover minimum material performance requirements for liquid coating encapsulation products. Performance specifications for non-reinforced liquid coating encapsulation products are provided in Specification E 1795. Performance specifications for reinforced liquid coating encapsulation products are provided in Specification E 1797.

1.5 Encapsulation products for use on industrial steel structures are not covered in this guide. Industrial steel structures include, but are not limited to, bridges, water towers, and tanks.

1.6 Limited documentation is available on evaluating the field performance of liquid coating encapsulation products. A conservative approach to assessing the selection and use of liquid coating encapsulation products is thus adopted in this guide. As appropriate, the guidance provided within will be revised as additional knowledge regarding how these products perform over time is gained.

1.7 The user of this guide should follow all regulations promulgated by authorities having jurisdiction regarding the use of encapsulation products.

1.8 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.