Lead paint: Encyclopedia II - Lead paint - Lead paint in buildings

Lead paint - Lead paint in buildings

One practical way to protect children from lead based paint and lead poisoning is to simply repaint with any modern paint and to repaint any areas where the paint peels or chips in a timely fashion. Children will be unlikely to consume any lead paint because the newly painted surface will not taste sweet. There are many laws regarding lead-based paint remediation, so you may be required to do more than repainting. In preparing the surface for painting, be aware that sanding may create undesirable lead dust; it is preferable to use a liquid sander/degreaser.

Lead test kits are used to test for the presence of lead, but an informed guess can be made if the date of construction of a home is known. Despite mounting evidence of the effects of its use, lead white was widely used in paints in the USA until about 1960, when the danger became too widely known to be ignored. It was rapidly replaced by paint manufacturers and by the time national legislation came into effect in 1978 outlawing its use in the USA, lead was uncommon as a pigment. Homes older than 1960 almost certainly contain lead paint, homes built between 1960 and 1965 are likely to contain lead paint, whilst those built between 1966 and 1978 are not likely to. Homes built after 1978 probably do not contain lead paint.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Lead paint in buildings", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki