Due to the toxic nature of lead (Pb), many homeowners whose houses are painted using lead-based paints are being advised to hire the services of lead paint removal Brisbane company to help get rid of these toxic paints. 

Although there are several ways to remediate a lead-painted wall, the fastest way remains to paint over the existing lead paint. When all the proper steps and safety precautions are being followed, painting on top of the lead paint is an excellent way to seal in the toxic paint. 

Suppose you are the type who prefers to handle your painting yourself; here are five dos and don’ts of painting over lead paint.

Make sure to Test For the Presence of Lead First.  

Before starting the painting process, you must ascertain that there is lead in your existing paint. To do this, you can buy a DIY test kit from a home improvement center or your local hardware store.

Usually, all you need to do is peel or scrape a small area of the painted surface and swab it with the reagent. 

Significantly, it would help to keep in mind that DIY test kits aren’t as reliable or safe as professional analysis and testing. To get an accurate result, the best thing to do is to send a sample of your painting to a lab for them to conduct Flame AAS testing.

You Shouldn’t Chip, Sand, or Scrape Lead Paint.

During the preparation stage of painting over a lead paint surface, you must ensure that you don’t disturb the existing surface paint. All forms of pre-painting exercises such as chipping, sanding, scraping, or any other could damage the lead-painted wall. So avoid them by all means. 

Disturbing the existing paint surface can lead to the release of lead particles into the air; This can be hazardous to human health.

The best pre-painting exercise in this situation is to wipe down the lead paint surface using a wet towel. The water used to wet the towel should be a warm one. 

If the lead paint surface is already damaged significantly, it is always best to call on professionals. They have a comprehensive and safe method of handling this. 

Ensure All Safety Precautions are Taken

The health and safety of your family and everyone around you should be your number one priority when trying to paint over a lead paint surface. To ensure their safety, you need to follow all the necessary safety precautions. 

Some of the ways you can do this include; covering the floor with drop cloths. These covers should also be secured to the floor using painter’s tape. You should also ensure that you wear the right and complete protective gear. A typical dressing should include; a respiratory mask, gloves, boots, helmet, overalls, etc.

You must also ensure that you keep at-risk adults and children away from the painting site. The best way to do this is to make a distinction.  

It would be best if you also considered running a High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA); This will help filter any lead particle floating around in the air. 

Do Ensure Proper Disposal

Even though you’ve taken all the necessary safety precautions to prevent the spread and contamination by lead during the painting process, you could still end up contaminating the environment unintentionally. 

If you don’t dispose of any of the materials you used to protect yourself during the process adequately. Those materials may find their way back into the environment. So always ensure you dispose of any material or item used when painting over lead paint properly. 

The best way to dispose of these materials is to give them to your residential waste disposal company. You should ensure to call them first to see if they accept such waste. Some waste disposal companies don’t collect lead waste, while some have a system in place for such. 

Use an Encapsulant

The best and probably the safest way to cover a wall painted with lead-based paint is to use an encapsulant. Unlike regular paint primers, encapsulants are thicker. This thickness helps seal the lead paint behind a membrane. 

There are three types of encapsulants: epoxy or polyurethane polymers, traditional polymers, and cement-like substances which have polymers in them.

When using encapsulant primers, you must follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for testing, preparation, and application.

Although we have aired out some critical things that could guarantee a smooth painting exercise, the fact is that hiring an expert lead paint removal company is the best way to go, mainly because lead is highly toxic and must be handled with all care.