Posted by Jimbob on December 20, 1998 at 11:25:58:
Tom,
Lead Based Paint is a serious matter as you well know. If your crash and burn investor friend had trouble with it, I suspect it was because he didn’t do anything to the units until he had to. That means giving the place a paint job, etc. It’s amazing how many people buy investments and do nothing to improve or repair them because they are too cheap, they think they’re going to buy something, throw tenants in there, sit back and get rich…Wrong!
If you currently own property or are thinking of buying any which you suspect may have lead based paint, have the property tested. If it comes back positive, don’t panic. You merely have to take some precautions such as patching up any loose or peeling spots with spackle and sanding it smooth, I prefer to use Beadex Taping Compound on the walls and any good quality putty on the wood.
Next you want to fill in any cracks around surfaces between doortrim and walls, in wall corners, etc. with a latex acryllic sealer you can buy in tubes and apply it with a caulking gun. Cut the tip of the caulking tube with a utility knife at an angle and don’t cut too much off the tip. Run a bead of caulking along the area to be filled in and then run your index finger along the bead of caulk to smooth it out, you will be surprised at how good it looks after you run your finger along the bead. I prefer to use brilliant white caulking.
When everything is patched and sealed, you will want to paint the surfaces with a latex acryllic semi-gloss enamel paint, preferaby a paint which is made for walls, door trim, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. I prefer to use an air-less paint sprayer, there is a lot of prep work but you can paint a 2000 sq. ft. house in about 3 hours, and it looks great. When the paint dries, the acryllic and enamel in the paint forms a hard shell on the surfaces and will seal in any lead particles that may have been underneath.
One other thing to check for is mini-blinds, if you have any of these, some were made with lead based paint in them, kids love to chew on the ends of the blinds, get rid of them and replace them with a vinyl or plastic mini-blind.
By taking these precautions, you will save yourself a bundle in legal fees down the road, it’s worth it!
Jimbob