Painting an older home presents a different challenge as opposed to painting a newer house. Most importantly, there is a greater likelihood of the presence of lead paint. Proper precautions will need to be taken to prevent exposure of lead paint to the homeowner as well as the painting contractor. Most often, older homes will have several layers of paint on its surface which means a greater chance of peeling paint. Hand scraping the loose and flaking paint prior to priming and painting is a must. There are safety precautions that must be taken prior to scraping the loose paint from the surface. The safest way to complete this task on an older home, where there is a danger of lead paint is to use a “wet scrape” method, which means lightly misting the surface area with water prior to scraping off any paint in order to keep any lead dust to a minimum. Additionally, all paint chips and scrapings must be collected and properly disposed of. It is never recommended to sand any area where there is a possibility of the presence of lead paint, unless properly trained and additional safety precautions have been taken. It is usually a good idea to hire a professional painting contractor to complete any painting job if you believe there is a presence of lead paint.
Evans Painting just completed an exterior painting project located in the Crestwood area of Birmingham, Al. This was an older home, having been built in 1926 which means the presence of lead paint is highly probable. All of the proper steps were taken to ensure a safe removal of all peeling paint. The home was properly prepared and painted with a beautiful finish and will offer the homeowner years of service. If you have an older home in need of painting and where lead paint may be present, call a professional Birmingham Al house painting contractor to complete the job. Evans Painting has years of experience in painting both older and newer homes which affords you the peace of mind that your home will be properly prepared and painted resulting in a beautiful, long-lasting finish.