Vacuum for lead paint

[nh_yota]

My house is 180 years old and I know there's a good mount of lead paint in it based on its age and results from tests I've done on some of the trim.

I'd love to gut the house or pay someone else to deal with it but that's simply not in the budget. The windows are all old (some original, some from the 1940's) and I may have them replaced but I'll still need to deal with the trim and the baseboard, along with repairs/renovations in other parts of the house.

I have a Rigid shop vac with the add-on HEPA filter and I use filter bags when I work with dusty stuff, but I know that setup is not sufficient to deal with lead paint dust.

I know they make RRP-certified vacuums for lead paint but they're pricey and I don't know if they're really worth it.

What say ye?

 

[tarbellb]

If you are trying to get by, just tape and seal (motor to base, hose, etc...) your current shop vac with the best bags and filters possible.

If you are trying to do it right, pony up and buy a certified vac. Pretty simple.

There are some very nice "dust collectors" out there right now that meet these criteria and the prices have come down 25-50% (used to all be $600+) over the last 3yrs. Look into euro spec dust collectors/shop vacs like:

Bosch, Flex, Fein, Starmix, Nilfisk, euro made Dewalts, Makitas, and others.

 

[rlitman]

Lead paint on the walls that's not cracking or flaking is just fine left in place. Especially when it's been painted over. Once you go into renovations that require cutting into that, then yeah, you want the right sort of vacuum.

Lead paint on double hung windows is of particular risk where it wears. If you paint the windows shut and don't open them, then they're basically walls. If you move window sashes coated with lead paint, the dust created where the sash rubs on the parting rail and stop moldings is your problem.

I've got an RRP rated vacuum (Fein), but for work on my house, I'd feel comfortable using a cheaper shop vac that had true hepa filtration, so long as I was confident that every layer of filtration was sealing properly without bypassing.

 

[nh_yota]

Lead paint on the walls that's not cracking or flaking is just fine left in place. Especially when it's been painted over. Once you go into renovations that require cutting into that, then yeah, you want the right sort of vacuum.

Lead paint on double hung windows is of particular risk where it wears. If you paint the windows shut and don't open them, then they're basically walls. If you move window sashes coated with lead paint, the dust created where the sash rubs on the parting rail and stop moldings is your problem.

I've got an RRP rated vacuum (Fein), but for work on my house, I'd feel comfortable using a cheaper shop vac that had true hepa filtration, so long as I was confident that every layer of filtration was sealing properly without bypassing.

I lot of the lead paint on the windows and trim is cracking/flaking/chipping so I need to do something about it rather than just leave it in place.

 

[Two Door]

My opinion - I hope you are thinking of the vacuum as the last line of defense and not the first. The first line should be PPE - suit, mask, gloves, etc. The second line should be an air scrubber within a sheeted off area. Then the vacuum.

 

[casmurbax]

Are you doing all this while other people are living in the house?

What are your plans for the waste?

Have you thought about using some type of encapsulated lead paint to cover the walls and trim instead of trying to remove it?

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Festool just announced a small, budget friendly dust collector for $300 or so. might be a good investment... you don't want to cheap out when dealing with led dust.

 

[Negen]

https://www.nilfiskcfm.com/

These are great zoro through 20% is OK deal not sure on exact model I have a model 30 which is not suitable for lead but other models are.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[neophyte]

The most affordable vacuum I know of that is “certified” for lead paint Removal work, is the Ridgid RV2400HF model.
Judging by the color and some of the attachments, this appears to be from the “commercial” line of Ridgid vacs made for industrial use, as opposed to the standard line sold thru places like Home Depot.
more importantly, it comes with certain accessories, like the “beater bar”( ie. spinning brush) attachment, which is required as one if the EPA steps for lead abetment cleanup. The current cost is less than $400, which isn’t nevessarily cheap, but way more affordable than a similar sized vacuum from Festool or Hilti, which importantly, may not come with things like the beater bar, which can be expensive.


“Lead Certified Vacuums” are mainly different, because they were specifically tested and certified, unlike previously made Hepa vacuum models, which may work just as well, but which were not specifically certified by the EPA for lead removal, and which therefore are not legally allowed to be used for “commercial” lead paint removal.
Older Festool vacuums for instance, were sold with Hepa filters, or with Hepa filters as an extra option, but because the modrls were older, they were never actually tested or certified for Lead paint removal, so are not legally allowed to be used for commercial lead paint removal.

