Heatgun stripping lead paint + Air purifier?

[zenonithus]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of stripping thick paint off all the wood in my flat, so thats the architrave, skirting and picture rail. I'm assuming that under all the layers there is some lead paint there as the flat is 1930's and has just been painted over and over again.

I've been using a respirator mask and goggles when doing this work as the fumes can get bad (I can still smell the burning paint through the mask). I am using a henry hoover with hepa bag to clean the dust and wrapping shavings in newspaper. Though after all the hovering is done I am still concerned about lead paint dust in the air I breath.

I was thinking of buying a HEPA air purifier which is designed to filter out all air born particles so dust etc. Just wondering what your opinions are on air filters for this sort of thing? I've got a really nasty cough right now so hoping that's just down to me coming off a cold and not getting poisoned by lead dust :-\

 

[Nige F]

Wouldn't bother with the air purifier. Have all the windows open and drink a pint of milk each day you're working on it . It does slow the absorbtion of lead. (google it)

 

[Tigercubrider]

Do you leave the Henry on while working?

I guess you could rely on the cleaner to draw air away from you and position the motor as far away as possible.

Assume you have thought of chemical stripper to get the brunt of the work done?

 

[zenonithus]

Pint of milk? Interesting will google that

TC yeah I would have it on all times. Though these things are pretty costly to maintain as you have to buy a new filter every 6 months which is around £45.

I do have a massive bucket of peelaway. I used it a few times and it does take the paint off but it makes a right mess with the cleaning. I find it much easier to strip the thick skin off with heat gun and chemical strip the rest of the bits that remain after. I think the worst bit is doing this in my tiny hallway as there isn't much ventilation there apart from opening windows in the rooms.

 

[JohnD]

This was for dusty conditions, but I have seen a builder's canister vac placed outside the house, using an extended house poked through the window and sealed round with plastic and tape, creating enough negative pressure to prevent dust leaking out of the working room, and the end of the hose could still be used to snuffle up dust around the tools.

Canister vacs are rather noisy. You can wash out the bucket and throw away the (very large) replaceable filter if it is contaminated e.g. with lead.

Vapours and very fine fragments will be circulated around the room if the vac is indoors with you, which is undesirable if they are poisonous.

Filter at £11.99, big bags also available.
http://www.screwfix.com/c/auto-cleaning/vacuum-cleaners/cat810152#category=cat810208

 

[zenonithus]

So the hoover actually spits out some of the dust when using it? :-S thats not good. I am using a henry with these bags that are supposed to trap fine particles http://www.screwfix.com/p/numatic-hepaflo-filter-bags-9ltr-10-pack/19560

So would it be best to leave the hoover outside with a extension is what you are saying?

I still think one of these air purifiers would be good at filtering out all the dust in the air no?

 

[JohnD]

the hepaflow filters capture tiny fragments, including IIRC pollen, spores and allergens, even cigarette smoke; but they will clog very fast if you use them in a dusty environment like paint-scraping.

I have some small air purifiers, and when I clean them out for fluff, I have to also wash out microscopic dirt that clings electrostatically.

Do you clean out the cooler on your PC?

BTW you are unlikely to be aware of lead poisoning until it's too late. It damages the brain and nervous system, I knew a builder who had early-onset dementia before retirement, diagnosed as caused by working with lead, and went downhill very fast.

It is especially damaging to babies and children whose brains are still developing.

 

[zenonithus]

Yeah it's nasty stuff. I'm going to try the chemical strip on the rest of it. Though I remember last time the mess was a nightmare to clean up. Took me an hour to clean less then half a door frame. I think I need some sort of air purification for the work I have done as I'm worried now that there is lead dust in the air. There is still lots of wood left to strip so thinking what would be the best solution for now.

Also why are these lead testing kits are so expensive in the UK?

 

[dcdec]

Surely it's easier to just replace the skirting and picture rail?

 

[zenonithus]

when I think about it I should have definitely done that, or get the old stuff taken off and dipped stripped. I'm halfway there now so just concerned about the lead dust in the flat at the moment. need to clean up the mess From the last heat gun session chemical stripping the remnants. What is the procedure with disposal of lead paint covered wood?

 

[zenonithus]

Just to add to this at the time I was stripping much of the paint I had a cold. Felt a bit achy for a day then was fine. However I have developed a very bad dry cough for about a week now. Seems very sensitive when I breath in. There is sometimes mucus coughed up which relates it to coming off the cold I had. However the cough seems very tickley and bad and I'm wondering if the fumes from burning the paint (even though I wore a respirator mask I could still get a wiff of the fumes) have irritated my throat more and made the cough worse? Can the fumes do serious damage to lungs and throat?

Maybe worth a trip to the doctors if it carries on like this after another week.