Lead Paint Issue - Is a minor DIY fix OK?

Hello! I just discovered that my house has some areas where lead paint is present. This concerns me because I have young child (6 years old).

For the most part, the lead paint is under multiple coats of modern paint that is in good condition - and most areas aren't being jostled or bumped up against.

The tricky bits are some of the doors and doorframes, where there's lots of friction. The paint has rubbed off in a few spots, and one area on the edge of a door is in danger of having some potentially toxic bits chip off. Unfortunately, said door is leading to my daughter's room and is close to her bed (see attached photos).

Seeing a good amount of confusing info online about how DIY-able this is. I understand how toxic lead paint is - and it isn't a thing to be taken lightly. That the real danger is either a child eating the paint chips - or that some of these loose bits will release toxic dust if disturbed.

Some sources I see are saying it's OK for a homeowner to handle this - if all I'm doing is using the encapsulation method (i.e. patching the the thin areas of paint with encapsulating primer and a topcoat of the normal paint). The snag is the little edge on my daughter's door where the paint is starting to come up. You can't just slap the encapsulating primer on - a tiny bit of sanding needs to take place.This is driving me a bit nuts. I can either do it myself - use the encapsulation method, and use best practices to wet sand and encapsulate the little 1.5' peeling edge of the door (with PPE, 6mil plastic on all surfaces nearby - blocking my daughters room etc). Or I can spend a bunch of money I don't have on EPA certified lead abatement or an EPA certified painter to deal with the lead issue.

I've considered replacing the door, but it's a weird size and would have to be custom. I also can't easily remove the door and take it outside to do the work (the pins are wedged into the frame - see photo).

Trying to keep my family safe, while not going broke. Any advice? Thoughts?



Thank You

 

I wonder how many people here grew up living in houses or apartments, had class in school rooms, etc. or visited grandparents and friends that had literally every square foot of surface area coated with exposed lead paint...and may have even ingested a good bit of it on purpose thinking their cradle or baby bed was okay to chew on when cutting their teeth.

I'd do what makes sense to you without going overboard crazy with the fix...

 

When people ask questions about diy lead renovations, we typically direct them to the EPA site since it contains the most helpful and informed advice.

https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-safe-renovations-diyers

Also see the box "more information" on that page.

one comment from one of their documents that might prove helpful...

"Minor repair and maintenance activities (6 square feet or less per interior room or 20 square feet or less per exterior project) are exempt from the work practices requirements. However, this exemption does not apply to jobs involving window replacement or demolition, or that involve the use of any of the prohibited practices listed above.."

Are you sanding more than 6 square feet? (24" x 36" area) If not, then it would be "minor" by the EPA's definition.

 

Thanks XSleeper Exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Very Helpful!

 

Can you take the door off the hinges and work on it outside?

 

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I would absolutely feel comfortable working on it myself (or suggesting you do it yourself) since you understand the need for dust containment and cleanup. An EPA certified RRP contractor isn't going to do anything magical and other than 8 hours of training, likely doesn't know any more than you will after reading about lead safe work.

You've already done the most important thing which is to understand the risk. Everything else is just mitigating that risk.