Greetings, a question, and a tip:
We are in a quandry as to the best/least destructive method to remove 80+ year old lead-based paint from decorative tin ceiling tiles. I’m not sure if the lead has chemically bonded with the tin or what, but the stuff is almost impossible to remove.
Any hints?
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A cheap fix… and cheaper insurance.
If you have a home with an active sump-pump situation (high water table/built in a swamp), and sweat bullets whenever the power goes out because your sump-pump quits, here is a GREAT backup solution.
Go to your nearest (or online) Marine Supply store and buy a simple $20-$80 12vDC Bilge Pump and float switch. Hook the hose up to the nearest sewer/drain (like your Washing Machine Drain) and the pump up to a second-hand car battery and you have a really handy, cheap and effective back-up system should your power or pump fail. Certainly better than mopping up the basement.
Thanks for your help.
b.
Edited 3/9/2004 9:53 am ET by Bryan at dh2w
Replies
aside from all the precautinary stuff..torch it off with a propane torch and dull scrapers..wire brush in an angle grinder or the like and it will look like new..or newly stripped at least.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Re: Your lead paint question. We use a product called "Peel Away", which is a caustic paste. We've had excellent luck with it. You just smear on the paste with a plastic blade, cover it with included backing paper (like typar) and leave it for 24 hours, then pull the paper off and the paint all comes off. The waste can be disposed of in regular trash, since the lead's all trapped. We have used it a lot on painted woodwork. It's pricey, but I've seen it used on building exteriors with painted brick, also. Any Sherwin Williams dealer should have it, about $30 for a bucket (don't expect too much coverage). Note that there are several different versions of it for different applications. Good Luck!
Andy
>> Any hints?
What have you tried so far?
If you're willing to take it down and re-install it, you could soak in a hot lye solution, or take it somewhere that has that capability. Furniture refinishing and engine repair are two kinds of businesses that use caustic dips.
>> ... a second-hand car battery ...
How long does one battery last? Or how many gallons will one battery pump?
I second Unc dunc - take 'em down and take them to the hot tank - let them worry about the residue - start at the correct side and usually there are only 2 nails holding each up -
good tip on the sump pump - you oughta send it to the mag...
Generally, I tend to be a preservationist, but there are practical limits. You may want to at least consider the relative merits of new material in this case. There are a lot of patterns available, and some outfits are still producing old patterns using the old stamps. Anyways, calculate your own cost/benefit ratio.
Try this:
http://www.wfnorman.com/
most tin ceilings will rust like crazy after having an acid type cleaner applied. a heat gun might be the best idea.
Thanks all.
In this case, we are not doing an entire ceiling, but individual Feature tiles, on which we want to maintain a certain "restored/stripped patina".
The stripping process is also a weekend/hobby project more than anything else, so the effort & cost per sqft is not a as big a deal as whethre or not the process will destroy the soft tin.
torch...just bubble it up and move on, scrape while still soft.
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Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Emptying a sump pump into the house DWV system is illegal in my area, as I'm sure it is in most places. What's wrong with just tying a regular back-up sump pump into the main system?
Using a torch to remove lead based paint is hazardous to your health. Inhaling smoke from lead based paint is the quickest way to get it in your bloodstream. In the old days when doing ironwork on bridges the standard practice was to burn the paint off before cutting the steel. Now all "old" steel is cleaned before removal. My advice to you is can it and start over.
Well, as to the legality/ilegality, I can only say that that is the way my entire condo complex/subdivision is currently plumbed (15gal fresh-water sump direct to Sanitary Sewer).
But for your second point, a "backup" sump pump can only work if it has power. If I lose power for 2 hours I get a flooded basement. Thus a 12v, battery operated system.
I just finished buying all the bits to put mine together and total cost, brackets, pump, switch, hoses, battery & battery-charger came to less than $100 for a 360gph unit.