Lead Paint And Rehab - Concerns?
Assuming I close on a certain property, I will be rehabbing it. It was built in 1959 and has lead paint.
The outside of the home is chipping and peeling very badly, and I want to replace the wood with vinyl siding.
Question 1: Would I have to do any work before the siding company comes to install the siding? I would notify them that it has lead paint - will most do this removal?
Question 2: Can the interior be painted over with a special paint, or must it be removed? Assume that the walls were painted with lead, not just trim.
Last, is this that big of a deal to make sure everything is safe? Certainly there are many homes transferred each day with lead paint - so is this a big problem or not?
Thank you for your help.
When you say: It was built in 1959 and has lead paint. is this an assumption or a known, disclosed and documented fact? There is a difference of night and day.
There is a disclosure document for lead based paint on all homes built prior to 1978. The document is to reveal to the buyer that there may be lead on the premises. It doesn't mean that there is for certain. Were there tests done tha show the presence of LBP? Of are you assuming there is based on the LBP disclosure document?
If the house was built in 1959 it probably contains lead paint. When you sell the house your realtor will give you a lead paint disclosure form to sign. This states whether or not the house contains lead paint. I believe most paint manufactured before 1978 contained lead.
Why would you remove the wood siding to cover with vinyl. Just cover it up and be done with it. The inside walls and trim can be covered with a primer sealer and then repainted with latex. Probably 50 yeras from now latex will start killing folks too and we will have to create a new paint to cover that too. The paint is only a problem if you eat it. Do not eat the walls and trim. It is sad that kids have died from lead poision but I believe once again we are going to the extreme.
Good LUCK and Thank You
Hope this helps some
Ted Jr
If your covering the siding I wouldn't worry about "removing" the wood or the paint. Generally we go over the siding and cover the problem area anyway.
The same gose for te inside, paint over it and give the disclosure form at closing.
I am assuming there is lead paint just in case. I would like to know the procedure in case I run into this problem now or in the future.
I am not sure what you mean when you say to just cover up the exising wood...this home has overlapping rows of wood that are not smooth - I'm not sure how you could just cover it with new vinyl siding.
Further, this wood siding really needs to be removed. It looks totally dated and does not fit in with other homes in the area. I was wondering if siding companies have a problem with removing and disposing of this if it has lead paint.
Assuming I were to keep the wood, do you just scrape off loose pieces and then seal and paint?
Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it.
OK generally with lap siding you put an insulation board over the top of it and that helps smooth it out. Most siding contractors do not remove the wood siding they go over the top of it. All that is expesed is the vynil siding and that is all you see. My current home was built in 1916 had lap siding and now has aluminum siding over the top of that. No Big Deal....
Stockpro99,
Thank you, that makes a whole lot of sense. I am sure that is much cheaper as well.
Hey Golden Bear-
You are giving too much concern over the lead paint. It is probably already 5 layers deep into the walls already. The disclosure you have to give just asks you if you have absolutly no doubt it has lead paint or you just don't know. Unless you or someone else had gone to the cost of having it tested, you just state you don't know and move on. If you are worried about your own family or tenants then distribute the flyer that discusses lead based paint hazards. You need to go through no additional costs when dealing with this issue.