The Gaines family was in hot water with the EPA not that long ago over several safety violations spotted on Fixer Upper, and true to the characters they put forth on the show, Chip and Joanna owned up to it. The couple paid a hefty fine for their lead paint violations, donated a large sum of money to a lead-paint abatement program, and even vowed to make a video instructing on the proper way to remove lead paint from a home. A month later Chip Gaines is on Instagram promoting that video, which is featured on their website:
The tease for the video Chip Gaines posted to Instagram comes at about the midway point, and may just be the most exciting part of this five-and-a-half-minute video. Granted, Fixer Upper and other home improvement shows are typically laid back affairs as far as television is concerned, but at least there's music and some fun to be had along the way. Sadly, that's not the case in this instance, as the music and fun are replaced with talk of government regulations and hard facts on how to keep others safe from potential lead paint contamination.
What's most noticeable about the full video is the demeanor of Chip Gaines, which is a far cry from the jovial guy he was on Fixer Upper. Gaines isn't cracking jokes in this video, as he walks through the process of identifying and removing lead paint in an incredibly deadpan manner. Of course, that may be intentional as the last thing Chip would want to do is make this video seem tongue-in-cheek and anger the EPA enough that it starts poring over more episodes of Fixer Upper in search of safety violations.
Keep in mind this video was not required by the EPA, but proposed by Magnolia Waco Properties LLC as a way of making amends for their safety violations. The video and the Gaines' willingness to fund a program dedicated to removing lead paint from places children stay may have played a factor in the EPA's $40,000 fine, which is substantially lower than the maximum fine of $556,000. While the video might not be the most entertaining thing for a Fixer Upper fan to watch, it's certainly saved the Gaines family quite a hit to their bank account!
The Gaines family are taking a break from television at the moment, and celebrating the recent birth of their new baby boy. The birth may stall the couple's big television return people some have speculated is happening, although the couple has been cryptic about their plans post-Fixer Upper. For more information on shows that are coming to television in the near future, head on over to our summer premiere guide.
