I'm working on repainting my 1960s Oregon home and used a lead test kit to check the paint layers. Thankfully, all the paint came back negative for lead. However, I've noticed these black metal plates framing my doorways and windows where the paint is flaking off. Although the flaking paint tests negative for lead, the plates themselves are showing a strong positive result. These plates are about 1/4" thick and 4" wide. They look different from any steel I've seen. Could the lead test kit be misreading them? Can anyone identify what this metal might be? If it is indeed lead, any ideas why it would be used in a residential setting?
2 Answers
Try looking into other metals like steel or even a lead alloy that might contain some other elements. The test kit might be reacting with substances present on the surface of that metal, not the metal itself. Some older construction used materials that could give misleading results with lead tests.
It’s definitely not lead. Lead is pretty soft and has no real structural integrity, which wouldn’t make sense for framing. A good way to check is to see if it's magnetic, since lead isn’t magnetic at all. If it sticks to a magnet, you’re looking at something else entirely. Sounds like you might be dealing with a different type of metal.
Yeah, I tried that! It’s magnetic. So, it rules out lead for sure. Now I’m just left wondering what kind of metal it could be and how it’s testing positive for lead. It’s a real mystery!