Which homes are likely to have lead paint
EPA Victoria's guidance is blunt: if a house was built before 1970, its paint may contain up to 50% lead, and lead levels in household paint dropped steadily between 1965 and 1992. That covers most Victorian, Edwardian, interwar and post-war homes across suburbs like Malvern, Caulfield, Brighton, Elsternwick and Mordialloc.
Newer houses are not automatically clear. Older timber windows, doors, fences or furniture can be reused in a later house, and a house built in the 1970s or 1980s may still have been painted with stock that contained some lead. The age of the house tells you how likely lead is. Only a test tells you whether it is there.
Intact paint is not the problem; dust is
Lead paint in good condition under newer coats is not giving anyone a dose. The exposure comes from fine dust and chips, which settle on floors, sills and garden soil and get onto hands, toys and food. EPA Victoria notes that houses where the exterior paint has not been maintained tend to have more lead in the surrounding soil, because old paint has fallen onto the ground over the years or during removal.
That is why the preparation method matters more than the paint going on. Dry power sanding, aggressive scraping without containment and burning old paint off with a flame are the steps that put lead into the air and onto the ground. A repaint that keeps the old layers intact, or removes only loose material in a controlled way, is a very different job from one that strips back to timber by sanding.
Testing before the prep is decided
If the house is old enough to be a candidate, test before anyone decides how to prepare it. Lead test kits are sold at hardware stores for a first indication, and a laboratory test on a paint sample is more reliable. Where the result matters, for example a full strip of a weatherboard house or work in a home with young children, a professional lead assessment is worth the cost.
Testing is cheaper than finding out halfway through. A quote written on the assumption of normal sanding and scraping can change significantly once lead is confirmed, because containment, wet methods and clean-up take more time.
What should change about the job if lead is present
The goal is to keep dust down and keep it contained. In practice that means wet methods instead of dry sanding wherever possible, drop sheets that are sealed at the edges and bagged up rather than shaken out, and cleaning with damp cloths and a vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter instead of sweeping. Loose and flaking paint is the priority, because that is what ends up in the soil.
The Victorian Better Health Channel advises that pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under five should not be in the work area during renovation work on old paint. On an occupied home that affects scheduling, so it is worth raising at the quote, not the morning work starts.
Questions to ask a painter about an older house
Ask whether they think the house is old enough to carry lead paint, and whether they recommend testing before they finalise the price. Ask how they plan to remove loose paint, and whether that involves dry sanding, scraping or heat. Ask how dust and chips will be contained and cleaned up, inside and in the garden beds.
A good answer will be specific about the method and will put it in the written quote. If the answer is simply that it will be sanded back like any other job, that is the time to ask more questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my house has lead paint?
Assume it might if the house was built before 1970: EPA Victoria says paint from that era may contain up to 50% lead. Houses built later can still have some. Only a test confirms it, either a hardware-store test kit as a first check or a laboratory test on a paint sample.
Is lead paint dangerous if it is under newer paint?
Not while it stays intact. The risk comes when it is disturbed and turned into dust or chips, mainly by dry sanding, scraping or burning it off. Keeping painted surfaces maintained so the old layers do not flake is part of managing it.
Can lead paint just be painted over?
Often, yes, if the old paint is sound. Painting over well-adhered lead paint seals it in. Loose and flaking areas still need to be removed first, using methods that keep dust down and contained, such as wet scraping and careful clean-up.
Should my family stay in the house while old paint is being removed?
The Victorian Better Health Channel advises that pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under five should not be present in work areas while old paint is disturbed. Raise it when the job is being quoted so the work can be scheduled around it.