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How Painters Deal With Layers of Lead-Based Paint on Your Walls

How a Las Vegas Painter Handles Lead-Based Paint on Your Walls

Many brands added lead to their paints in past years because it helped the paint resist moisture and dry faster. While you might find this substance in red and yellow shades, it was also a common additive in some white paints. There are many health risks associated with this type of paint such as cancer and kidney damage. Hiring a Las Vegas painter helps you find out what to do about the multiple layers of lead paint on your walls.

Why Do You Need to Take Care of Lead Paint?

You need to take care of lead paint because anyone in your family can inhale some of the particles. This often happens when the walls have some damage that causes the paint to come off of them. Kids who grow up in a home with lead paint are more likely to suffer from behavioral problems, delayed growth, nerve damage, and other medical conditions. Regular exposure to the paint can also cause joint and muscle pain, kidney and nerve damage, vision and hearing loss, and high blood pressure. House painters know what to do when they come across lead paint on job sites.

Identifying Lead Paint

Though you don’t need a Las Vegas painter to help you identify lead paint, they can help. Homes built before 1940 have a higher chance of having lead paint, but homes built in the 1950s through the 1970s can also contain this type of lead. If a previous owner renovated your home during one of those eras, you’ll also want to look for lead paint. Look for house painters in Las Vegas who can test for lead. They can take samples directly from your walls and find out if any of the layers have lead.

Using a Las Vegas Painter for Lead Inspection

When you search for a painter near me, you can look for someone who can perform a lead inspection. Always choose this option before you start scrapping the old paint off your walls. An inspection also comes in handy if you have paint peeling off your walls or areas that show some damage. A residential or commercial painter will wear the right gear as they remove some of the paint. They often have access to testing kits that give them instant results on the spot. Some painters may prefer to send the samples to a lab for further testing.

Assess Your Risk

Another way in which Vegas painters help with lead paint is that they can assess your overall risk. You might worry that you have lead in your home and wonder if your children ingest the particles. The painter will go over your home and look for hazards. They might find signs that your child licks or bites a wall and test the paint found there. Painters usually focus on areas that already show damage when they assess your risk. They can then come up with a way to deal with the multiple layers of paint they see.

Lead Paint Removal

If you decide that you want to remove all of the lead paint in your home, hire a painting company in Las Vegas that can handle the job. They can use either wet scraping or wet sanding to remove it. Some painters also use wire brushes. They wear protective gear that keeps them safe and stops them from inhaling the particles. With wet scraping, they use a heat gun or a liquid remover that softens the paint. The scraping tools help them peel off each layer. Wet sanding uses similar tools along with a vacuum that keeps the particles from floating around your home. Using a wire brush works just as well.

Paint Encapsulation

You can also hire a Las Vegas painter for paint encapsulation. This allows them to seal certain areas of your home and contain the lead paint particles. They usually apply a special type of paint that forms a protective coating over any surfaces where they find lead. They may need to apply several coats to give you the protection you need. One problem with encapsulation is that it can wear off with time, especially on surfaces like your doors and windows. Each time you open them, you remove a small layer of the protective coating.

Enclosure for Lead Paint

Another way a residential painter can deal with layers of lead paint is with enclosure. While it’s similar to encapsulation, it usually uses a standard type of paint. The painter will often apply multiple layers of new paint, which seals in the lead paint and keeps it hidden behind a new barrier. This option is only suitable in areas where the lead paint is in good condition and doesn’t show any signs of damage. Enclosure is often a cheaper alternative to removal, but encapsulation is the cheapest solution.

Can You Remove Lead Paint Yourself?

No, you cannot remove or treat lead paint yourself. There are far too many dangers associated with the job. Lead paint is a hazardous material. You cannot simply throw it out with the rest of your trash or take it to a Vegas dump. It must go to a facility that can properly dispose of it to keep the community safe. Doing the job yourself is also risky because you may release particles into your environment that make your kids or partner sick.

Choosing the Best Solution

The best solution for you depends on the amount of lead paint in your home, its overall condition, and your budget. Areas that show a lot of scratches and other damage often require removal. A residential painter can remove each layer of paint safely and apply new coats of paint. If you want to stick to a smaller budget, encapsulation is a good option for you. Go with enclosure if you can afford to spend a little more and have walls that are in good shape.

Get Help with Lead Paint

Lead paint was a common type of paint for decades. Painters used it both on the inside and outside of residential homes and commercial buildings. The particles that come off the paint can lead to serious diseases and conditions. Working with a Las Vegas painter is the best way to take care of the problem. They offer services that include enclosure, encapsulation, and removal. Hire a company that can walk you through all of your options and pick the best one. Getting rid of lead paint starts with one phone call to a local painting company in Las Vegas.

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