Lead Paint Removal & Disposal

Safety Precautions

• Before beginning, all rugs, furniture and other belongings are removed from the room in order to avoid covering them with dust. After the room is cleared, thick plastic sheets are laid down over all exposed surfaces. Aside from disposable clothing, gloves, goggles and a hairnet, you will need a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) gas-mask; this is the only type of mask that will filter lead particles.

Enclosure and Replacement

• It is not always necessary to strip the lead paint from a home in order to address the problem of exposure. If the paint is undamaged in certain areas, meaning it is not peeling or chipping, sometimes the easiest solution is to simply paint over the areas or cover them with wallpaper; this method is called enclosure. Some painted areas, such as woodwork, doors and window sills, may be easily resolved by replacing the entire unit.

Removal Methods

• Enclosure is only a temporary solution; also, of course, not all painted surfaces can be completely replaced. Therefore, removal is usually necessary. Wet-hand sanding and/or power sanding are popular approved methods for paint removal. Since a lot of dust is created here, a HEPA vacuum attachment must be used. Heat-stripping is another method. Here, workers use a low-powered heat gun followed by a dry-scraping technique. For smaller areas, liquid paint removers followed by wet hand-scraping or wire-brushing is an option.

Cleanup

• Proper cleanup is highly important, for all of the debris created during removal make the environment much more dangerous than before the process has begun. A simple cleanup is performed every day: all surfaces are misted, then all the debris swept up and removed in thick plastic bags. Next, all surfaces are wet-dusted and wet-mopped. For the final cleanup, a certified HEPA vacuum is used, followed by a wet-mopping with heavy-duty detergent and an additional vacuuming.

Disposal

• Most of the time, smaller quantities of lead debris may be double-bagged and disposed of in the household trash. However, in certain areas, debris must be disposed of in a special type of landfill meant for hazardous wastes; it is important to check local laws regarding lead waste disposal in order to deal with the majority of the debris. With regards to the liquid waste created from mopping as well as wet removal techniques, the water may be filtered into a toilet or sewage system and the debris may be disposed of in the household trash, along with all work clothes and cleaning materials.