Lead Paint On Furniture

As a person who frequently buys and repaints vintage furniture I am always worried about lead paint and whether it was used on the piece Im about to sand and re-paint.

Lead paint on furniture. Any furniture that may have been built and painted before 1978 should be tested for lead because exposure can cause reproductive problems and nerve disorders in adults as well as slowed growth and. Checking Vintage Furniture for Lead Paint. Then start sealing off the contaminated room.

Workers performing duties that require disturbing lead-based paint and other surfaces must have proper personal protection such as respirators with HEPA filters. Rhodizonate-based kits for nearly any color except red or pink or sulfide-based kits for lighter paint colors. Remove area rugs and as much furniture as possible.

Also protective clothing gloves head and foot coverings are required. Lead paint typically cracks and chips in a distinct scaly or geometric pattern. Country Living columnist Helaine Fendelman who raised two sons in a home filled with painted furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries reports that the very old pieces most likely do not contain lead.

You can find these little lead paint testing kits at your local hardware store. You snap the swab in two locations that are marked on the swab holder like you snap glow-in-the-dark necklaces and shake and squeeze it until the contained yellow liquid starts coming out. If the liquid turns red or pink then that means that there is lead present.

Lead is added to paint to accelerate drying increase durability maintain a fresh appearance and resist moisture that causes corrosion. Also heat guns used to strip old paint may not exceed 700 degrees Fahrenheit to keep lead fumes out of the air. If youre working in a small area say around a single window poly and tape an area at least 5 ft.

Any surface covered with lead-based paint where the paint may wear by rubbing or friction is likely to cause lead dust including windows doors floors porches stairways and cabinets. Lead encapsulating paint is often used where possible for lead remediation because its much more cost effective and takes less time than complete removal. If the room must be sealed off and sanded or the lead-based paint must otherwise be removed or disturbed start by removing all furniture and covering in plastic anything that cannot be removed.