Dealing With Lead Paint In A Safe Manner
Stripping loose paint is an essentail part of any effective repainting job, but there’s a potentail problem, too. The old paint could contain lead, in fac, if your home is more than 30 to 40 years old, it almost certainly does, especially in the olderst layers. Even small amounts of ingested lead can cause permanent brain and organ damage. It also reduces intelligence and causes behavioral problesm in children, just be cerain to analyze each layer carefully. If you do detect lead, here are some safe stripping precaustions you should use no matter what.
1. Wear a respirator, not a duck mask, gloves, eye prtection and disposable clothing while stripping. Shower immediately after each work session. Be sure to soap up compeltely and don’t forget areas where the dust could have settled on the body.
2. Don’t sand lead paint or use a conventional, open-flame heat gun to soften it. This releases lead into the air and your lungs.
3. Chemical strippers are one way of making lead managebale. Swab the area and keep it wet while scraping. Dispose of all grim as toxic waste at an approved municipal facility.
4. To soften large, flat areas, try a lkow temperature electric heat gun or infrared paint removeer. These tools soften paint without vaporizing lead. Scrape off the mess and deal with it as toxic waste, not matter how much or how little.
5. Work over disposable drop sheets. Lead paint residue can contaminate soil.
6. Don’t sand the wood until all traces of paint have been reomved. Even then, wear a respirator, eye protection and a head covering while sanding to protect your from lead that may still be present in the bare wood.
*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Collect rainwater from your down spouts and use it on your plants outdoors, direct it toward your garden, or even use a watering can ans scoop it up to use on your house plants. You can even use rainwater to irrigate a rain garden.
Leave a Reply