The issue with using an older Shop Vacs like regular Ridgid models, is that some vacuums aren’t very well sealed, and can leak dust( at least according to some older tests I’ve seen), so simply outfitting a vacuum with a hepa filter may not prevent lead from getting into the air.
Generally though, if you already live in an old house, outfitting a shop vac like a ridgid with a proper hepa filter, and then using the high filtration “plaster dust” type bags, should be way better than using a regular house vacuum, unless you own some really fancy hepa version like a Rainbow, or maybe a Miele, both of which are really expensive.

Another option might be to see if you can find an older Italian made Fein vacuum.
The older Fein vacuums aren’t lead certified, but the manual specifically states that when fitted out with the proper Hepa filter, the vacuums are safe for asbestos, and lead abatement cleaning requirements are similar yo those used for asbestos removal.
The only main difference I’ve seen is that the newer hoses have gaskets that weren’t present on the older vacuum hoses.
If you do decide to purchase a vacuum, maybe see if you can find one that is lead certified, but which also has the reverse air blast system that blasts air backward occasionally to clean the filter.

when dealing with windows, one thing you nay want to be wary of is old window putty. Some old formulations for the putty were full of lead white, and might be way more dangerous then lead paint.

 

[rlitman]

Another option might be to see if you can find an older Italian made Fein vacuum.
The older Fein vacuums aren’t lead certified, but the manual specifically states that when fitted out with the proper Hepa filter, the vacuums are safe for asbestos, and lead abatement cleaning requirements are similar yo those used for asbestos removal...

I own some older (round style) Fein Turbo vacuums (two Turbo II, and one turbo IV). Fein made an RRP kit for these, and they most certainly had a certified solution. However, you had to mate their HEPA filter with their RRP bags to be compliant. That stuff is NLA for the old models (so far as I know). I do know that they have RRP kits for their current models.

 

[Al Borland]

Things to remember.
Gaskets on the hose are not a big thing.
The hoses are under negative pressure, as is the "bucket" portion of the vacuum.
A good seal between the filter and the motor is important. You do not want to push the dust out under pressure.
Backflowing the filter is asinine. You are blowing the dust out of the filter, contaminating the room. Get the jaws of life, pry your wallet open and buy another filter.
Old window putty and caulk may have white lead, and also may be PCB-containing.
If the woodwork isn't "Historical" or is in bad shape, take it down and replace it instead of messing with stripping it.
Containment, negative pressure, engineering controls are all important for controlling contamination.
Vent air scrubbers OUTSIDE.

 

[neophyte]

Things to remember.
Gaskets on the hose are not a big thing.
The hoses are under negative pressure, as is the "bucket" portion of the vacuum.
A good seal between the filter and the motor is important. You do not want to push the dust out under pressure.
Backflowing the filter is asinine. You are blowing the dust out of the filter, contaminating the room. Get the jaws of life, pry your wallet open and buy another filter.
Old window putty and caulk may have white lead, and also may be PCB-containing.
If the woodwork isn't "Historical" or is in bad shape, take it down and replace it instead of messing with stripping it.
Containment, negative pressure, engineering controls are all important for controlling contamination.
Vent air scrubbers OUTSIDE.

I mentioned the seals on the hose, because it seems to be a new thing on some of the higher end vacuums, that wasn’t there before lead abatement became a major meme.

As for back flowing the filter, this is used on some vacuums, usually as a quick burst of air, to prevent dust buildup from clogging the filter, and is usually found on vacuums for plaster or masonry use, where fine dust can clog the filter, possibly permanently.
I highly doubt it would have been added to some of the high end vacuums unless it was needed, and safe.

 

[Los_Control]

What I learned attending A class to be certified in New Mexico to remove lead paint.

1, it taste sweet ... children will pick at it and eat it .... do not eat lead paint!

2, Is good quality paint, still in use today. For example a elevator . The paint is lead based because it last longer.
Another example would be the Golden Gate Bridge. Think they have 2 full time employee that paint the bridge from one side to the other ...takes 1 year to complete. By the time they get finished they start over again .... they use lead based paint.

3, The iconic old red barns were painted red because red paint would accept the most lead and still hold color. So farmers painted barns red because would last longer.

4, If you remove lead paint from your house, put it in a trash bag and tie a knot in the top that resembles a duck bill, that way the trash man will know not to open it and eat it. ^^^ true story!

Lead paint is dangerous to children because it does have a sweet flavor, they will pick at it and it will cause brain damage if they eat to much.
For this reason today is only available commercially.

Use a mask while removing it, do not eat it, you will be fine.
Or paint over it and encapsulate existing lead paint ... you will be fine.