First of all – we strongly discourage any homeowner from attempting to do this themselves!
With all the health hazards involved, you may want to think of going for a more permanent solution when it comes to dealing with this issue in your home, especially if you have very curious children who love to run around and taste whatever they can get their hands on.
If you want to get rid of these health risks for good, the best way to do it is to remove all the existing paint in your home and use non-lead-based paint instead.
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Removing it is not as easy as removing ordinary stuff, as the dust generated from stripping the paint is the most dangerous. That is why the removal should be as less invasive as possible to avoid creating such dust, and that safety precautions are always in place.
Some safety measures needed before, during, and after starting this task include:
- Test the surface using only an EPA-approved kit, like those from 3M.
- Completely sealing off all openings and use polyethylene sheeting on doorways to minimize the spread of the dust
- Shutting down the HVAC system to prevent any dust from getting to other parts of your home
- Covering up the flooring with plastic
- Transferring all your belongings elsewhere or covering them up with sheets of plastic to avoid being contaminated by the dust
- Preventing everyone except contractors from entering the house while work is ongoing
- Making sure that anyone working on paint removal is completely covered up by wearing long sleeved shirts, long pants, goggles, gloves, and a half-face respirator mask with HEPA filter
- Washing or disposing clothes that were used during the removal separately
Safely removing this paint is done by pros using any of these methods:
- Wet scraping – water is sprayed over the area every now and then to prevent dust from forming while it is being scraped off by hand.
- Wet hand sanding – similar to paint removal by wet scraping but instead of a hand scraper, sandpaper or a vacuum that has a HEPA filter is used
- Dry power sanding – a sander with a dust shroud is attached to a HEPA vacuum and is used on the painted surface. However, there no need to spray water over the paint while it is being removed because the dust shroud will immediately collect all the dust produced when sanding
- Low temperature or steam heat – heat coming from a steam gun or infrared paint strippers is used to soften the paint for easy removal. While this method does not create dust, it does produce harmful fumes
- Chemical strippers – only the paint itself is affected by the chemical, which makes it a less invasive method. This is best suited for removing paint on surfaces of historical or heritage structures, as well as boats and ships
After getting the paint removed, its disposal is not as simple as sweeping the debris up with a broom and dustpan, then throwing it to the nearest garbage can. Collecting the debris is done using a HEPA filter vacuum and using damp sponges and mops to wipe up all the floors, ceilings, and walls to make sure all the dust generated is removed. The debris must also be discarded properly and to the proper facilities.
Another method is to completely replace all parts of your home that has lead paint. This may be ideal if it is only used on limited surfaces, such as doors, but you may as well get your entire home demolished if such paint is found all over your home.
When it comes to dealing with the possibility of lead-based paint, we should always err on the side of caution. Always prioritize safety over saving a few dollars by not confirming its presence.
Can you just paint over it?
With all the necessary measures needed when dealing with this issue, it is common for homeowners to find shortcuts or inexpensive means to solve the problem. For many, they think of just covering it up with a new layer of non-lead-based paint, believing that this new layer will keep the lead present in place. Not only is this easy but it is also cheaper than hiring pros to do the needed fixes.
While this method is doable, and even recommended in some cases, you also need to remember that this is a temporary solution and will depend on how long the upper coat will hold up over time.
Take note of the following if you are planning to cover up the lead-based paint with new coat:
- The paint with lead and the surface that will be painted on is still in good condition and has no signs of damage that can produce dangerous dust
- It is done only in locations where the painted surface will be left undisturbed or exposed to minimal traffic that will not subject it to wear and tear
- A special sealant known as an encapsulant must be used to prevent the lead ‘from chipping or creating dust. Note that encapsulants are different from other ‘options and come in three types: polyurethane polymers or epoxy, polymers, and cement-like encapsulants.
- Aside from encapsulation, you can also use an enclosure, such as a drywall or cladding, to cover up dangerous surfaces. But if you remove those enclosures, you will again expose the problem area. Yes, that means that you can in fact put drywall over lead paint, as a means of enclosure, but if the area gets affected during the installation, you will want to take precautions to stay safe.
Note that any surface with lead paint that frequently gets touched or walked on should never just have a new coat applied to it. Friction can cause the new coat and encapsulant to wear off over time, exposing the area. And you will have to go over the process once more.
This cycle will just repeat if you paint over a lead paint-covered surface that can easily succumb to wear and tear. That is why for such surfaces, safe removal methods done by pros should be done.
