Lead paint in pre-1970 Sunshine Coast homes: testing and safe repainting

Is there lead paint in my house? Probably, if it was built before 1970

Start with the age of the house. The federal Lead Alert booklet says paints with as much as 50 percent lead went on the inside and outside of homes built before 1950. Paint with more than 1 percent lead was still in use until the late 1960s. As a rule of thumb, lead in paint was limited to 1 percent by 1970.

Queensland has its own twist. The Queensland Government says the state passed a law in 1923 to limit lead in paint. Paint made in other states still had more lead in it, and it was often used here. That's why lead paint still turns up in Queensland homes long after the law changed.

A house from the 1970s or later isn't automatically clear. The booklet says newer homes can still carry paint with more than 1 percent lead, mostly where old paint, industrial paint or marine paint was used. A renovated house can fool you too. WorkSafe Queensland says lead paint is sometimes hidden under newer coats.

Where lead paint hides on an old Queenslander

On an older timber house, lead paint can turn up on a lot of painted surfaces. WorkSafe Queensland says it's most likely on window frames, doors, skirting boards, kitchen and bathroom cupboards, exterior walls, gutters, metal surfaces and fascias on homes built before 1970. Interior walls can have it too.

• Weatherboards and frames. The Lead Alert booklet says white lead went into topcoats on weatherboards, structural timbers, window frames and door frames.
• Undercoats. A pink primer made from red and white lead was used as an undercoat on inside and outside timbers, according to the booklet. The Queensland Government says lead was used to make red undercoats.
• Window sills. The booklet says red lead primer was often used on timber window sills and bare timber well into the 1970s.
• Fences and railings. White lead was used on fences and railings. Fences made from recycled roof iron often have red lead paint on the overlaps.
• Render. White lead was also used on cement render, so a rendered wall from that era needs the same care.
• Colours. The Queensland Government says lead was a common colouring agent in white, yellow and orange paint.

The oldest layer is usually the one that matters. A house that's been repainted many times can have a modern topcoat sitting over a lead undercoat. That's why a test has to reach the bottom layers, which the booklet says are the most likely to hold lead.

Lead paint is safe while it's sound. Sanding makes it dangerous.

Lead paint in good condition mostly stays put. Dulux says the lead stays safely locked in place as long as the paint film isn't disturbed. Queensland Health says lead paint that isn't peeling or flaking, or that's covered by a coat of lead-free paint in good condition, doesn't present a health risk.

The risk starts with dust. The Queensland Government says lead poisoning can happen when sanders and grinders are used to remove paint. They make a lot of lead dust that can be breathed in or swallowed. Dulux says dry sanding or scraping does the same thing. Peeling, flaking or chalky lead paint is also a hazard for young children, who may pick it up and eat it. The lead doesn't stay on the wall either. The Queensland Government says lead paint can get into the soil around a home.

Young children and unborn babies are most at risk. Queensland Health says children under five absorb about half the lead they swallow, and that lead can damage the nervous system, kidneys and reproductive system. The Lead Alert booklet says one paint flake the size of a five cent piece can raise blood lead levels for several weeks.

If you think someone has breathed in or swallowed lead dust, Dulux's advice is to see a doctor for a blood test.

Testing for lead paint: a kit gives a hint, a lab gives the answer

You can't tell lead paint by looking at it. WorkSafe Queensland says to test every surface and every layer of paint that's going to be removed, because lead paint can't be identified by how it looks.

A negative kit result on an old house isn't the end of it. WorkSafe Queensland says kits can give false results. If a swab reads negative on a house old enough for lead paint, assume it's there or get a lab test. Dulux calls home kits a guide that may not give a true or reliable reading.

Test the oldest paint. The Lead Alert booklet says to test the underside of a paint flake, because the older layers are more likely to have lead in them. On our jobs, an older house gets a lead test before any sanding starts.

Cover it or remove it: your options for lead paint

Sound lead paint can usually be painted over. The Lead Alert booklet says that if lead paint is in good condition and isn't flaking or chalking, you can cover it by painting over it. WorkSafe Queensland says paint in good condition may not need removing unless a major renovation is planned.

Painting over has limits. The booklet calls it a temporary fix that lasts only as long as the paint and the surface under it. It says the only way to get rid of a lead hazard is to safely remove lead paint that's breaking down.

Some spots should come off even on a sound house. The booklet lists architraves, skirting boards, balustrades, stair treads and sash windows, because they get knocked, chipped, rubbed or chewed by children. Swapping old skirting boards, architraves and window sashes for new ones is a good option. On a heritage listed house, the booklet notes that replacing parts isn't always possible.

Some methods are off the table. Dulux's list of unsafe practices for old paint rules out dry sanding and dry scraping, by hand or with a power tool. It also rules out sandblasting, high pressure water blasting, heat guns and open flame burners. So a house with lead paint shouldn't get a high pressure wash before painting either. WorkSafe Queensland is a little less strict on heat. It allows a heat gun only if it's kept below 200ºC, because toxic fumes can form from that temperature.

How a lead-safe exterior repaint is set up

Containment comes first. WorkSafe Queensland's guide to working with lead paint sets out how the site should be run, and it makes a handy checklist for any quote.

1. Do the outside before the inside. WorkSafe says to finish exterior work first, then clear any dust that got indoors during the interior clean up.
2. Lay plastic sheeting over the ground and garden, two metres out from the house plus one more metre for each storey.
3. Hang tarps or plastic from the gutters down to the ground sheet, so dust can't drift next door.
4. Close windows and doors, move play equipment away, and cover sandpits.
5. Ask the neighbours to close their windows and doors while the outside work is done.
6. Keep pregnant women, children and pets away from the work area.
7. Stop on windy days, because dust and paint flakes can blow off the plastic as they dry.
8. Workers wear a half face respirator with a P2 filter during removal and clean up.
9. Clean up with a HEPA vacuum. WorkSafe says brooms, compressed air and ordinary vacuums spread lead dust.
10. Bag the waste and check with the council's waste team on how to dispose of it.

The Lead Alert booklet adds a few more rules. Don't pour lead contaminated water down the drain or onto the garden. Don't burn old painted timber. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children and pets should leave the home while lead paint is being disturbed, and only come back once the dust and debris are cleared.

Lead paint removal is a job for a trained painter. The Lead Alert booklet says homes with lead paint should ideally be assessed and fixed by trained professionals. Dulux says reading advice doesn't give anyone the training to do it. If you plan a small job yourself, read the full booklet first.

What to ask a painter before they touch old paint

Ask about training first. The Lead Alert booklet says to ask whether the painter has a nationally recognised qualification in safe lead paint removal, and to ask to see the certificate. Its checklist for getting quotes covers the rest. Ask each painter to tell you:

• Whether they'll test for lead before work starts, and how.
• Which removal method they'll use.
• How they'll contain the dust and protect the garden, in writing.
• Whether they've done a Safe Work Method Statement for the job.
• How they'll clean up, and how the waste will be disposed of.

Here's how we handle it. J. James Painting holds QBCC licence 1281728 and is qualified for lead paint and asbestos work. We'll show you the certificates if you ask. On an older house, the lead test comes first and the sander comes later. If the result is positive, you see how the work will be contained, with the safety paperwork, before any old paint is touched. Testing and careful prep add hours to the job, and those hours sit on their own line in the quote.

Heritage Queenslanders sit with our high end project painting service, where timber repair and lead-safe prep happen before the first coat. For other older homes, see our exterior painting service or our lead and asbestos work. We work right across the Sunshine Coast, including hinterland towns like Maleny.