Is the paint in my old house likely to contain lead?

Lead was used in Australian domestic paint in significant quantities well into the twentieth century, with limits progressively tightened. Homes built or repainted before 1970 should be assumed to contain it, and older homes may have many layers of it under later coats.

Intact paint is not the problem

Lead paint left undisturbed and in good condition is comparatively low risk. The hazard is created by disturbance: dry sanding, power sanding, scraping, heat gun stripping and demolition all produce lead dust or fume, and lead dust is readily ingested, particularly by young children through hand to mouth contact.

Safer preparation

• Test first. Lead test kits are inexpensive and laboratory testing of a paint chip is definitive.
• Avoid dry sanding entirely. Wet sanding or chemical stripping generates far less airborne dust.
• Never use a heat gun or open flame on suspect paint, since lead fume is produced well below the temperatures these reach.
• Contain the work area, remove furnishings, cover the ground outside, and collect the waste rather than letting it wash into the garden.
• Keep children and pregnant women away from the work and from the dust entirely.