How do I remove peeling lead paint on without contaminating everything

Julie
by Julie
I have several old interior doors with peeling paint that I want to repurpose as succulent walls and other garden decorations. I don't want the lead paint chips to get all over my back yard when I remove the paint. Any suggestions?
  3 answers
  • BS BS on Apr 30, 2015
    There is no way you can safely remove lead paint yourself. If the paint were intact, you could recoat it. However, if you want to remove the paint, you will need to have it professionally stripped, probably by dipping. Yeah, I know. Really puts a damper on reusing your old doors. I wouldn't take any chances, though, especially if you have children.
  • Suzanne Suzanne on May 01, 2015
    I would think that an adult working outdoors with a mask on could very safely remove it. Lead paint is primarily a hazard to little kids with developing brains. People strip old paint every day. Avoid it going "airborne" by using a liquid stripper.
    • BS BS on May 02, 2015
      What happens to the lead contaminated gunk created by the stripper? It wouldn't be responsible to just put it in the trash can for collection. How does she clean her tools and dispose of the cleaning liquid? It shouldn't be dumped on the ground or down the drain. People do lots of things every day that they shouldn't be doing, for example smoking. That doesn't mean we should tell them it's okay. Contaminating the environment with toxic waste that has been improperly disposed of is like second hand smoke. Maybe Julie could strip her old doors without immediate harm to herself, but the lead doesn't just magically vanish. For that matter, paint stripper isn't totally innocuous. I stand by my recommendation to take her doors to have them stripped by a business that has processes in place to deal with hazardous materials. When I was a kid, everyone changed their own oil. The old oil generally just got dumped on the ground or down a storm drain. Now we know better and take our cars somewhere to have the oil changed so the old oil can be collected and disposed of responsibly. Sure, it costs a little more, but it is the right thing to do.
  • Diana Deiley Diana Deiley on Mar 26, 2016
    Unfortunately, there are laws regarding lead paint. Be safe.