Smooth finish on old paint work

[DLaing]

I live in a turn of the century terraced house and some of the paintwork is decidedly shoddy - peeling and flaking in a number of places.

Underneath the paint there are numerous layers of old paint. The base layers are a lovely shade of green and I image they contain a healthy quantity of lead too.

As we have a newborn in the house, removal back to the wood is not really an option due to the lead that is likely to be released. Is there an easy (or not so easy) way to get a relatively smooth finish without removing all of the paint?

It doesn't have to be perfect - just good enough for a prospective buyer not to notice with a casual inspection!

 

[2scoops0406]

Well IF it is lead based paint, then sanding is not really an option, esp with a new born. There are specialist companies that deal with lead paint removal, but this would be costly. You could try using the pastes that chemically strip the paint, this would prevent any dust being produced. Other that that the only other suggestion I can make is use a satin finish paint, as gloss always high;lights imperfections. Good Luck !