Lead Remediation Services

Methods of Lead Remediation

An important aspect in hiring someone to remediate your home is to make sure they are knowledgeable professionals with the correct licensure and certifications. What people don’t often realize however, is that there are many different methods to consider. A homeowner can choose between replacement, enclosure, encapsulation,  or paint removal (scraping, hand stripping or dipping) depending on what they are looking for. The best method will depend on particular requirements, such as the age of the home, woodwork design and whether the homeowner would like to preserve the historic appearance. Northeast Remediation will guide you through selecting the best method for you and your home that will ensure not only safety, but the best final finish

Replacement involves removing the hazardous components in your home that contain lead paint and replacing them with new parts that are lead free. For example, door frames and windows can easily be replaced. This is a great option for people that want to update certain areas of their homes, because it is a permanent solution for ridding your home of lead.  Although it makes sense, it does create a large amount of lead dust, so the proper steps must be taken by professionals to ensure a safe environment.

Enclosure is also offered, where a professional covers the lead based paint with a solid barrier. Examples of enclosure would be vinyl siding, drywall, plywood and tile. Wall paper is not considered an appropriate enclosure, unless it’s vinyl, because it is not dust-tight. Chipping paint will still exist in this instance, but proper protective covering has been applied so that no lead dust or paint chips can be released. The down side to enclosure is that you have not eliminated the lead paint; you have only created a temporary fix that will need to be monitored closely.

Encapsulation is another method available, which involves coating the lead-based paint so that the lead is not accessible. Encapsulation is best used on areas that are intact and in good condition.  If the encapsulate is applied poorly, it will not be effective in keeping lead dust sealed. This method is also not considered to be a permanent solution, as the component can fall out of compliance should any damage occur to the encapsulation.

Paint Removal requires the removal of lead paint off of certain walls, baseboards, doorways, and window sills. The most common way to remove lead paint is by scraping or wet scraping the area. This process completely removes all traces of lead, which is extremely beneficial, but a large amount of labor and cleanup is involved.

Chemical Hand Stripping/Dipping: Another removal option is chemical hand stripping or dipping, where old paint is removed by submerging the components into a chemical bath.  This is done off-site with Tustic soda acid.  The bath takes four to six hours and then the part is hand sanded.  For larger pieces, the lead paint is removed through the hand application of Tustic soda acid and the part is sanded to remove burrs and irregularities.  Many people prefer this approach, as it helps preserve original and hard to replace woodwork.