flaking paint off tin ceiling, how to test it for lead?
We have a tin ceiling that is flaking paint and i want to make certain it is lead paint before freaking out and figuring out how to make safe. I have a piece of it that flaked off, can I send it somewhere for testing? Anyone know roughly how much this costs?
We have a tin ceiling that is flaking paint and i want to make certain it is lead paint before freaking out and figuring out how to make safe. I have a piece of it that flaked off, can I send it somewhere for testing? Anyone know roughly how much this costs?
There are only two remedies. Take down and replace the tin with new tin – which will have to be painted or clear coated anyway or paint over the peeling paint with new paint. If you want to know if it is lead paint, Google KAM in Long island City. Take a sample in a zip lock bag. Cost is about $20.00, not $200-other poster was ripped off. But either way, remedy is the same. Even if you are a renter, owner is not required to remove, just cover up.
eat it and see if you get lead posining
What you can do for very little (maybe $10) is go to the hardware store and buy a lead test kit. They sell some that look like small sticks. They are easy to use, but read the instructions first.
I’ve used those test many times, and while I think they may sometimes not work well (give you a false negative) and will provide less accurate results (you just see yes or no, while the test at a lab will give you actual figures that tell you the concentration of lead in the sample).
I did once send samples to a lab… will try to find out who did it. If I recall correctly it was somewhere in Long Island and it cost about $100 or $200.