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Remodelling & lead-based paint naztazia 09-12-2006
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Posted by on September 12, 2006, 12:06 pm
My husband and I normally do all the remodelling in this house.
Previous owners said the outside wood siding (underneath the current
vinyl siding) has lead-based paint on it. Had the whole house tested
and sure enough only the outside has lead.

Husband refuses to install two much-needed new bay windows in 2
separate front rooms. Called several "good" contractors in the area -
none of them have procedures to carefully remove old windows without
disturbing (or at least taking precautions against) lead-based paint
dust. One said he did this for 20 years and no one has ever asked him
about lead.

I have an infant whose new fascination is putting everything in her
mouth.

Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their
thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP
soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things
properly with regards to lead?

Thanks.


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Posted by Sev on September 12, 2006, 12:24 pm


> Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their
> thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP
> soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things
> properly with regards to lead?


While one can be too paranoid, I don't think you are, with an infant
in the house. I would call a few- make that quite a few- more
contractors, until you find one who will do the removal with proper
precautions- plastic sheeting to isolate the area from rest of house,
vacuum to create negative pressure so the dust goes through vac filter,
thorough cleanup of area. You can follow with your own cleanup, wipe
down walls, etc. Infants do put everything in their mouths, and the
more we learn about lead, the more we find that it is harmful even in
minute quantities to infants. Qute a few middle class people who have
done home renovations have been shocked when their kids turned up with
high lead levels, which they always associated with 'the ghetto.'
Granted, yours is not a major renovation, but I would still take
precautions.


Posted by on September 12, 2006, 3:55 pm
Smack your kid for putting things in mouth and dont worry about it.
The ghetto kids are the paint eaters who get damaged because there is
poor parenting.

Sev wrote:
> > Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their
> > thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP
> > soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things
> > properly with regards to lead?
>
>
> While one can be too paranoid, I don't think you are, with an infant
> in the house. I would call a few- make that quite a few- more
> contractors, until you find one who will do the removal with proper
> precautions- plastic sheeting to isolate the area from rest of house,
> vacuum to create negative pressure so the dust goes through vac filter,
> thorough cleanup of area. You can follow with your own cleanup, wipe
> down walls, etc. Infants do put everything in their mouths, and the
> more we learn about lead, the more we find that it is harmful even in
> minute quantities to infants. Qute a few middle class people who have
> done home renovations have been shocked when their kids turned up with
> high lead levels, which they always associated with 'the ghetto.'
> Granted, yours is not a major renovation, but I would still take
> precautions.


Posted by dpb on September 12, 2006, 12:50 pm

naztazia@gmail.com wrote:
...
> Previous owners said the outside wood siding (underneath the current
> vinyl siding) has lead-based paint on it. Had the whole house tested
> and sure enough only the outside has lead.

> Husband refuses to install two much-needed new bay windows in 2
> separate front rooms.

Sounds like time for new husband to me... :)

...

> I have an infant whose new fascination is putting everything in her
> mouth.
>
> Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their
> thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP
> soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things
> properly with regards to lead?

I certainly think so...you're talking about only exterior paint on
siding encapsulated behind other siding and only removing an existing
window to replace it with a new one. I see virtually no problems here
as long as there is even the modicum of care taken to not just try to
see how much material can be scattered around.

You're not scraping old paint or otherwise really doing anything to
disturb the old paint--you're getting rid of it. I'd simply have them
put down some plastic and maybe if you're really concerned hang a drop
cloth around the area for confinement and have at it with a modicum of
care. Unless there is a tremendous amount of paint thickness and it's
just falling off the sills, etc., I can't see much reason to think
there will be any great amount released.


Posted by Norminn on September 12, 2006, 1:09 pm
naztazia@gmail.com wrote:

> My husband and I normally do all the remodelling in this house.
> Previous owners said the outside wood siding (underneath the current
> vinyl siding) has lead-based paint on it. Had the whole house tested
> and sure enough only the outside has lead.
>
> Husband refuses to install two much-needed new bay windows in 2
> separate front rooms. Called several "good" contractors in the area -
> none of them have procedures to carefully remove old windows without
> disturbing (or at least taking precautions against) lead-based paint
> dust. One said he did this for 20 years and no one has ever asked him
> about lead.
>
> I have an infant whose new fascination is putting everything in her
> mouth.
>
> Am I being overly cautious? Should I just let the contractors do their
> thing and just clean up stuff myself afterwards? (HEPA filters, TSP
> soap, etc.) Is it unreasonable to expect a contractor to do things
> properly with regards to lead?
>
> Thanks.
>
If the only lead is outside, you should be able to isolate it pretty
well. Cover window with plastic tarp, taped in place, when outside demo
work is being done. Stray paint chips, if there are any, should be easy
to pick up. Sanding or creating fumes would be the way to spread lead
around the interior. You probably have more hazardous stuff on the
toilet seat and door knobs - what you track in on shoes isn't sterile :o)

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