Hey everyone, I recently bought a house from 1890, and I'm freaking out about possible lead paint issues. The former owner seemed to just slather paint everywhere without proper lead abatement, and now I'm left with peeling ceilings and painted stairs. I have a dog, which makes this more concerning. I'm trying to handle the lead situation, but it feels like a total nightmare. I've done some encapsulation but I have lots of questions:
1. I stripped the paint from the stairs, but we're left with some old milk paint that's hard to remove. We used a chemical stripper and tried to seal the area. I'm worried about lead dust escaping—do you think it did?
2. For my peeling ceilings, I'm thinking about covering them with plastic. Would drilling into the ceilings just create more lead dust?
3. Lastly, what's the deal with my porch and yard? Is there any hope or are they just hazardous now?
I'm really anxious about this, so I'd appreciate any advice or insights you have!
2 Answers
First things first, I'd highly recommend getting a D-Lead test kit to see if what you're dealing with is actually lead paint. The cheap swabs can sometimes give false results, but it's a good start. You might be surprised—it's possible that the paint might not even be lead since your house is pretty old. If the previous owner didn’t disclose any hazardous materials, you could potentially have legal grounds for a claim against them too!
From what I understand, lead paint itself is mostly a concern when it turns to dust or if you ingest it. Chipping paint can be safer than you think. It could help to just repaint over the lead paint instead of trying to strip it all off, which can kick up a lot of dust. Professional painters know how to handle lead safely, so it might be worth hiring them for a fresh coat on the interior. Just make sure to take a break while they’re working if you’re worried!
Exactly! And don’t forget that exterior lead paint is generally less risky since it’s outside and ventilated. Just make sure you're not doing any major renovations without proper precautions.
That’s really solid advice! If there’s truly lead paint, definitely consult a lawyer about that. You don’t want to be stuck with someone else’s mess without recourse.