Remodeling your old home? Houses built before 1978 generally contain lead-based paint, which may require removal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that if you disturb more than 6 square feet of interior surface or 20 square feet of exterior surface, you must be certified in Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP Rule). Although the RRP Rule does not apply to homeowners renovating, repairing, or painting their own homes, do-it-yourself projects can easily create dangerous lead dust. If you want to do it yourself, be prepared for a tedious, dirty and potentially dangerous job. For the best way to start, look for small areas such as window sills and trim, doors, door frames and woodwork. The two main words to remember when removing lead paint are: preparation and clean-up.
If you are going to disturb lead-based paint follow these practices:
- Children and pregnant women must not do any lead paint removal work, and they should stay out of the work area until clean-up is complete. If you’re not sure you can clean up every day, arrangements for temporary living quarters should be made.
- Work in one room at a time, and seal off the work area from the rest of the house, including any heating or ventilation ducts, using heavy plastic sheets (6-mil thickness).
How to remove lead paint:
There are two methods used by most non-professionals to remove lead paint: wet sanding and scraping. Both are simple, but tedious.
To use the sanding method, first mist the area with a spray bottle containing water, then hand sand with sandpaper or a special sanding sponge made for this task. An electric sander may be used if it is equipped with a HEPA filtered vacuum attachment. To scrape, mist a small work area and scrape it with a sharp edge scraper. Wire brushes may also be used for this technique. Aids for this work are non-flammable solvents, liquid paint removers and abrasive compounds. Before purchasing these, however, read the labels for appropriate use and follow directions carefully.
Preparations for how to remove lead paint :
Preparations for paint removal are extensive. First remove everything possible from the area, especially anything material such as drapes, rugs, carpet and furniture. Cover the floor and anything left in the room with six mil plastic sheets duct-taped to the baseboard or wall. Cover yourself from head to toe with disposable garments. Think contaminated hospital room here. Be sure to use safety glasses and a NIOSH approved respirator. Discard all work clothes daily. Keep non-workers out of the area, especially children, pregnant women and all animals. You can’t overdo the preparations. Remember, you will be dealing with dust and paint particles containing a toxic substance.
Cleaning up after removing lead paint:
Perfect clean-up is imperative. Otherwise, remaining dust and paint particles can make your home more dangerous than ever. Clean while you are working by wiping each area you have scraped or sanded with a wet cloth. Rinse the cloth often in a bucket of clean water. Vacuum the areas frequently with a HEPA equipped vacuum cleaner designed to filter the dust. Catch any paint particles in a disposable can or bucket. Do a thorough wipe-down and vacuum at the end of each workday. Filter all contaminated wastewater through a cloth before dumping. Dispose of all outer, exposed work garments, cloths, mop heads and dusting rags daily in a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag. Shower thoroughly.
Final clean-up:
Follow the daily clean up guide, then pull up all plastic coverings and remove duct-tape. Enclose tightly in a heavy-duty plastic bag. Re-vacuum the whole work area using the special HEPA vacuum. All equipment used should either be trashed or thoroughly washed. Using new cloths, mop heads, sponges, etc.; wet mop and wash every surface with a good household cleaner. Re-vacuum and re-wipe. It is impossible to overdo the final cleaning.
As you can see, removing lead-based paint yourself is quite an involved procedure. It may be a project you want to avoid. In reality, the best and safest way to rid a house of lead paint is to hire professionals to do it for you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit the New York State Department of Health Website
Other useful resources for Homeowners or Contractors
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Webpage
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovate Right Pamphlet
New York State Department of Labor
Call your local health department for additional information or for help.