How to Get Rid of Lead Paint

In this article, you will learn how to deal with and dispose of lead paint

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• dual filter
• respirator
• gloves
• overalls

1. It is important to protect yourself when dealing with lead paint. Adequately protect yourself by wearing a dual filter respirator, gloves and overalls. Make sure you aren't working around pets or children. You should place down a tarp, or a similar plastic drop sheet to catch the paint for easy disposal. It is best to use a drop sheet that you don't mind getting rid of.

2. To remove the paint you should avoid sanding. Creating dust from the lead based paint is generally not a good idea and should be avoided. Any dust created can linger and contaminate the home. While the effects of lead are not entirely known on humans and household pets, it is generally known to be harmful to health.

3. To remove the paint you can purchase a commercial system such as Peel Away and Let’s Clean. These are chemical solutions that will easily remove multiple layers of paint at once. However make sure you read the label to know if it is safe for the material you will be using it on. Some solutions may cause permanent damage to wood and other surfaces. Simply purchase one of these chemicals and apply to the surface as per instructions, you will find that the paint comes off very well.

4. For disposal of the removed paint visit http://www.envcap.org/statetools/lead/lead.html to find out the rules for your State.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow directions on the label of the product, they are there for a reason. Failure to follow them may result in negative effects to your health and possible damage to the surface they are being used on.
• It is unwise and in some locations illegal to dispose of toxic substances in common garbage. Please check with your local government before doing so.

Resources

• Lead Paint Abatement Resource Locator

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on 9/15/2009 If you don't like goopy chemicals, try infrared heat.