Stripping paint - but concerned about leaded paint

JustAnotherSaver

The missus is wanting the stairs/bannisters stripped with the heat gun & repainted. She's concerned about it being old pain with lead in it though & then breathing that in.

The house is 1932 built & we've no idea if this is the original paint on the woodwork or not.

Would you just tackle it with the doors & windows open or what? She doesn't want to pain over the paint that's already on as it looks layered anyway.

missprice

Have seen test things to check if it lead paint. And from memory you don't want to burn it off or sand it off as that releases the lead.
Solvent of some sort?

JustAnotherSaver

missprice wrote: »

Solvent of some sort?

To make it sort of run off?

Test thing sounds interesting, especially if only a couple of quid. She did a patch but it gave her an instant splitting sore head & stank bad.

anotherbaldrick

Paint stripper, Nitromors will shift it but wear eye protection and rubber gloves .
you leave it to work for 10 mins and then scrape residue off , lots of rags , newspaper, a scraper and some coarse steel wool to finish.


http://www.tesco.com/direct/nitromors-all-purpose-paint-varnish-remover-375ml/734-2358.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=734-2358&kpid=734-2358&gclid=CObV286csLsCFfHMtAodIUEAcg

McKneff

If you google 'paint stripper' you can get stuff for less than half the price of Nitromors, its really expensive.

missprice

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

To make it sort of run off?

Test thing sounds interesting, especially if only a couple of quid. She did a patch but it gave her an instant splitting sore head & stank bad.

Can't remember where I saw the test but seem to think it was tenner or so. Only looked cos thought it was banned so why would you need test, til in thought about it.

anotherbaldrick

McKneff wrote: »

If you google 'paint stripper' you can get stuff for less than half the price of Nitromors, its really expensive.

I know Nitromors works, can't vouch for other stuff. Formulation varies vastly.

Gloomendoom

I used to rate Nitromors until it was made environmentally friendly. Sadly, it's now a shadow of its former self.

I find that the modern paint strippers are much more effective if applied liberally then covered with cling film and left for several hours before scraping off.

JustAnotherSaver

I had a [very] quick bash in the box room today as i was passing.

I see what she means about sore head. I only did this bit you see in the photo & could feel my head going a bit. The window & door was open wide. Not sure if it's because i initially had the gun focused on one area for a while before i moved to just heating the end of the scraper as i glided it along.

Anyway, just out of curiosity... i'm not damaging the wood here am i? I see a patch that is dark (where i held it for some time) & the rest being lighter:


What is that lighter stuff? & do you just keep at it to remove this to dark?

missprice

Undercoat maybe?

JustAnotherSaver

Not sure tbh. It's sort of glue like.

I did a bit more today all the same. Once i got the paint off & started taking off that mustard looking glue like stuff, the wood underneath looked quite nice.

Though when the heat got to it i could smell something very familiar ....... creosote. I bet it's not the new version either.




You can get lead test kits cant you? Can you get them that aren't £30?