Rubbing down woodwork -- lead worries

[Heartsease]

We are redecorating our new house and I am pondering the woodwork situation. The house was built in 1930 and, judging from the layers (and layers, and layers...) of wallpaper we stripped off it has been enthusiastically reimagined throughout its life without anything ever really being removed.

Is it OK to just rub down the woodwork and paint it or is that likely to create lead dust? I can't really face chemical stripping it all (skirtings, door frames and picture rails throughout a 3 bed semi). Some advice I have read says that I should wet sand it (or damp). Does that just mean wetting the sandpaper? Or the wood?

The whole place is completely empty right now and staying that way till done. Thoughts and experiences welcome!

bumping for you as I'm interested too...

Can't you get a kit to test for lead using a flake of paint? You need several samples from different areas.

You are wise to be wary. Friends bought a really old wooden house in Oz and renovated it. When it was far too late they discovered the sanding had filled the place with lead dust. The kids had to go to hospital for what I think was called chelation therapy to clear out as much as possible from their bodies. They have been warned the most affected DC might have experienced a noticeable IQ drop as a result.

You can imagine how they feel!

Yes, we can do the tests but I think it's pretty likely that there will be some somewhere (though maybe I'm wrong -- I have no idea how high the actual incidence is). I'm very keen to get on with it.

The story about your friends is awful, ampere, really terrible. Were they sanding the walls then, if the house was wooden? We're just looking at the standard interior woodwork, but obviously still worth worrying about.

I'm finding the info online rather polarised. There are US sites which say everything must be sealed and disposed of with terrifying meticulousness, preferably by professionals, but then B and Q and Homebase don't even seem to sell the testing kits. Given how many old houses there are in this country, and how many people merrily engaging in redecorating, it seems strange that there isn't more mesasured information circulating, hence wondering what people's real experience was.

Yes, the Americans take it more seriously, and have home test kits whereas it's impossible to find them here (I tried). Americans are far more aware of it than us. Lead paint was used up til the 70's so if it's a 30's house just assume it is lead to be on the safe side.
Safe methods are chemical, but I can see what you mean about how grim that would be and of course the fumes would mean you'd have to keep the kids out too.
Wet sanding means using a particular type of sand paper called "Wet and Dry". It's black whereas regular sand paper is Sandy coloured and it's sold in ALL hardware/DIY shops. You wet it then rub down the woodwork so the dust is wet and gooey and sticks to the sand paper rather than flying around and filling your house with lead dust. Then dispose of the wet and dry paper so it's safely in a bin bag before it dries out. If any paint is loose peal it off with a paint scraper then bin it; don't leave flakes lying around as if you stomp on them they'll become lead dust and float around.
Before you all move back in do a THOROUGH clean up i.e. hoovering all surfaces with a good hoover that has a HEPA filter (i.e. picks up fine dust). A Henry is quite good. Then a thorugh mopping (again thorough, not just moving the dirt around the floor)
Instead of normal dusters (which just sweep the dust around so it lands elsewhere) use Tack cloths if you can; they're sticky dusters that are used to dust surfaces before painting in industries like car spraying that need a surface to not have a single hair on them or it shows up in the paint job. They're sold in car body shop suppliers. I think SURPREP is a brand name.

ampere - did the parents have to pay for that treatment? and bobuild in America for the tests? Imagine the conversation with the NHS GP, " I'm thinking of redecorating"...Take sensible precautions such as face masks when sanding anything and clean up afterwards. It's not as if children are chewing on lead as they did with pencils years ago.

I am also watching this thread with interest as I need to redo my 1830 house and as with you,there are layers and layers of paint on the skirting boards and general paintwork.I think paler colours,especially white tend to be higher in lead as its the lead that gives the white pigmentation.It was phased out in the 60's so anything 70's or later would probably be fine.

Unless you are contemplating a career working with lead products I do not think you have anything to worry about. Take precautions such as face mask when rubbing down paintwork etc. We have done this and my tip is to use a hot gun stripper ever time, don't bother with chemical stripper. Which ever you choose you will have to sandpaper/smooth which is better done wearing a mask. As a general decorating tip, the better the prep the better and longer lasting the finish.

Thanks for reviving this thread, bobbuild, and for all the tips. I think wet sanding is the way to go, I'm feeling much less anxious about it now. Had never heard of tack cloths so that's also a good one. I need to get on with this now we have mist coated all the new plaster but still have grim woodwork. We've chemical stripped the stairs and that's the last I'm going to be doing. Doors will be sent to a company to be done en masse. Chatelaine, thanks for your thoughts definitely masks all the way.

Actually bobbuild I just read your thread aloud to my DP and I think I was not fulsome enough in my thanks. It's an awesome post. Thank you .

Hiya,
I'm British and in the U.K Chateline.
Yes hot gun stripper also another way to go with it; but the fumes will be bad for you so wear a suitable mask (a fumes mask, not not just dust mask), and again pick up flakes and dispose of, as left lying around will get stomped on and turned into dust.
And a kid eating even a small flake of lead paint is going to be harmful so I think you're wise to be taking precautions.
Also you reminded me that we did send the doors off to be stripped and anything else easily removed, like built in cupboards (well, easier to remove than skirtings and door surrounds)
Good luck and glad I could be of help.