Green under doorframe paint

[DanielleC]

Hi.

Diy novice.
So hubby just used a heat gun on 1 door frame and got all the layers of old paint off brilliantly. However on the 2nd door. All the white has come off and left the green stuff underneath. Is it just old paint?

Thanks

 

[James Carmichael]

Yes, it is. I don't know how old your house is but the colour palette of the greens/blues is reminiscent of the first half of the 20th century?

If the house is 'old', be careful! Old (wood) paint contains high levels of lead compounds and these can be released if you use a heat gun at too high a temperature. They're really not good for you (or anyone else in the vicinity); the risk is highest for those younger than roughly mid 30s.

If your house is 'really old' the paints - especially the green paints - could contain arsenic compounds too.

If you haven't already done so, have a look at "lead paint removal" on the HSE website, or similar, to make sure you're working safely.

Oh, and don't get *too* paranoid - these inorganic lead compounds are to be avoided but are nowhere near as dangerous as the organic lead compounds we used to lace petrol with!

Apologies if all of the above teaches you to suck eggs; you started by writing that you were a DIY novice, so I thought it best to comment ...