What Home Owners Need to Know About...
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Removing Lead-Based Paint
The following information is provided by
The State of New York Department of Health
Note: Federal regulations require using EPA-certified contractors to perform most lead abatement work ordered by government agencies. Clear the lead paint abatement method with the agency before beginning the project.
Before the 1970's, household paint often contained lead. As lead paint ages, it can chip or crumple into dust. Exposure to lead-paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems. Children and pregnant women are at higher risk. So, if you live in or own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others.
Getting Started
There are many ways to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint - but SOME METHODS OF REMOVING PAINT ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RISK OF LEAD EXPOSURE. It's important to pick the safest method for your project; the goal is to reduce the hazards while creating as little lead dust as possible.
If lead paint on ceilings and walls is in good repair, then painting them or covering them with wallpaper may be all that is needed to keep the lead paint in place.
BUT - if lead paint is chipping or peeling, or it is on a surface such as a windowsill or stair rail where children can chew on it, then the lead paint (or the painted material) should be removed or covered. Painted surfaces that rub on each other, such as doors and windows, require special attention to stop the friction. And if the paint has been damaged by other problems, such as water damage due to leaks, the underlying problem should be fixed first.
Safety Precautions
BE CAREFUL! During the work, you might stir up dust or create fumes containing lead. This can be very dangerous for adults, children and pets. Always use a method that creates the least amount of dust and fumes.
You should consider hiring a professional contractor with experience in working safely with lead removal. Whether you're going to do the job yourself or hire somebody, it's YOUR responsibility to see that the job is done safely.
Here are some tips:
- 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. (See Clean-Up
section.) If you are 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 thick is good).
- EVERYTHING in the room (furniture, rugs, carpets, floors, bedding, drapes,
dish ware, food, toys, etc.) must be removed, or covered with TWO sheets of
plastic (again, heavy, 6-mil plastic) and all the seams taped. Plastic used to
cover the floor should be secured to the wall or baseboard with duct tape.
- Workers should wear disposable coveralls, shoes, hair covering, goggles
and a properly fitting respirator approved by NIOSH (the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health) or MSHA (the Mine Safety and Health
Administration). Approved respirators will have an approval number on them,
(i.e., TC-21C-xxx). Only HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) respirators
will filter lead dust and fumes. Simple paper or fabric dust masks will NOT
protect a worker from lead dust.
- To avoid ingesting lead, workers should not eat, drink or smoke on the job.
- Workers need to clean up carefully. Before leaving the work area, they should dispose of their coveralls, and remove the dust from their clothes with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner. And workers should shower as soon as they can after work, so they don't spread lead dust around their homes.
What To Do
Interim Controls
There are many temporary ways to control lead dust and chips from surfaces with peeling or rubbing lead paint. Repairing loose paint, carpeting stairways, instilling window wells and window track liners can be very cost effective. Keep checking these controls and maintain them as needed to be sure they are working.
Enclosure
One way of reducing exposure to lead paint is to cover the surface with a new surface - by putting up drywall or by covering windowsills with vinyl or aluminum, for example. This doesn't require the removal of lead paint, so this is often the easiest solution. But if the new surface is ever removed or damaged, the lead problem returns. Materials used to enclose lead-painted surfaces should be durable and fire resistant, such as gypsum board, aluminum, vinyl, plywood paneling, laminates, acrylic sheets, Plexiglas, fiberglass, or tile.
Encapsulation
Encapsulation is a technique that bonds materials to the existing painted surface; it's more than just a coat of paint, in that the encapsulant is bonded to the lead paint. It is important to follow product instructions exactly to be sure that a strong, long lasting bond is created.
Replacement
This might be a good time to think about replacement. Sometimes, it's easier to replace windows, doors, or woodwork than it is to remove lead-based paint.
Removal
There are several ways to remove lead-based paints:
- Wire brushing or wet hand scraping with the aid of a
non-flammable solvent, or abrasive compound. Liquid paint removers can be used
on small areas, such as windowsills, doors and woodwork. Read and follow the
manufacturer's instructions and warning labels before purchasing and using. It
is important for workers to use personal protective equipment, such as gloves,
safety glasses and disposable coveralls when using some paint removers.
- Wet hand sanding and/or power sanding with HEPA filters. Only wet hand sanding and/or electric sander equipped with a HEPA filtered vacuum
attachment should be used Dry hand sanding should never be done.
- Heat stripping, using a low temperature (below 1100 degrees F) heat gun,
followed by hand scraping. Heat guns pose a fire hazard, and make lead dust and
vapors, so they should be used only by experienced workers wearing respirators.
The following methods of paint removal are hazardous and, in some Communities, illegal, and should NOT be used:
- Open flame burning or torching;
- Machine sanding or grinding without a HEPA attachment;
- Abrasive blasting or sand blasting;
- Power washing without a method to trap water and paint chips.
Exterior work should be done on calm days, and wet-misting or vacuuming should be used to control lead dust and paint chips during removal. The ground around the building should be protected with heavy (6-mil) plastic sheets. The outer edges of the sheeting should be raised to trap dust, debris, and liquid wastes. Wastes should be disposed of properly, as described below.
Clean-Up
Lead removal will generate lead dust and debris. Unless the house is properly cleaned, it will be more hazardous after the work than it was before.
Daily Clean-Up
Every day, the debris should be misted with water, swept up and laced in double 4-mil or 6-mil plastic bags. Then all surfaces should be wet-dusted and wet-mopped. This step is very important.
Final Clean-Up
A HEPA-equipped vacuum should be sued on all surfaces (floors, walls, ceilings, woodwork, carpeting, furniture) DO NOT use a standard household vacuum or shop vacuum, which are not designed or equipped to trap lead dust particles. Then wet-mop hardwood surfaces with a solution containing a heavy-duty household cleaner. The wet-mopping should be followed by another HEPA vacuuming.
Old rugs and carpets should be replaced, if possible; and all furniture, bedding, rugs, carpets, drapes, etc., that were removed prior to work should be cleaned before being brought back in.
Disposal
Debris from lead-based paint removal or renovation may be double-bagged and disposed of in limited quantities in household trash. Lead debris must never be burned. Liquid wastes, including wash water, must never be dumped onto the ground; waste water should be filtered through a cloth filter before dumping into a sanitary sewer or toilet. The filtered debris can go out with the other trash. The mops and cloths used to clean up lead dust and debris should never be used for any other purpose, and should be disposed of when the job is done.
A Final Word
It is safest not to undertake lead removal on your own. Contact your local health department for additional information or for help in identifying qualified contractors experienced in lead removal.
For more information, including where to borrow a free video on lead in the home, contact the
