Whether you own a commercial property you wish to renovate or you are going to rent any commercial building to run your business, you should be concerned about the condition or type of paint. And most importantly, it is crucial to be aware of the importance of lead abatement along with laws and regulations surrounding lead-based paint to be protected from dangerous lead particles. Because if your commercial structure contains lead paints, it raises the chances to cause potential dangers of lead poisoning.
If you hold minimum knowledge about lead-based paint, you might wonder what it looks like, how you would know if you have lead paint in your commercial property, and what to do if you have one.
Keep reading to learn more about lead paint, its effects and the dealing process.
What is lead paint?
Simply, the term lead paint or lead-based paint is used to describe any paint containing lead. Lead is one kind of metal that affects multiple body systems and gives to various health problems in humans. Hence lead-based paint has loads of toxic substances, and it becomes more dangerous in the deteriorating phase- peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking etc. Even a small portion of dust or chips of paint containing lead can cause health hazards damaging the kidney, brain, nerves and blood. Otherwise, lead in paint is never an issue if it is not damaged and disturbed.
Why is lead paint removal necessary?
Lead used to be a popular ingredient in paint till the fact has been discovered that exposure to lead paint, dust or chips can cause serious health issues. If there is any old commercial structure, there is a huge possibility that some part of the property is coated in these harmful substances. And if the removal of lead is not done for a more extended period, there could be a high chance of contamination or exposure due to lead poisoning, and lead poisoning can be fatal both for children and adults.
Symptoms such as developmental delay, loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, abdominal pain, and high blood pressure are some of the significant issues that come with irreversible damage. In extreme cases, these may cause seizures, disabilities, unconsciousness, or death.
Determine whether your commercial property has lead paint
Though lead-based paint has been banned in many places, it is still used on walls or woodwork in various apartment and commercial building projects, or sometimes it could be just found probably under layers of repainted work. That is why often you might not spot lead-based paint just by looking at it.
So if you are unaware that the property that you own has a lead-based paint issue, you can try on lead-based paint testing kits. But these kits might not be as safe and valid as professional analysis and testing. However, one most reliable way is to take help from any certified professional painting company to conduct a risk assessment and check for lead-based paint on your property. Because they have trained and certified professionals who maintain Australian standard and can conduct environmental lab tests or use leading testing equipment to spot lead from paint samples.
Choose any of the preferred lead paint removal options
Once you detect the presence of lead paint at your commercial place, you need to begin the lead abatement activities. And when it comes to choosing how to deal with lead paint, there are four basic lead abatement methods that you can use.
Encapsulation
This process uses a special coating to create a watertight bond and seal the lead-based paint securing the hazardous elements within. Even if you want to do it yourself, it will be the least complicated and one of the cheapest methods. However, this method might not work well for high-traffic areas as a long-lasting solution as the encapsulation layers might wear off over a period.
Enclosure
You can use this method to cover up anything that is painted with lead-based paint with a new solid solution. You can cover any old surfaces with a new one, be it by covering your plaster walls with new drywall or by covering windowsills with aluminium or vinyl. Again like the encapsulation method, this one is also not a permanent fix.
Removal
This method completely removes the lead paint and can be done using a variety of approaches. To perform this lead-based paint removal task, you need certified professionals with experience in effectively removing lead paint. Because this removal method will create lead dust or debris during the process, which needs to be wet down to avoid any possible harm, a professional with access to expert removal equipment can do the job with care.
Replacement
Compared to other methods, this one is pretty straightforward. However, if you don’t want to be involved in any other abatement method, you can try removing the entire area with a new product. Such as, if your building’s door and windows contain lead paint, you can replace them with a brand new one, leaving all concerns since there will be no lead-based paint in your commercial property. But yes, this process will be expensive!
Mind all the safety considerations
While practising lead removal processes, it is vital to take safety precautions to ensure the process is as safe as possible. Such as:
- You can’t chip, scrape or apply any form of friction against the lead paint surface or else it will release poisonous lead dust particles into the air.
- You can’t carry or throw away any lead chips, debris or dust from the site; you need to follow guidelines for proper disposal.
- Personal protective equipment, including disposable coveralls, goggles, gloves, and respirators, must be available to prevent lead dust contamination.
- You must keep children or at-risk adults away from the workplace while keeping the site as clean as possible.
- You should avoid forbidden lead removal methods like open-flame burning or abrasive blasting.
Always hire a specialist to eliminate the lead paint hazard
Now, if you are planning to try the abatement process by yourself, you need to keep in mind that the danger and costs of repeating the same approach won’t be worth the time or money if it can’t be done the first time correctly. And to do the lead based paint removal job right for the first time, choosing a certified technician is always a wise option. Because while removing this harmful pollutant, a professional will go for the right option depending on the size of your project and maintain proper seal-off with all needed safety precautions.
So before it poses a significant hazard, it’s best to be left to professional painting contractors. And Priority One Coatings is one such certified lead-safe renovation contractor you can contact to get the lead out of your commercial or household premises and experience an end-to-end lead paint removal and repair solution.
