Lead in old paint: what to do if you are in doubt

You cannot tell from the colour. According to OnderhoudNL, white lead has been banned indoors since 1939 and outdoors since 2009. A house built after that time has less chance of lead in the paint, but with older homes you have to allow for it. That applies above all to frames, doors and fascia boards where layer upon layer has gone on over the years.

You only know for sure with a test, for example a test strip from the DIY shop or a laboratory test. If you have not done that, assume with an old property that it may be in there and work accordingly. Not in a panic, but with care.

An intact paint layer that is simply there causes few problems. The risk arises as soon as you make dust or fumes from it. Dry sanding releases fine dust that ends up on the floor, in the garden and on your children's toys, and then in what you breathe in or swallow. Burning off adds fumes as well.

Lead is especially harmful to young children and during pregnancy. If you only want to freshen up the frames and someone is pregnant or there are young children in the house, be extra careful. If in doubt, first contact the municipal public health service or your GP with health questions.

• Don't sand dry, either by hand or with a machine
• Don't burn off or work too hot with a heat gun
• Don't scrape off old paint without knowing what is in it
• Don't blow away sanding dust or sweep it up with an ordinary broom
• Don't just leave old paint flakes lying in the garden

If there are flakes already, clear them up wet and do not put them in the ordinary waste. Ask your municipality how to hand them in. If you want to know more about preparation in general, read sanding and priming.

If the old paint is still sound, the simplest route is: leave it. Degrease, roughen lightly and wet, prime and paint over. That releases as little dust as possible. If the paint is coming off, more has to happen: work wet, cover the rooms, extract the dust and keep the waste separate.

If the whole build-up really has to come off, that is a job that calls for extra measures. We do not do that just in between other jobs. We look at the site visit at whether it is necessary, and we say so if a test or a specialist has to be involved. That may cost a little more, but then it is done properly.

In Friesland you come across many 1930s homes, and farmhouses that are older still. On frames and doors there is often a build-up of paint from decades. Sometimes the top layer is water-based, and the old layer underneath is still fully attached.

At the 1930s house in Langweer it was mainly about wood rot, but with homes like this we always look at what lies underneath too. If you have a listed building, also look at painting a listed building, because there the question comes in of what may be done with the old layers.

We do not need to know everything, but this helps to set up the work properly:

• The year of construction of the home, or an estimate
• Close-up photos of the old paint, including where it is peeling
• Whether a test has already been done, and the result
• Whether young children or a pregnant woman live in the house
• Whether the home stays occupied during the work

The last two points decide how strictly we screen off and how we make the planning. You could, for example, leave a room empty during the preparation, so that nobody goes in.

Lead does not make the painting dearer if the old layer can stay. It does get dearer if a lot has to be removed, because working wet and covering up takes more time. As a national market guide, an exterior window frame starts from €50 each and an interior one from €35 each, but that price assumes normal preparation.

With MJA you get a fixed price after the site visit, with the method described in it. If extra steps come on top, you see them back as a separate item. On cost of painting window frames you can read what else counts.

We are members of OnderhoudNL and follow the information available there about old paint. For ordinary sanding we use Festool equipment, at 150, 180 and 240 grit. If in doubt about lead, we do not sand dry, even if that would be faster.

You will not get a story from us to scare you, nor a soothing chat. Mohamed tells you what has been seen, what that means and what is needed. Honest advice is also what customers mention in their reviews, with 4.8 on Google from 25 ratings.

If you already have a sander ready, put it away for now. First send a photo of the paint and the year your house was built. We then tell you what we think and whether a test is sensible.

Request a quote or WhatsApp 06 3006 0558. After the site visit you know how we tackle it and what it costs.