Lead-Safe Paint Preparation

OAKLAND — When planning for a house painting project, a crucial concern to keep in mind is lead safety. Any house built prior to 1978 has the potential to contain lead-based paint; even if more recent layers of paint don’t contain lead, the lower layers likely do. So, when painting any pre-1978 home, it’s best to assume lead is present and take proper precautions. While this entails a bit of extra work, it’s worthwhile to keep yourself and your family safe from lead exposure. Follow these lead-safe painting guidelines:

Employ wet-sanding techniques. Use a mister to wet painted areas prior to sanding or scraping. Whereas dry sanding allows particles to enter the atmosphere, the introduction of moisture causes these particles to end up on the ground, keeping the air stream untainted.

Put up plastic. Cover the outsides of windows and tape the insides so no dust can get into the house. Also, put plastic down and duct tape it to your home’s exterior to collect fallen paint chips for disposal.

Wear safety gear. To prevent lead exposure, cover yourself head-to-toe with protective gear. Important components include protective eye wear, disposable coveralls, a disposable N-100 rated respirator, latex/rubber gloves and shoe covers. Seal any loose or exposed clothing seams with duct tape.

Have a designated clean-wash station. This will come in handy in the event of exposure.

Post notifications on the outside of your home. You have a responsibility to make people aware of the situation so they can keep their distance.

Obtain a lead safety booklet from the EPA. This will provide more information about the risks of lead exposure and lay out proper procedures for lead-safe painting.

If you decide to hire a painting company to handle your project, find one that’s EPA Lead-Safe Certified. Hiring a painter that’s trained in lead-safe procedures provides extra assurance that your project will be carried out in a safe, responsible manner.