How to Minimize Risks when Painting Your Home
By HowTo on Dec 08, 2009 with Comments 0
Paints contain chemicals, sorry of which could harm you if you ingested enough. Lead is the most frequently found and most widely publicised toxic material in paint. A number of years ago nearly all primers contained lead it was considered to be an indispensable ingredient. Nowadays, few lead-based primers are sold and modern primers without lead perform just as well. Calcium plumbate primer is the one major exception to this rule: for priming galvanised metal there appears to be no leadless equivalent with an acceptable performance. Lead-based primers should carry a polymer water-based paint which can be used as a primer-sealer for all unpainted wood and plaster surfaces. It dries very quickly so you may be able to apply two coats of the primer-sealer and a topcoat warning.
To minimise risks when painting you should:
- always use paints which comply with the Toys Safety Regulations for painting toys, playpens and other things used by children, particularly when the paint is a brightly coloured one. If in doubt write to the technical service department of the paint manufacturer;
- always wear a face mask when abrading old or brightly coloured paintwork;
- ask yourself whether you really need to in one day. Water-based primers raise the grain of unsealed softwoods, making it necessary to smooth the wood surface by rubbing it down before you apply the final coat of paint;
- use any paint which claims to contain a fungicide and also warns about keeping it away from children and animals]
- never use a lead-based primer unless it is absolutely essential and never use one indoors, particularly where a child could chew the painled surface;
- never use a blowlamp to strip old or brightly coloured paintwork in areas with poor ventilation;
- never use paints without adequate ventilation many give off unpleasant, and sometimes even dangerous, fumes.
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Filed Under: Home & Maintenance
