A Guide to Safe Lead Base Paint Removal

Depending on where you live in the Jacksonville, FL area, your home may be very new or very old. Prior to 1978, it was common practice to use lead-based paint for interior painting and in exterior painting jobs. If your home is older than this, and has never been tested, it is possible that your house contains lead paint. Before you get out the gas masks, know that lead exposure is only a danger if the paint starts to age and flake. This is how lead gets into the air and onto household surfaces. Otherwise it stays bound up in the wall paint. But when the paint chips or flakes, released lead particles can become a health hazard, especially for small children and their developing nervous systems. So what’s to be done? A New Leaf Painting is very familiar with safe lead paint removal. We can even paint your house again once it’s gone. Here are the steps that go into safe lead paint identification and removal.

  1. Get Your House Tested. If your house is very old, it’s possible that an earlier resident had the paint removed and replaced. But if you are not sure, it’s best to get it tested. Feel free to contact us for a recommendation. DIY lead paint test kits are available, but we recommend that you hire an experienced professional.
  2. Examine Your Options. If your house contains lead paint, you have several options available to you. A) If the paint is in good condition, it poses no health hazard. You don’t need to do anything at present. B) If the paint is chipped in limited areas, these may be sanded or brushed down. Then new paint may be applied to the surface. Keep reading for notes on cleanliness, safety, and disposal. C) Whole surfaces may be covered with drywall or an encapsulant. This only contains the problem, but will nonetheless make your house safe if properly done. You may also remove entire surfaces, such as windows. This will often be easier than removing lead paint from nooks and crannies.
  3. Cleaning and Safety. Whoever performs these tasks must be very careful about keeping the rest of the house uncontaminated. While working in a room, the work area must be cut off from the rest of the house using thick 6mm+ plastic sheeting. All air vents should be covered as well. Furniture and appliances should be removed from the room, or covered with two sheets of the same plastic. Water should be misted from a spray bottle throughout the work process to control dust. When the job is complete, you should sweep, wet-dust, wet-mop, and vacuum with a HEPA-equipped vacuum. Lead paint particles may be thrown away with household trash, double-bagged.

Interior Painters Jacksonville, FL

If doing this job yourself seems a little daunting, why not leave it to A New Leaf Painting? Our Interior painters in Jacksonville, FL are trained to deal with lead paint. You can rest assured that your family’s health is safe, and that A New Leaf Painting did the job right. Call us if you have any questions about lead paint. We’ve seen it all, and we can quickly put your mind at ease. And if you're interested in environmentally-friendly paints, ask us about how VOC-free paints can make your house a little safer!

With an experienced team of expert house painters, carpenters and field managers, A New Leaf Painting is ready to take on your house painting in Jacksonville, FL. Call us to get started 1-888-PAINTING 904-330-0084.

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