Inhaling or ingesting lead can cause serious health problems, including organ, nerve, hearing, and vision damage, as well as slowed growth in children. If there’s lead anywhere in your home, take immediate action.
Although full removal is the only way to fully eliminate future contamination and health risks, painting over intact lead paint with an encapsulant is one of your other options. Here’s how to paint over lead paint in detail.
| Project difficulty: Advanced Estimated time to complete: 1 day Project cost: $195 baseline |
Can You Paint Over Lead Paint?
| Yes, if: | No, if: |
| It’s legal to paint over lead in your area without special training | It’s illegal to paint over lead in your area without special training |
| The lead paint is in good condition | The lead paint is damaged, peeling, or flaking |
| The workers are wearing proper protective clothing | You want a method that will fully mitigate potential health risks |
| You encapsulate the lead paint with a special coating that will seal it and won’t cause it to break down or change | You use the wrong paint |
| You’re sure there’s no risk of the lead paint flaking or releasing dust (for e.g., there are no renovation plans, friction, or humid conditions) | There are any plans for renovation, which would mean that lead dust particles will enter the air or that the paint will flake off |
| You let the next homeowners know that there’s lead-based paint in the home (if you sell your home) | The surface experiences friction or impact (like windows, doors, and floors), is prone to moisture or high humidity, or there’s another damage hazard |
| You’re prepared to monitor the covered lead-based paint and safely remove it later if your circumstances change | You want a method that will fully mitigate potential health risks |
| You want to DIY |
Craig Lloyd of Lloyd Handyman in Atascadero, CA, says that painting over lead paint is the only way for DIYers to deal with lead on their own without calling a pro. “The best way to mitigate lead paint in households is to…paint over it. Seriously,” he says. He goes on to stress that it’s the safest method for the workers, because they won’t disturb the lead and thus come across dangerous lead particles in the process.
Philip, a former construction, painting, and finishing contractor of 14 years who worked in Richmond and Nottoway, VA, says encapsulation is a good temporary solution, which is safest for workers involved. However, he’d always recommend a full removal when possible. It eliminates the possibility of poisoning in the future.
That said, Philip hi advises against attempting removal yourself. “Even when I was working with larger companies, we always hired out removal remediation work to specialists because of the risks involved,” he says.
Read the whole conversation here: Can You Paint Over Lead Paint?
| Caution: Safety when painting over lead paint is crucial. If at any point you feel unsure, stop and consult a professional. |
Supplies Needed
| Tools and Materials | Estimated Cost |
| Lead-dust specific PPE (respirator, goggles, gloves, shoe covers, coveralls, clothing covers, painter’s hat) | $30 to $150 |
| High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) | $45 to $350 |
| HEPA vacuum cleaner | $100 to $200 |
| Encapsulating coating | $45 to $150 per gallon |
| Heavy-duty plastic sheeting | $10 to $30 |
| Painter’s tape | $5 |
| Lead test kit, lab test, or professional inspection | $5 to $700 and more, depending on type |
| Lead risk assessment (advisable) | $500 to thousands of dollars |
| Primer (optional) | $15 to $50 per gallon, depending on type |
| Paint (optional) | $10 to $100 per gallon, depending on type |
| Total | $195 baseline |
Get the right encapsulant: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only recommends flexible, strong, and flame-resistant encapsulants that are non-toxic; normal paint isn’t suitable. Encapsulants must fully and tightly cover the entire lead surface. You shouldn’t be able to damage the painted surface with impact.
In agreement with the EPA, Philip stresses using products meant for lead encapsulation and PPE suitable for lead dust. Even lightly scraping the wall can release dust in the air that can build up in your body.
The most common encapsulants for homeowners include epoxy and polymer. Philip recalls using the INSL-X lead block acrylic paint, which worked well for his projects. You can apply your paint or wallpaper of choice after encapsulation.
Other tools you need:
- Plastic bags
- Buckets
- Rags
- Vacuum
- Utility knife
How to Paint Over Lead Paint
Step 1: Go Through the Safety Checklist
Always take the following precautions when painting over lead-based paint to reduce the risk of exposure to you and your family:
Keep yourself safe: Put on your PPE. Remove and wash all PPE after working to avoid contaminating other parts of the home.
Keep others safe: Keep people (especially children and pregnant or nursing mothers) and pets away from the work area.
Handle the paint with caution: Don’t scrape, chip, or sand lead paint. This can cause it to release dangerous lead dust.
Keep the air as clean as possible: Use a HEPA filter during and after work, and a HEPA vacuum cleaner to get rid of contaminated dust.
Dispose of all contaminated items: Wash your tools and dispose of all contaminated items after work. Common disposal options are construction and demolition landfills or municipal solid waste landfills, but it depends on your location.
Step 1: Test for Lead Paint
If you suspect that your house has lead paint, test it. “There’s no way to know if paint is lead-based just by looking at it,” says Lloyd.
He continues, “If you have an older home and it was never remodeled, it’s likely the walls have lead paint. In the US, lead paint was banned in 1978. The only sure way to know if paint has lead in it is to scrape some of it off the wall and get it tested.”
How to test for lead paint: Test kits are cheap, but they’re the least reliable. Buy multiple kits or use this method as an initial screening. Follow the instructions that come with the product. You can use a utility knife if you need to take a paint sample.
Another option is to send a sample of the paint to a lab. Alternatively, book a pro to test the paint for you.
Read more: How to Test for Lead Paint
Step 2: Prepare the Area
”For application, it’s generally the same as regular paint, but the prep work is more important,” says Philip.
Encapsulants work on clean, dry, and smooth surfaces. If the lead paint has any signs of damage, painting over it isn’t an option. You shouldn’t try to prep damaged lead for painting; that’s a tough and dangerous job you should leave to a pro.
| Warning: NEVER sand down lead paint; it will release lead into the air. |
Risk assessment: Risk assessments can get costly, but they will help protect you from lead poisoning, especially if there are children in your home. If you have your home assessed for risk with a professional, you’ll be clear about your situation and only move forward if they give you a green light.
Further prep: If the lead paint is intact and you still want to go ahead, remove all furniture and household items from the room, then wipe down all surfaces to be painted with a warm, wet towel. Cover all surfaces with plastic sheeting, and secure them to the floor with painter’s tape.
Step 3: Encapsulate the Area
Test it first: Test the surface to see if the paint will stick. Apply the encapsulant to a 6×6-inch area. Check the surface for any bubbling, peeling, or cracking. It may take a few days before signs pop up.
Prep and apply the encapsulant: If it passes the test, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for preparing and applying the encapsulant.
Philip says you usually need to apply two good coats. He then advises that, “with encapsulation, more care needs to be taken [than with regular painting] since a missed spot can still allow the risk of lead dust getting into the body.” Ensure you cover spots that are easy to miss.
Step 4: Finish the Job
Paint over it (optional): Once your encapsulant has fully dried (check your instructions), you can decide if you’re happy with how it looks or if you want to get more creative. In the case of the latter, you can continue with a quality primer and two coats of latex paint.
Clean up: Clean up as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Stay Safe When Dealing With Lead
I don’t mess with health hazards and wouldn’t want to risk lead poisoning—especially as a mom. For me, contacting a pro to deal with the lead would be non-negotiable.
Contact a professional. They know how to paint over lead paint safely and effectively.
Home Gnome delivers the best home service experience at the click of a button. Book reliable, skilled services in seconds and leave the rest to us.
Read more: Lead Paint Removal: What Are Your Options?
Main Image: Photo Credit: Woman Uses Finger to Check the Quality of the Paint on the wall. Photo Credit: nicoletaionescu / Adobe Stock
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