Are you planning on a little painting on the weekend? Do you know if your home is lead safe? Every year, there are thousands of cases of lead poisoning related solely to a lack of knowledge by well meaning home-owners. In fact, most home-owners wont give a moments consideration to whether they could be handling items containing lead based paints. Even if your home is brand new, dont assume that you are safe. For example, lets say you go to a garage sale and buy a nice garden setting that only needs a fresh coat of paint. Whoa... the old and flaking paint that you are ready to scrape and sand off, may be lead based! In fact, there is a one in four chance that anything painted between 1960 and 1980 was painted with a lead based paint. The older the home or the item, the greater the risk that lead is present. Why is it dangerous? Lead is easily ingested and inhaled - but is not absorbed through the skin. It goes in easily but our bodies are not able to excrete it efficiently. As a result, the concentrations build up - often very quickly, and can cause severe, potentially permanent, neurological damage, especially in young children. How can you protect yourself if working with lead-based paints? The first step is to test the paint to make sure you know what you are dealing with. Never assume the paint is safe if there is any risk that the paint is pre-1980. That also applies where there are MULTIPLE coats of paint. The top layer or two may be lead-free, but if you intend stripping all paint - for example on external walls, test all layers! If you do find that the paint is lead based, dont panic. Unlike asbestos, it is possible to work safely with lead. Firstly, always use a face mask, no matter how small the task. Remember the effects are cumulative! Secondly, never dry-sand - always use a wet sanding technique, disposing of the water with great care. If you intend to burn off the paint, ensure your heat gun temperature does not exceed 400 degrees celsius (750 F) as above that temperature, the lead will vaporise becoming extremely dangerous. If you are treating a large area, chemical stripping is likely your best option. Once again, take great care with disposal as children and pets can get lead residue on hands and paws from the ground. Remember that lead based paints are not dangerous if they are sealed. Coating over with a good oil or plastic paint locks the lead in. The risk lies in poor handling or inadequate preparation leading to even the new coatings peeling within a short time. Common-sense and careful preparation is all thats needed to make and keep your home and family lead-safe. Have a great weekend!
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:30:00 +0000
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