LESLIE: Next up, a call from Nebraska where Phil has a paint question.
Phil, what’s going on?
PHIL: Oh, I’m painting my 1910 house. I was wondering what the proper way to dispose of the paint is that’s got lead in it.
TOM: Wow, that’s a great question. Well, you’re smart to collect it because if you let that paint flake and get into the soil, it can …
LESLIE: Can it get into the ground water?
TOM: Well, it can’t get in the ground water but if you have kids and they’re playing in the dirt, it’s possible they could get exposed to it that way. So once you …
PHIL: We’re catching it on the tarp.
TOM: Yeah, well that’s smart. I think as long as you dispose of it in your trash, you should be fine. We just don’t want to see you let it get into the ground.
LESLIE: You should check with your local sanitation department because I know in our town we have a special number to call whenever to find out about a specific disposal issue. So you might want to call them. There could be landfill issues. They could just have an area stipulation, so it would be wise to check with them.
PHIL: Well, I can do that. And the newer paints are coming out with duration or whatever that lasts forever. Once we get it down to the wood, is there one that’s better than others or – we’re going to use an oil-based primer and then put something on that has some quality to it.
TOM: Yeah, well that’s smart. You definitely, once you get it down to the wood, make sure that you sand that surface. Don’t just rely on your pressure washer or however else you’re going to get that paint off. You want to sand it down to some good wood because if you don’t, even the primer won’t stick and that’s going to make a big, stinking mess when that paint starts to peel off your house in the very near future.
PHIL, thanks again for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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