Spot-treating bubbling/peeling lead paint

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bh_homeowner

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I just bought a house that was built in 1921 (2 br, 1 ba, 1000 sq. ft.). I've already confirmed lead paint in a number of areas that I already suspected due to the age of the home. The interior paint is in excellent condition, except for a few problem areas. I have a peeling spots in the bathroom of roughly 36 sq. in. and I have some bubbling paint on a section of molding in the living room also about 36 sq. in. No kids, just my fiancée and I.

I wanted to spot-treat the problem areas. What kind of precautions do I need to take to limit dust and exposure for just those areas? Do I need to cover everything/move everything out of the room, clean up with a HEPA vacuum, seal off doorways, etc.? I'm pretty OCD about most things, and would like to keep any lead contamination to a minimum. Initially, I was thinking about wet-scraping/sanding, then priming, then repainting. But, now I'm also considering chemically-stripping those areas.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
 
Small areas are fairly easy to correct with wet sanding, and for the bathroom prime all the walls and ceilings with a transitional primer before repainting. The same will work for the small area of molding.
 
Great. Thanks!

So, since it's less than 6 square feet, no need to take any extra lead-related precautions, right?

Not at all.

What ever makes you comfortable.

I quoted you the method I would use, however I've been stripping, sanding and refinishing many finishes for over 60yrs. and have only occasionally used a dust mask or respirator, and never a hazmat suit.
 
Use a putty knife to scrape back to where the adhesion is good. Expect the problem spot to expand a bit. You don't want to create dust, but the paint chips are relatively safe. Wear a simple dust mask if you want to, and vacuum thoroughly when you're finished scraping.
 
Use a putty knife to scrape back to where the adhesion is good. Expect the problem spot to expand a bit. You don't want to create dust, but the paint chips are relatively safe. Wear a simple dust mask if you want to, and vacuum thoroughly when you're finished scraping.

Is this not the reason for all the lead paint hype, ie, eating paint chips?
Do not let your children chew on trim and or eat paint chips, problem solved.
 
Is this not the reason for all the lead paint hype, ie, eating paint chips?
Do not let your children chew on trim and or eat paint chips, problem solved.
Ok, I admit that I assumed there were no children involved. :hide:And I also assumed that any good parent would know this automatically. My bad.
I meant that the lead would be contained if there was no dust created - as in sanding - and I did mention to clean up the chips
 

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