How to Remove Lead Paint

Ron's second visit for this show took us to the Cape Cod town of Bourne, Massachusetts, where Phil and Kiki Tura had just married and purchased their dream house. When they heard that Ron would be in the area, they decided to postpone the honeymoon, and begin the restoration of their one hundred and three-year-old home. They wanted to begin by stripping the paint from the front door and see what was underneath. They invited Ron to help. Because the door was so old, some of the layers of paint undoubtedly contained lead. Ron recommended taking extra precautions when doing this project to avoid a health risk.

Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

1. Remove door:

• To remove the door, it is necessary to lift it off the hinge pins. To get some leverage and to save your back Ron recommends using a pry bar and a block of wood to lift from the bottom of the door.
• Carry the door to a well-ventilated workspace like a garage or a barn. Place the door on a protected surface at a good working height.

• Removing the hardware will reveal some of the layers of paint giving you an idea of just how many layers you will be dealing with.
• If there is glass in your door, check the condition of the glaziers putty holding the glass in place. If it is in bad shape, you will need to remove it. Scrape out the old putty and remove the glass.

3. First stripper application:

• Because lead was a common ingredient in house paints until the late 1970's Ron recommends taking extra precautions. Although removing paint with chemical strippers is much safer than sanding and scraping, it is still important to use the right safety gear: respirators, disposable paper coveralls, rubber gloves and safety goggles.

• Use a paste type stripper that will cling to the molding and detail work. Apply the stripper with brushes by laying it on the surface. Over brushing can cause the effective ingredients to evaporate, making the stripper less effective. After a few minutes, the paint will begin to soften and bubble.

• Use a wide putty knife to remove several layers of paint at a time. Brass bristle brushes are the best tools for removing loose paint from the molding.
• Sometimes, after you have removed as much paint as you can, there are still 2 or 3 layers remaining, which the stripper you were using just won't touch. At this point, you will have to change to a different kind of stripper.

4. Second stripper application:

• The next stripper you might try is a paste alkaline stripper. This is a highly alkaline product, somewhat like dilute Drano in a paste form. This type of stripper is water based and doesn't have any fumes but you will still need to keep your eyes and hands protected. Apply this stripper with a putty knife and spread it onto the flat surfaces as though you are frosting a cake. A brush works best when applying the paste to molding and other irregular surfaces.

• You need to keep this stripper wet for 24 hours to get it to really work. Use freezer paper with the shiny side up and press it firmly in contact with the stripper to eliminate as much air as possible. Also cover the door with heavy plastic sheeting and then leave it overnight.
• Next morning, gently remove the paper and paint together using wide and narrow putty knives. Whatever stripper or paint you can't scrape off, you can wash off with a sponge and water. It is important to not allow this stripper to dry so you will need to work in one section at a time.
• Sometimes after following all of the steps above, all of the paint still won't come off. Ron recommends attempting one last application of stripper in this case.

5. Finish door:

• If all of the paint is eventually removed, you can then stain and varnish the door. Or, if you prefer, you can let it dry, sand it and then prime and paint it. If you intend to repaint the door, it is not necessary to remove every last speck of the old paint.

6. Replace the glass and hardware:

• Replace the glass using fresh glaziers putty. Polish and replace the old hardware, or replace it with new hardware.

THE RESULTS:
Ron was truly honored that the Turas were willing to put off their honeymoon to spend time with him working on this restoration project. It didn't go totally as everyone expected and the 100-year-old paint was much more stubborn than anticipated. Kiki told Ron it was very reassuring to see that things don't always go smoothly even for the experts. She said the experience gave her renewed encouragement to continue attempting projects on her own!