Lead was a common ingredient in house paint for decades. Health Canada advises that homes built before 1960 are likely to have lead-based paint, and homes built between 1960 and 1990 may have some, often in the older layers under newer paint. Like asbestos, lead paint that is intact and left alone is not the problem. Dust and chips are. Renovation makes both.
Where it shows up
Lead paint is most often found on:
- Window frames, sashes and sills, where friction grinds paint into dust every time the window moves
- Doors, door frames and trim
- Stair railings, baseboards and older built-ins
- Exterior siding, porches and fences
- Any surface with many layers of old paint
A fresh coat of modern paint on top does not remove the risk. The lead is still underneath, and sanding or scraping brings it back up.
Why renovation is the risk
Fine lead dust from sanding, scraping, cutting or heat-stripping old paint settles on floors and window sills, sticks to clothes and gets carried through the house. Young children and pregnant people are the most vulnerable, but nobody should be breathing or swallowing it. That is why the method matters as much as the result.
The methods to avoid are well known: dry sanding, open-flame torches and high-temperature heat guns on old paint. They turn the lead into fine dust or fumes.
How we test
For homes built before 1990, painted surfaces that the work will sand, scrape or cut are tested before we start:
- Lab analysis of a paint chip: a small square cut through all the paint layers down to the surface, sealed, labelled and sent to an accredited lab. This is the reliable answer.
- Swab kits can show a positive, but a negative swab is not proof, so we do not rely on one to rule lead out.
Sampling happens right after you sign and the deposit is in, with any asbestos and mould sampling, so the results are back well before your start date.
How we work when lead is present (or not ruled out)
No licence is required in Alberta or BC to work on lead paint, but both provinces expect employers to control the exposure, and we take that seriously. On our jobs that means:
- Containment: the work area sealed off with plastic and a zipper door, floors protected, and the rest of the house kept clean
- Wet methods: misting while scraping, never dry sanding
- HEPA vacuums for every bit of dust and debris, never a broom
- Respirators with P100 filters for anyone in the work area
- Clean-up and hygiene: no eating or drinking in the area, hands and face washed before breaks, and a careful final clean of every surface
If a larger area needs full paint removal, we explain the options and price them before work starts, rather than discovering the scope mid-job.
What you can do
- If your home was built before 1960, assume older paint contains lead until a test says otherwise.
- Do not dry-sand or heat-strip old paint yourself.
- Wipe window sills with a damp cloth, which keeps any existing dust from building up.
If you are planning a renovation in an older home in Edmonton or Prince George, testing is part of our process. Ask us about it at your design consultation.
