- Joined
- 6 Oct 2010
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- 126
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Hi,
I did a test for lead paint from B&Q and it went red straight away on the test site on my stair treads that I've been stripping with a hot air gun on low heat. Before I did the treads I stripped the strings of the staircase with only a disposable mask. I didn't know then about lead in old paint. Now I know it's there, I am in a serious fix. I've ripped all the stair carpet up and have bare stairs and have also tried chemical paint stripper but the hot gun works so much better and I really want to use that more. I don't have children in the house but have 2 cats. I've read loads on lead and how dangerous it is but I've lived here for 4 years now and paint has been flaky on door frames for all that time and I'm fine. I've sanded my front bedroom floor with hired floor sander and probably got lead dust in me then too and that was 2 years ago. I just don't know what to do from here as I can see what I want to do and yet all guidelines suggest getting professionals to do the work or go around like i'm in a radioactive environment with suit and plastic sheeting everywhere. I may seem flippant here but my boyfriend doesn't seem to care about the dangers and thinks i've overreacting so I want some advice from others who've come across this dilemma in their properties.
Re: the door frames, I could paint them again but the flaking is quite widely spread. Does anyone know whether its worth getting the whole frame taken out and my banisters replaced to get rid of some of the affected wood in my house and how much a pro would charge to do this? There is gloss painted wood everywhere e.g. dado rails, skirtings, door frames. A family with a baby lived her before us and they seemed fine.
Also if I buy a 28 day respirator and just lock my cats out of the affected rooms for a bit and clean up really well, will that be alright?
Pic's here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101320805064849039247/albums/5662257450895011057
I did a test for lead paint from B&Q and it went red straight away on the test site on my stair treads that I've been stripping with a hot air gun on low heat. Before I did the treads I stripped the strings of the staircase with only a disposable mask. I didn't know then about lead in old paint. Now I know it's there, I am in a serious fix. I've ripped all the stair carpet up and have bare stairs and have also tried chemical paint stripper but the hot gun works so much better and I really want to use that more. I don't have children in the house but have 2 cats. I've read loads on lead and how dangerous it is but I've lived here for 4 years now and paint has been flaky on door frames for all that time and I'm fine. I've sanded my front bedroom floor with hired floor sander and probably got lead dust in me then too and that was 2 years ago. I just don't know what to do from here as I can see what I want to do and yet all guidelines suggest getting professionals to do the work or go around like i'm in a radioactive environment with suit and plastic sheeting everywhere. I may seem flippant here but my boyfriend doesn't seem to care about the dangers and thinks i've overreacting so I want some advice from others who've come across this dilemma in their properties.
Re: the door frames, I could paint them again but the flaking is quite widely spread. Does anyone know whether its worth getting the whole frame taken out and my banisters replaced to get rid of some of the affected wood in my house and how much a pro would charge to do this? There is gloss painted wood everywhere e.g. dado rails, skirtings, door frames. A family with a baby lived her before us and they seemed fine.
Also if I buy a 28 day respirator and just lock my cats out of the affected rooms for a bit and clean up really well, will that be alright?
Pic's here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101320805064849039247/albums/5662257450895011057