Chip and Joanna Gaines' Lead Paint Scandal, Explained

The couple came under fire for mishandling lead paint on screen, but they did some extensive work to correct their error.

By Michael Hein

Chip and Joanna Gaines run a home improvement empire these days, so it's easy to forget the 2017 scandal that almost took them off the map. The couple were depicted mishandling old lead paint on their HGTV show Fixer Upper, without the correct safety considerations. The issue drew the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but the Gaines found a unique way to use their platform to set things straight.

The Gaines specialize in updating and renovating older homes through their company Magnolia Waco Properties, LLC, and that often includes homes built before lead paint was banned. The EPA prescribes some very specific safety rules for houses that may have lead paint, but on Fixer Upper Season 5, the Gaines family did not follow them. Because their platform is so huge, this was a real concern for regulators, who feared that people might mimic what they saw on screen. For that reason, Joanna and Chip Gaines did not just settle the matter privately – they demonstrated exactly where they went wrong and what they should have done instead on screen.

The original Fixer Upper may be over, but the Gaines are more popular than ever, with their own cable network, spinoff shows and product lines. Here's a look back at the lead paint scandal that they settled using their own star power.

Potential Hazards

Since the Gaines often work on older homes, they often come into contact with lead paint. Homes built before 1978 were often treated with paint containing lead – an easily manufactured metal that is toxic to humans at a certain dose. Lead accumulates in bones and soft tissues, eventually wreaking havoc on the nervous system after enough exposure. The general consensus among doctors today is that it is relatively harmless in old dry paint on the walls, but when contractors like the Gaines start scraping, sanding and demolishing it away, it can become airborne and affect all those in the area for weeks to come.

Legal Requirements

Lead paint removal at building
(Photo:

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- Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Once the EPA recognized how dangerous lead could be, they implemented legal restrictions on the metal. They also put laws in place surrounding old construction materials known to contain the neurotoxin, including the "Renovation, Remodeling and Paining Rule." It requires contractors to follow a specific set of "lead safe work practices" to reduce or eliminate exposure to lead — a rule which the Gaines were recorded disobeying on reality TV.

Violations

According to a settlement report on the EPA's website, the Gaines' Magnolia Homes company was spotted violating the RRP Rules in their work on no less than 33 homes. In addition, the agency was concerned by the massive influence the Gaines have on do-it-yourself homeowners around the country.

"The activities of Magnolia and similar renovation firms came to EPA's attention from their depiction on popular television shows," read the report. "Magnolia's renovations were depicted on the HGTV series "Fixer Upper" and regularly viewed by well over 3 million households."

EPA Intervention

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(Photo: Instagram @joannagaines)

After noting the apparent violations, the EPA reportedly contacted the Gaines directly. The EPA launched what it described as an "inquiry," giving the Gaines credit for their quick and positive reaction.

Magnolia's Response

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(Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

According to the EPA, Magnolia Homes "took immediate steps to ensure compliance with the RRP Rule, including to obtain RRP certification and training for the firm and its staff and to ensure active compliance across all ongoing renovation projects."

After working with the agency, the Gaines' company handed over all the information it had about renovation activities, and proposed "to undertake innovative projects to reduce the prevalence of childhood lead-poisoning in its community and to increase awareness of lead-based paint safety issues associated with renovations in older homes."

In addition, the company paid a civil penalty for the past violations.

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Public Safety Video

It was apparently the Gaines' own idea to make a video clarifying and demonstrating the proper method for lead safe working conditions. The video was published on their Magnolia Homes website, along with small snippets on social media to draw fans in. Since any house painted before 1978 could contain lead, the issue is a serious danger to many Americans across the country.

In the full safety video, Chip Gaines took an uncharacteristically cautious approach to home renovation, advising homeowners to hire an expert rather than trying to deal with the perils of lead paint themselves.

"Listen, let me give you some advice. If you're ever considering renovating a pre-1978 home, hire someone to do it for you, because federal rules require them to be certified and trained to do it safely, to make sure the renovation activates don't spread lead dust," he warned.

Ongoing Work

The Gaines continued to address this issue at every opportunity, often addressing it on social media and in their TV work. Many commenters praise them for correcting themselves and using their platform to promote safe practices.

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