The job in one sentence
When a house built before 1978 is peeling badly, the paint job becomes a careful demolition of old paint first and a painting job second. That order explains most of the cost. This guide breaks it down without quoting prices.
What the rules say
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices.
Muncie says renovation or demolition of structures built before 1978 must follow Indiana's lead and asbestos rules: lead removal under the Indiana Department of Health and asbestos abatement under the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Those two statements are quoted as written. They're why a painter will ask when your house was built before quoting.
Testing
Not all old paint contains lead, but you can't tell by looking. Some painters test with approved test kits; others assume lead is present and work accordingly. Either approach has a cost: testing takes time and materials, and assuming lead means the full set of work practices on every surface. Ask which approach they'll take and why.
Setting up containment
Before any scraping starts, the work area is set up so chips and dust don't spread:
- Plastic sheeting on the ground, extending out from the wall.
- Windows and doors closed and sometimes covered.
- Warning signs and a boundary to keep people and pets away.
- Plans for windy days, when work may stop.
Setup and takedown happen every day, or every time the crew moves to a new side. That's labor you don't see in a regular repaint.
Scraping and stripping
On a peeling house, scraping is the biggest single task. The goal is to remove all loose paint and leave sound edges. Painters who work lead-safe avoid methods that throw off clouds of dust or fumes, such as open-flame burning or power sanding with no dust collection. What's left is hand scraping, wet scraping, low-temperature heat tools and sanders fitted with dust collection. Each is slower than the shortcuts.
Where paint has failed down to bare wood over large areas, full stripping may be suggested. That's a larger job again.
Wood repair
Years of peeling usually means some rot. Sills, trim and lower siding boards are common spots. Rotted wood is cut out and replaced or filled. Ask how repairs are priced and whether you'll approve them before they're done.
Priming and painting
Bare wood gets primer quickly, before it weathers. Then the finish coats go on. Older surfaces with many layers may need a primer that bonds well to aged paint. Two finish coats are common after heavy preparation. See exterior painting for the sequence.
Cleanup and disposal
At the end of each day, debris is cleaned up. At the end of the job, the area is cleaned, and the plastic and debris are bagged and disposed of. A final cleaning check confirms the ground and sills are free of chips. All of this is part of the price.
Choosing a painter for this job
Ask how they'll set up containment, what methods they'll use to remove paint, and how they'll clean up. Ask whether the firm holds RRP certification. Get the scope in writing.
What drives the cost, in brief
- Extent of peeling and bare wood.
- Testing or assuming lead.
- Containment setup on each side.
- Scraping and stripping method.
- Rot repair.
- Primer and coats.
- Cleanup and disposal.
The pricing guide covers how painting prices are built in general.