LEAD BASED PAINTS IN THE HOME OR WORKPLACE.
Q. Are lead paints really a concern for me and my Family?
A. Yes... When the paint begins to deteriorate it can contaminate a household and cause lead
poisoning.
A. No, if treated properly by professional decorators.
Certain oil based paints did use lead in the manufacturing process right up until the mid 1960’s and
unfortunately to a much lesser degree until the 1980’s.
These paints were used on metal and wood surfaces, and dust and debris created while preparing
these surfaces for repainting are dangerous to us if not treated properly.
Q. How will I know if there’s lead in my paintwork?
A. If your property was built pre 1960’s and still has the original paintwork, probably there will be lead
present.
If the original wooden and metal features have been dulled or are less defined by multiple layers of
paint applied over the years, then it’s likely that lead based paint will be locked into the oldest layers.
Q. Is there a risk to the occupants of these properties?
A. When the paint begins to deteriorate it can contaminate a household and cause lead poisoning.
Small children and pregnant women are most at risk.
If the paintwork is likely to get knocked or chewed by small children or pets thus releasing lead dust
into the atmosphere, then it is advisable to get it sorted out.
Q. How do we deal with it?
A. If the paintwork is in good decorative order then this is not a problem. The easiest way of dealing
with it is to seal it in using modern paints.
However, if the paintwork is in bad condition, it will require removing before repainting. We will need
to use a modern, non toxic Bio paint stripping product. This will ensure a dust and fume free removal
of lead based paints. We will then sand all stripped surfaces with water proof abrasive paper.
The stripped surfaces can then be safely primed with a modern paint.
Ideally we will remove all furniture and carpets from the work area and seal it off. Our decorators are
trained in-house to safely remove lead based paints. They will wear disposable overalls, gloves and
masks which are sealed in plastic bags and taken away at the end of every day. We use industrial
strength vacuum cleaners to remove all debris and leave the work area thoroughly clean.
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