Has anyone tried testing for lead before sanding/stripping? I have phoned a few paint shops and they seem to think my old house will definitely have leaded paint, but the kits expire pretty fast and they don't have them at all or don't have them in stock. Also wainting for a call back from the council re testing. Do the professionals check every job they do? Do they get regular blood tests for their own piece of mind?
annies3,
Mar 26, 10:37pm
We had lead paint to deal with, we never tested but knew because of the age and the many layers of paint that would be the case, we used a good quality mask to prevent inhaling fumes then a heat gun and scraped it all off onto ground sheets which was a way of collecting all of the paint scrapings, there is much less dust this way if any. Edit to add this was only external walls as no paint internally.
redden39,
Mar 27, 1:33am
I'd imagine due to the age of my home there is lead based paint that I have stripped away. As I have smoked for thirty years, I thought it a bit late to be worried about getting cancer from old paint.
farwest,
Mar 27, 1:34am
Lead poisoning is not cancer.
dee238,
Mar 27, 1:44am
I know my house has lead paint for two reasons: 1) the paint has lasted for 30 years, and 2) when the sun is really hot I can actually smell the lead coming through. Dreading though, the time I have to repaint my house.
I think the department of health test for lead based paints for free. At least they did for mine but it was a few years ago so maybe user pays applies now. good luck.
slimdog,
Mar 27, 6:49am
Council put me onto health department, who will test places like schools or child care buildings, but weren't interested in testing my place. I can understand why. They said they might test if someone had lead poisoning however! I found a Bunnings branch that has the test kits in stock. Some paint shops seemed to advise to assume the paint has lead because of the age of the house and take the necessary precautions without bothering to test. And if the paint is not flaking and has adhered well, to do a good chemical clean and waterblast and paint over it.
You can test paint for lead content by using sodium sulphite solution (5%). Some paint shops and pharmacies sell the solution. Generally the test is carried out by cutting into the paint exposing the back of the suspect layer and dropping some of the solution onto it. If it turns black it contains lead.
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