Help - how to refurbish fireplace (inc. lead paint?)

PlumLuck

I moved into a house a few months ago that has 1 remaining fireplace - all the rest have been removed. It is in the spare bedroom so doesn't need to look perfect but as you can see it's not looking so great right now!

I am trying to decide between stripping all the paint and polishing it (I assume it's cast iron, but I'm not sure) or just painting over it in black. The top layer of paint in some areas has chipped away to reveal a bright green paint, which I tested with some lead paint test strips, most of which came out as detecting lead. We've also found this paint on bits of chipped skirting that we've had removed elsewhere in the house.

I'm concerned that if I don't strip it then I'm just making the problem worse for later down the road... but I also don't know if I want to open that can of worms when it looks like some of the paint isn't easily accessible.

I only have a few days to sort this out before our carpets are being fitted so the less hassle the better!

It'd be great to hear anyone's thoughts on this. What would you do?

FreeBear

Lead paint is not a problem unless you are sanding it down and breathing in the dust. If you really want to get rid of all traces of lead paint, remove the fireplace & mantle and send it off to be chemically stripped.

My recommendation would be to paint it in a satin black. This will seal the surface, so there will be zero risk from an lead unless you actively go chewing on the ironwork.

PlumLuck

Any tips for smoothing out the brick bit at the back?

I don't plan on chewing on it myself but wouldn't put it past a cat in a bad mood...

FreeBear

PlumLuck said: Any tips for smoothing out the brick bit at the back?

Stick a bit of thin ply over the top and seal any gaps around the side with filler. To do anything more would involve hacking out the ugly crud (cement/plaster/filler ?) and making a right mess. You may also open up a bigger can of worms in the process.

FaceHead

I'd propose just painting it.

Stripping it back is a lot of effort (or some expense to have done), and it's good when there is a lot of detail that would get lost to layers and layers of paint. 

Here there isn't a lot of intricate detail that you'd get back by stripping the paint, so I'd propose not to both and just to give it a light sand and paint. 

plumb1_2

Just slap some Zinsser allcoat on it, lead paint won’t do you any harm. I’ve worked with lead pipes and flashings most of my life and not gone mad. Although I do get mad when the price of beer goes up.😡😡😡
More chance of vehicle fumes affecting your bonce than old leaded paint.
But if you wanna get rid of the paint, use a hot air gun, mask and ventilation 

FreeBear

plumb1_2 said: But if you wanna get rid of the paint, use a hot air gun, mask and ventilation 

Chemical stripping will be much safer. A hot air gun will have the potential to produce lead ladened fumes which many types of masks won't filter out.

Jane_Bee

Don't use a heat gun on cast iron. 

Have just been through the very painful process of stripping, id say it depends what look you want. 

Stripping revealed the detail and I used a graphite iron paste to make it look great (can't use on fireplaces that have fire in). 

If you want to strip, getting someone to come take it away and blast the paint off will save you a lot of time. Look up fireplace restoration places locally. 

I ended up using Peelaway 7. Leave this on covered and then use wire brush and rags to take the paint. I expect you might need a few coats like I did. The graphite paste did nicely cover the title bits I couldn't get to. 

It is a lot of faff though. So painting is a nice easy option!

plumb1_2

FreeBear said:

plumb1_2 said: But if you wanna get rid of the paint, use a hot air gun, mask and ventilation 

Chemical stripping will be much safer. A hot air gun will have the potential to produce lead ladened fumes which many types of masks won't filter out.

You’ll breathe in more toxic fumes by Just taking your children to school amongst numerous other simple daily tasks. 

And using chemicals is just adding to global warming, and how do you dispose of these dangerous chemicals after use ? I bet 99% just dumped in the bin. Safe? Not when you get on your skin.
So hot air gun more environmentally friendly  imo.

Jane_Bee

plumb1_2 said:

FreeBear said:

plumb1_2 said: But if you wanna get rid of the paint, use a hot air gun, mask and ventilation 

Chemical stripping will be much safer. A hot air gun will have the potential to produce lead ladened fumes which many types of masks won't filter out.

You’ll breathe in more toxic fumes by Just taking your children to school amongst numerous other simple daily tasks. 

And using chemicals is just adding to global warming, and how do you dispose of these dangerous chemicals after use ? I bet 99% just dumped in the bin. Safe? Not when you get on your skin.
So hot air gun more environmentally friendly  imo.

Unfortunately, using heat gun risks cracking or shattering the cast iron. 

plumb1_2

Jane_Bee said:

plumb1_2 said:

FreeBear said:

plumb1_2 said: But if you wanna get rid of the paint, use a hot air gun, mask and ventilation 

Chemical stripping will be much safer. A hot air gun will have the potential to produce lead ladened fumes which many types of masks won't filter out.

You’ll breathe in more toxic fumes by Just taking your children to school amongst numerous other simple daily tasks. 

And using chemicals is just adding to global warming, and how do you dispose of these dangerous chemicals after use ? I bet 99% just dumped in the bin. Safe? Not when you get on your skin.
So hot air gun more environmentally friendly  imo.

Unfortunately, using heat gun risks cracking or shattering the cast iron. 

Rubbish, I could leave my blowtorch on it and it wouldn’t crack