Lead Paint Removal Brisbane

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If you’re considering repainting and your home suffers from paint damage, it’s essential to remove all the damaged paint to get the best result and a smooth, even finish. If not, the coatings underneath may continue to continue to blister, flake and peel, taking the fresh paint with them.

If your home was built before 1978, it’s likely that it was painted with lead-based paint. This type of paint was frequently used in homes throughout Australia before the federal government banned it because of the dangers associated with lead. The farther back you go, the higher the lead content, so homes built before 1950, for example, will contain higher levels than those made in the 1960s and 1970s.

Peeling lead paint can be hazardous, so it’s essential to remove it safely. Given the dangers of lead poisoning, removing lead paint needs to be undertaken by a professional. Without the proper safety precautions, if the paint is scraped off and the dust goes airborne, anyone nearby can quickly inhale it, including children, adults and pets. Numerous health problems are associated with lead poisoning, with different levels of severity depending on the amounts inhaled or ingested.

As a professional service for lead based paint removal in Brisbane, we offer two approaches to removing lead paint safely:

Option 1. Full chemical removal

This method involves applying a chemical substance over the entire area. The area is then covered for 12 to 72 hours to let the chemicals make the paint soluble. When we start removing the coatings, depending on the dwell time it can be reasonably easy to scrape off.

The cost for this option is $130 per square meter per application, inclusive of all fees. It’s important to be aware that the number of chemical coats required depends on the number of paint coatings on your home. Other factors include the condition of the current coating and the type of coatings (e.g. the various paints used over the years).

Therefore, applying more than one coat can impact your costs. We use test patches to help determine how many coats are required before beginning any work. However, it can be challenging to fully appreciate how damaged the surface is until we peel back the layers. This method also uses heavy-duty plastic to capture any residue, which is sometimes difficult to clean up.

What a typical chemical removal looks like after we’ve removed all traces of paint

Option 2. Wet sanding

Using a wet sander is an excellent option for safely removing lead paint. This option allows for both total and partial removal, depending on the extent of the paint damage. The rate is also $130 per square metre. Unlike chemical removal however, when using a sander there’s no need for multiple applications, so it can be a more cost-effective solution.

Wet sanding involves establishing a disposable layer of fabric (we use permeable geotextile fabric) that is porous, allowing water to pass through. While water can pass through, no other substances can. This means no paint particles can escape and we can also quickly dispose of all debris. Using a wet sander generally has a high success rate for removing lead-based paint the first time. It also means we can immediately prime the site as the surface has been sanded in preparation for repainting.

Our wet sander in action on a typical set up for a home project

Lead Paint Removal Process

Do I have to remove lead-based paint?

It’s likely that lead-based paint was used if your home was built before 1978. Given Queensland homes have such high exposure to the sun because of our climate, It’s also likely that for older homes, we will find signs of large-scale paint failure when undertaking our initial assessment. When lead-based paint is failing, it must be removed before repainting for your safety. If we find coatings of the paint are still intact on your home, we can encapsulate the existing lead paint, sealing the lead underneath so you can safely paint over the top.

How long does it take to remove lead-based paint?

Although project times can vary depending on the requirements of your home, it typically takes between two to three weeks to undertake our lead paint removal service. The time it takes depends on how large the project is and how difficult it is to remove coatings. We aim to work closely with our clients to keep all work as minimally intrusive as possible. The preparation and clean up involved means that we’re removing the lead safely.

Which is better to remove lead paint - chemical removal products or wet sanding?

Our expert team will talk you through both options when undertaking an initial assessment to ensure you end up with the best possible result for your home. Which process to choose depends on your specific project. We typically use chemical paint removal for internal and external walls that are not flat, for example, weatherboard. However, we can only do wet sanding outside. It can be a quicker option depending on the chemical test results that we carry out. Our team for lead paint encapsulation in Brisbane can talk you through all your options.