Hello--I have a home that I believe has lead paint on the exterior. I
am looking into my options for painting it, but first I just want to
wash it down, it's real dusty and grimy. Does anyone know if just
washing it down with a light scrub brush and hose is going to release
lead into the soil or other issues? Thanks--JK

In article .com, wrote:
Hello--I have a home that I believe has lead paint on the exterior. I
am looking into my options for painting it, but first I just want to
wash it down, it's real dusty and grimy. Does anyone know if just
washing it down with a light scrub brush and hose is going to release
lead into the soil or other issues?

If the home is old enough to have lead paint on the exterior, the amount of
lead released into the soil from washing it probably isn't going to be
significant in comparison with the amount of lead that has *already* leached
into the soil from years of rain - not to mention the chips that are surely
flaking off of it, and have been for years.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Before I washed it, I'd figure out what the overall plan is. I could
see washing a small section to better examine it, but seems kind of
pointless to wash everything if the real goal is to paint it and that
will involve dealing with lead paint, if it is indeed present. For
example, if a lot of it is loose/flaking and it is lead, there are
better ways for dealing with it rather than washing/scrubbing it so
that the lead winds up all over. Many areas regulate what can be done
to deal with prepping lead painted areas and who may do it. One of the
things typically banned is just going at it and letting the chips fall
where they may, so to speak. You need to use methods like scraping
with the ground area protected to catch falling debris.

I'd first test the paint and find out if it indeed is lead, then figure
out any regulatory issues, then come up with a plan.