sealing surface that potentially has lead paint

[john snowdon]

Hi all,
I have a stack of wood that comes from a carriage house built in our town in 1780. The wood was saved during a restoration project and kept under cover outside for at least 10-15 years. Some of the pieces are amazing; 11' long, 13"+ wide. My concern today is a few of the pieces have a very weathered white paint on them, potentially lead paint, as I have no idea when the paint was applied. It is a beautiful weathered look that I would like to use for making a freestanding snowman Christmas decoration. Given the potential exposure, my thought was to seal the entire painted surface with helmsman poly first, prior to working with it and then again after. Will it be safe(r) to work with that way or am I just fooling myself. Thanks for your thoughts!

[Doug Dawson]

Hi all,
I have a stack of wood that comes from a carriage house built in our town in 1780. The wood was saved during a restoration project and kept under cover outside for at least 10-15 years. Some of the pieces are amazing; 11' long, 13"+ wide. My concern today is a few of the pieces have a very weathered white paint on them, potentially lead paint, as I have no idea when the paint was applied. It is a beautiful weathered look that I would like to use for making a freestanding snowman Christmas decoration. Given the potential exposure, my thought was to seal the entire painted surface with helmsman poly first, prior to working with it and then again after. Will it be safe(r) to work with that way or am I just fooling myself. Thanks for your thoughts!

There are lead test kits that you can buy on Amazon, to find out for sure.

If it were me, and I had a patch of wood that tested positive for lead paint, I’d take the board outside and remove the patch with an old jack plane. The shavings should be gathered up in a bag and disposed of in accordance with the laws of your local jurisdiction. I’d also wear disposable gloves and a dust mask.

[Curt Harms]

There are lead test kits that you can buy on Amazon, to find out for sure.

If it were me, and I had a patch of wood that tested positive for lead paint, I’d take the board outside and remove the patch with an old jack plane. The shavings should be gathered up in a bag and disposed of in accordance with the laws of your local jurisdiction. I’d also wear disposable gloves and a dust mask.

That seems like a pretty sensible course of action. A hand plane would mean no dust, airborne dust from sanding would be a problem. Another option would be to strip the pieces and dispose of the residue properly. Lead test kits used to be available at hardware stores and home centers as well.

[Andrew Seemann]

The only problem with planing or stripping the (potential) lead paint is that it would be removing the weathered paint look and patina he wants to use the boards for in the first place:)

I've always wondered that about all the true weathered antique stuff they have at places like restaurants, if it is actual white lead. Based on the size of some of the flakes, I would think some of it is.

A lead paint kit would at least answer the question if it is lead at all and if it needs to be worried about.

[Doug Dawson]

The only problem with planing or stripping the (potential) lead paint is that it would be removing the weathered paint look and patina he wants to use the boards for in the first place:)

I've always wondered that about all the true weathered antique stuff they have at places like restaurants, if it is actual white lead. Based on the size of some of the flakes, I would think some of it is.

A lead paint kit would at least answer the question if it is lead at all and if it needs to be worried about.

There are modern ways of reproducing that old weathered paint look. Presumably the wood is currently “painted” on only one side, so on an outdoor wooden sculpture that is to be viewed from both sides, if I get what the OP wants to do, the tukas side is gonna have to be painted to match anyway.

The problem is the sawdust, and just because the lead paint is encapsulated, doesn’t mean the lead isn’t gonna be in the dust.

[Bruce King]

There are lead test kits that will show negative then test with a different brand and it’s positive. This info was obtained by a friend that got led astray by the first test. You would have to use at least two testing brands and two tests each on different areas. You can save all that trouble and assume it has lead paint somewhere because, well it does. Some home sellers try to say they had it all removed so the fix for that is ok, where is your receipt for the thousands you spent on it. No one ever has that receipt.

[Lee Schierer]

You can buy lead test kits at any of the big box stores. The test takes a few seconds.

[Curt Harms]

The only problem with planing or stripping the (potential) lead paint is that it would be removing the weathered paint look and patina he wants to use the boards for in the first place:)




True :o So the only choice I see would be some sort of encapsulation.

[Andrew Seemann]

True :o So the only choice I see would be some sort of encapsulation.

Or just using new materials and doing the age-it-up thing. Given the option, I would probably do that, and save the reclaimed stuff for where you could remove the paint completely and use it for something where the wide, 200-year-old board look is more valuable than a snowman decoration:)

[David Utterback]

If you want to go ahead with the project, think of ways to minimize the steps required. Sawing with a power tool might be as hazardous as sanding. You might consider working outdoors and, if doing a lot of sawing, lay down a tarp to catch the dust. Wear an N95 or P100 dust mask and gloves which should not be reused. Good luck!

[john snowdon]

Thank you for the responses. I decided to pass on the project this season as I had too many other presents to complete. I did not know about the lead test and will definitely do that, tho' I am pretty sure I know how it will turn out. Still, well worth doing. The kids love the look of this particular painted board so the idea is to keep the surface as is as much as possible. Plus, the wood comes from a home in our small town so they like the idea of a piece of local history from home now that they moved a state away. The piece I am considering using is only about 3' x16" and would hang on a wall when cut down and finished. The long boards I have will definitely not be used for ornaments. Not using the TS and sawing outside sounds like a smart idea, too. Off to Amazon to buy a couple of kits. I really appreciate the responses!