Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [lead]

Lead is present in many older homes in paint and pipes. Lead poisoning can cause a number of serious health problems. Lead pipes can leach lead into drinking water. Lead paint is a problem when the paint is in poor condition and special processes are recommended when working on lead painted surfaces to minimize exposure.

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Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?

My wife was prepping our kitchen to be painted this weekend in our 1920's era condominium. Presumably lead paint is present but we do wear masks when working. There's an old door and door frame, and an old wooden window frame in one corner of the…
OldCondo
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I've released a lot of lead-paint dust in our house. What to do?

We hired some contractors to help us re-paint our 1.5-year old kid's room. They started this morning by scraping several parts from the walls. A few minutes after they started, I thought I should test it, so I ran to the store, bought a test-kit…
M -
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Can I still be sold plumbing fixtures that contain lead?

I'm shopping for brass or stainless ball valve to replace shutoff on a plumbing line. I see on ebay that some valves are advertised as "lead-free" while others are not. I would've assumed ALL brass/SS valves are lead-free. If I'm concerned with…
codechimp
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What precautions should I take before moving my family into a pre-1978 (lead-paint-era) house?

I am about to sign a lease and move with my family, including a 3 mo old and 2 yr old, into a home that was built in 1944. The house is in good condition and has been repainted at least once in the last decade. The lessors are required to inform me…
David LeBauer
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How to prepare & paint a porch that has existing lead paint?

I'd like to repaint my 100-year-old wooden front porch. It almost certainly had lead paint at some point. I would very much like to avoid stripping it, or any other procedure that might mobilize the lead paint, as I have young kids (and, if any dust…
Drew Steen
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How do I determine where lead paint was used?

I just bought a new house. The inspector told me that the entry way paint is cracking because a previous owner painted over lead paint without using the proper primer. How do I find out which walls have lead paint before I move in? I plan on…
Genevieve
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Does x-ray lead paint detection find lead underneath latex topcoats?

I have a 1921 home. Guaranteed that the walls have lead paint somewhere beneath, right? All surfaces have been painted at least once if not 2 or 3 times since 2001. The paint is all in good condition - no chipping. To my understanding, this is…
Zipper1365
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How should I handle old wallpaper over top of lead paint?

We removed a layer of thick textured wallpaper on a wall in the dining room of our 1959 split-level; it came off very easily in large strips. Unfortunately underneath it is a layer of much older (1970s?) and much uglier wallpaper which comes off…
Carl Meyer
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How to remove lead-based paint?

I live in an older home (built c. 1920) and I am positive that it's full of lead-based paint. When we bought the house, there was NO wood exposed anywhere in the house. The previous owners covered every inch of any natural wood with layers and…
TheSmallestOne
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At what Lead levels are respirators and hazmat suits required?

I am under going demolition work in pre-1978 building. I have paint chip samples sent away to determine ppm of lead. At what levels are contractors required to wear hazmat suits and respirators? Is there some summary document that outlines the…
Clive
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What's a nifty way to restrict my dog run without re-installing it?

We have a "dog run" in our back yard that we hook our dogs to when they need to go out. Their harnesses hook to a lead, and then lead in turn hooks to the wheel you see in the picture below. The wheel runs along a line that is about 40 feet in…
bfodder
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Is it necessary to replace lead gas pipes?

I have some lead piping in the cellar where the gas comes into the house. Does this comply to current Gas Safe regulations?? Edit: England
JPickup
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Moisture in the bathroom is bubbling lead paint - how do I seal it?

I live in a home built in the 1930s. The bathroom has been poorly remodeled at least twice. At the last remodel, before I moved in, the work wasn't finished. Within the shower everything is fine, but the paint on the arched wall on the shower/tub's…
Oak
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How concerned should I be over scraping/sanding a small area of lead paint

We removed a shelving unit in our kitchen that was attached directly to the wall. We intend to paint the entire room but the cabinet was on top of many layers of flaking old paint. The house dates back to the 30s and it is likely that some of the…
George Mauer
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Home lead testing kits

Are home lead testing kits accurate or should I hire a pro? What should I being looking for when purchasing home lead testing kits?
sal
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