Lead paint was used in many Australian homes before 1970, so if you live in an older Melbourne house there is a fair chance some of the paint layers contain lead. It is mainly a risk when the paint is disturbed: sanding, scraping or burning it off releases fine dust and fumes that are harmful, especially to young children and pregnant women. Test before you prepare any old paint, and if lead is present, have it managed by a trained professional.
This guide is based on the Australian Government’s Lead Alert: The six step guide to painting your home, alongside Victorian health and safety guidance.
Which Melbourne homes have lead paint?
The government’s Lead Alert guide says homes built before 1970 are most at risk, though homes built more recently may also have paint containing lead. Its history of lead in house paint goes like this:
- Paints with as much as 50 per cent lead were used inside and outside homes built before 1950
- Until the late 1960s, paint with more than 1 per cent lead was still in use
- As a rule of thumb, lead content was limited to 1 per cent by 1970
- A 0.25 per cent limit was recommended in 1992, reduced to 0.1 per cent from December 1997
That makes a lot of Melbourne’s housing worth checking: Victorian and Edwardian terraces, Federation homes, Californian bungalows, and post-war weatherboard and brick veneer houses. The newer paint you can see may be fine, while older layers underneath contain lead.
Where it tends to be
According to the Lead Alert guide, white lead was the main white pigment in most house paints for many years. It was used on weatherboards, window and door frames, structural timbers, cement render, fences and railings. Red-lead primer was often used on timber window sills well into the 1970s. On period homes, the surfaces most likely to be disturbed are often the ones most likely to carry old paint, which is why it matters for anyone painting a heritage home.
Why is lead paint dangerous?
Lead paint that is intact and in good condition is a lower risk. The danger comes when it breaks down or is disturbed and turns into chips and dust that get breathed in or swallowed.
Who is most at risk?
- Young children. Victoria’s Better Health Channel says children under five are at greatest risk of the health effects of lead. The Lead Alert guide notes that children can absorb up to 60 per cent of the lead they swallow, while adults absorb about one tenth. Young children often pick up dust on their hands and toys and put them in their mouths.
- Unborn babies. Lead in a mother’s blood can pass to the baby during pregnancy.
- Breastfed infants. Better Health notes that breastfeeding mothers can pass lead to infants through breast milk.
Keep children away from peeling paint and from painted surfaces they might chew, such as window sills and old furniture. If you are worried that someone in your family has been exposed, see your GP, who may recommend a blood test.
How do you test for lead paint?
WorkSafe Victoria’s guidance on managing lead-based paint removal says paint should be tested where a building was built before 1970 or lead paint may be present. WorkSafe defines lead-based paint as paint with more than 1 per cent lead by dry weight.
The Lead Alert guide describes three main ways to test:
- Colour-change test kits. Sold at hardware and paint stores for non-professionals. They are useful for screening, but the guide warns they can give false negative and false positive results. Test chips that show all the paint layers, as the older layers are more likely to contain lead.
- Portable XRF equipment. An X-ray fluorescence reader gives an on-the-spot reading, usually operated by a professional.
- Laboratory testing. Samples analysed by a NATA-registered laboratory give an accurate result. The guide says only laboratory analysis can determine whether working on the paint is classed as lead risk work.
If a test kit shows no lead but your home’s age suggests it could be there, the guide says to assume lead is present or have it tested by a laboratory. That matters most if young children or pregnant or breastfeeding women live in the house.
What should you never do with lead paint?
The Lead Alert guide is clear that some common ways of stripping paint create the most serious dangers. Avoid:
- Dry sanding, by hand or with a power sander
- Dry scraping
- Abrasive blasting, such as sandblasting
- Burning off with an open-flame torch
- High-temperature heat guns. The guide says nozzle temperatures should stay below 370°C (700°F), because lead fumes form at higher temperatures
- Ordinary household vacuum cleaners for clean-up, as they blow fine lead dust out through the exhaust. Only a HEPA-filtered vacuum captures it
- Working outdoors on windy or wet days, when dust can blow or wash off drop sheets
It also advises taking care to avoid generating dust even if your paint contains less than 1 per cent lead.
What are the safer options?
The guide lists the methods in order of preference:
- Hire a suitably qualified and experienced contractor
- Cover the lead paint, for example by repainting with minimal preparation or covering it with another material
- Remove and replace painted items, such as skirting boards, architraves or window sashes
- Wet scraping
- Wet sanding
- Chemical stripping
If the paint is in good condition and young children or pregnant or breastfeeding women live in the home, the guide suggests considering delaying the work until the home can be vacant or the children are older. When lead paint is disturbed, it recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding women, women wishing to conceive, young children and pets leave the home and not return until all dust and debris has been cleaned up.
Is DIY ever OK?
The guide is written for DIY renovators as well as professionals, and small jobs on intact paint, like repainting over it with careful wet preparation, are within reach of a careful homeowner who follows it closely. It still states that, ideally, homes with lead paint should be assessed and remediated by trained professionals. For anything involving removal, large areas, or a household with small children, that’s the sensible route.
How do you dispose of lead paint waste?
According to the Lead Alert guide:
- Lead paint waste can be classed as hazardous waste and must be disposed of under state, territory or local government rules
- Put debris in heavy-duty plastic bags and deflate them so they don’t burst
- Never burn timber coated with lead paint
- Collect contaminated water from wet methods in a sealed container and dispose of it as your council advises
- Never pour contaminated water down drains or onto the garden
- Small quantities can generally go out with household rubbish, but check with your local council first
For larger amounts, contact your council or EPA Victoria about who can accept lead-contaminated waste.
Choosing a painter for a home that may have lead paint
When you get quotes for an older home, ask each painter:
- Whether they will test before preparing old paint
- What preparation methods they will use, and how they will contain dust indoors and outside
- How they will clean up and dispose of waste
- Whether they hold a nationally recognised qualification in safe lead paint work, which the Lead Alert guide recommends asking about
WorkSafe Victoria also advises homeowners to tell their painting contractor where lead-based paint is known to be. Our guide to how to choose a house painter covers the other questions worth asking.
AMP Master Painters has painted Melbourne homes since 1998 and is a member of Master Painters Australia. Every exterior painting and interior painting job starts with a free site inspection, which is the right time to talk about the age of your home and any old paint. If you are getting ready for painters, our checklist on preparing your home covers the practical side.
The bottom line
Lead paint is common in Melbourne homes built before 1970, but it isn’t a reason to panic. Left intact and in good condition, it is a lower risk. The key is to test before disturbing old paint, keep children and pregnant women away from the work, avoid dry sanding and burning, and dispose of waste properly. For removal work, use a painter trained in lead-safe methods.
