Plaster & lead paint

[mccben9]

Hiya, I've been stripping the layers of wallpaper in my spare room. I tested the wall once I'd got one wall done and it came up as lead paint. I was using a steamer but have since bought HG chemical spray. I'm really stressed about it all but I need to sell my house and move out. I was going to plaster the wall myself (I know how and have done before) but I'm now quite anxious about the discovery of lead paint. It has flaked off onto the floor in some places I imagine and on the paper that was stripped. With the wall that is done, I've so far sealed with PVA but will do again before plastering.

My question is, how much lead paint is dangerous? The internet is giving me a lot of worries. I keep the door closed at all times but as I have to bring things in and out of there, I'm worried about it existing through the house when I've got young kids around.

I imagine that if I was getting this done professionally they would plaster over it and have to be up and down the stairs so feel that it's my only option. I won't be removing the walls and boarding up etc.

Thanks in advance

 

[Wayners]

The water probably kept the dust level low to zero when you took paper off. I've probably striped 100s of jobs with lead paint present over the years, but I carry a tester now and much more careful now.
I know plenty of decorators and i heard a few say they drank milk when using lead paint years ago. Sound horrific!
I can't give you an answer but there are millions of homes with lead paint in and it is fine if you have knowledge on how to avoid exposure..

 

[endecotp]

My question is, how much lead paint is dangerous?

It's not like asbestos. It's cumulative. If you were a professional decorator, you would want to take care about lead to avoid a significant lifetime exposure. As a one-off job, you should probably take some modest precautions. I.e. don't dry-sand it, and if you do, wear a mask. Removing painted wallpaper using a steamer sounds like zero risk to me. Remember we were all breathing in lead from leaded petrol until a few years ago!

The internet is giving me a lot of worries.

Don't ever get health advice from "the internet".

Remember, most of the internet works by getting you worried (or otherwise "engaged") so that you watch more videos etc. and see more adverts and earn them more money. They don't care about your health or state of mind.