If it's not being disturbed when it's clad, and it will no longer be exposed, it's not an issue. It would be more problematic if you messed with it to do something not needed.

Typically you would not have to Scrape and paint. I’d say maybe scrape if it is real bad.

keep in mind paint will be disturbed regardless if you paint before or not. I would want the windows covered with poly And the ground as well.

toddinmn-

Why scrape? Just a source of more exposure, especially if done by an inexperienced homeowner.

I would only do if was real bad so it would not interfere with the process or The end result.

Aside from what you decide to do, keep a record (notes in your house file that goes with the house when you move) that there is lead paint under the metal trim. And wherever else you know that it exists. It's very helpful for yourself and other future owners to know what's what without having to repeat testing to find out.

'Low levels' - was it high enough to be classified as LBP? (>0.5% Pb)

Hi, thank you for your comments and suggestions. Now we are leaning towards not touching them before metal wrapping (which we are happy about). We'll re-examine the worst area to see how bad it looks. toxcrusadr, I don't quite remember the unit the guy who tested our windows used, but I thought he said the cut off was 1 (vs 0.5). Ours was just about 1, close to 2 in some places. He was from the county's lead window replacement financial assistance program, and at many houses where he tests and end up giving the financial aid, they see readings of 20+. He thought in our house there are multiple layers of paint, probably the bottom layer has lead but not the newer layers. He showed us areas where only the newest layer was peeling, which was better, and where all layers were gone exposing wood, which was more of a concern. We also have exterior window frames (part of window, not trim? not sure of lingo, but not the part of the house that goes around the window but actual window itself) that are also peeling which cannot be wrapped in metal, so we plan to work on sealing those.

It's important to remember that, while lower lead concentration numbers are better than higher ones, there is no point at which the risk is zero if it's still present at any concentration. Agencies have "action levels" for things like lead and asbestos for practical reasons in managing their enforcement activities, and to give homeowners reasonable guidelines on when they are required to comply. But that doesn't mean low levels are completely "safe" just because you're below this threshold. I'm not trying to say that such low levels are significant risk, but I did want to clarify what these guidelines do and don't mean.

A pic of the outside of the window would help.

They would have used Milligram per square centimeter. Anything at or above 1.0 milligrams is considered lead by HUD standards. Some Will use percentage by dry weight , anything at or above 0.5% by weight is considered lead by HUD Standards.

All risk acrssors I know will use milligrams and everything thing on there report will be in milligrams.

No reason to scrape it. Once its clad, its fine. Unless you want to chew lead paint chips or inhale a whole bunch of dust, i wouldnt worry at all. Then again, chewing paint chips or inhaling paint with NO lead is also problematic. I dont know anyone who says their kids chew window trim. Remember, lead is also on the walls. Unless you are really disturbing it, i wouldnt worry.

Removing a window doesnt cause a lot of dust to begin with, in fact its minimal. as with anything, just use some simple common sense.

What is amazing to me is that homeowners act so concerned about lead paint and what do they do ? They go out and buy an old house with lead paint !!! Sounds ridiculous to me.

Then they play dumb if something happens. “ nobody told me “.. bs

its the same thing with smoking, people know smoking causes cancer and then they still decide to smoke and when they get cancer, they want to blame the tobacco companies. Where the hell is the personal responsibility here !

Removing windows can create a lot of lead dust and lead debris.There is a reason windows are not exempt and targeted by EPA rule for renovation.

toddinmn is correct. The % by weight value can only be obtained by scraping off a sample of paint and sending it to a laboratory. mg/cm2 values can be obtained much more directly using a handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) meter. Just point and shoot. That's why most of the data you see is in mg/cm2.

Again, where is the personal responsibility? Those who buy old homes are fully aware of lead paint but yet they buy anyway. Thats on them.

i dont know how you install but when we remove and install, there is never a lot of dust.

In all fairness it would be depend on what one would call a lot. Not sure How you remove and install but I would say I create a fair amount, enough to poison a child IMO. Windows from late 19th century to early- mid 20th century are typicallly much worse and have higher levels of lead in the paint. If you are doing windows from the 60‘s for example I would say the dust levels could me minimal from my experience.

unfortunately a lot of people don’t understand the hazards of lead or realize how little it takes to poisen. I have personally seen kids chew on window trim, more specifically the window stool (often called the sill in HUD terms) I have seen my own child do it as well. In this case the OP seems to be taking the responsibility IMO. Surfaces containing lead can be safe if handled properly and maintained but friction surfaces like windows and chewable surfaces require a much more caution.

What !!!! You actually saw kids chewing stools??? Then they must be chewing baseboard as well since its near the floor... i have never seen that. I dont even see animals chewing stools. That is absolutely ridiculous. Do you cover your window stools with chocolate or sugar ?????

seriously, thats absurd.

Windowmaster-

It's a recognized phenomenon. Young children who are teething will pull themselves up by grabbing a windowsill, and then teeth on the sill as they are looking outside. They also do this with their top crib rail, which is why old, painted cribs should be tested for lead paint before being used. Babies and toddlers will suck on toys, which is why that cute wooden duck from when grandma was a baby should be checked (as well as those new, brightly colored ones from Asia and Mexico). And kids put their hands and fingers in their mouths a lot, which is why lead dust and chips, inside and outside, is a concern.

Yes I have, amazing what a 2 year old can get into. The stool can be at just the right height and it protrudes more than base and casings.

HO MN, I think its already a consensus, but to confirm, no, its not necessary to scrape/sand/paint if it will be properly clad. It won't hurt as long as you are diligent about precautions when doing so, but not necessary. It would also not be expected that a window or remodeling company would do that prior to cladding.

@windowmaster I don't understand the attitude. OP was simply asking about procedures. I didn't see any 'acting so concerned' and 'not taking personal responsibility.' I have a feeling you not only think people who care about this issue are snowflakes, but that lead paint is no big deal.

I spent yesterday in an annual refresher course to renew my Lead Risk Assessor certification. Kids do chew on things. Friction on sills and doorways and painted floors creates dust. Child blood lead levels are directly correlated to lead concentrations in household dust and yard soil. Disease is directly correlated to those blood lead values. Sound science has proved it many times over.

What state are you licensed in?

" I dont even see animals chewing stools. That is absolutely ridiculous. Do you cover your window stools with chocolate or sugar ????? "

Our dog, a flat-coated retriever, thinks most anything in the house is a chew toy, including the corners of window stools. Those will be 'fun' to repair when we move out.

You kind of sound like an idiot when you state that your dog doesn’t even chew on stools and then then a few sentences later you claim that your dog chews on stools.

If you've been reading the thread, you'd see that it was Windowmaster who said they've never seen animals chewing stools (which I quoted), and I said it was MY dog who does chew on window stools.

We are two different people.

Follow along....

Todd, you sound like a run of the mill laborer. with that being said, whenever we do a window replacement, we never see a lot of dust. Its minimal. We do thousands of windows per year. Further, if there is lead, its buried under many coats of paint. Where do you laborers get your info?

but again, where is the Personal Responsibility? If homeowners are worried about lead, why are they buying homes with lead ?? Anyone have any answer for that? You all stated its a “known phenomenon” that children chew window stools and walls which is ridiculous but whatever. So i guess parents ignore this fact and still choose to buy a home with lead? Thats lazy parenting and also very irresponsible.

Personal Responsibility !!!!

Minimal as compared to demolition work? You have magical method of removal that only effects the top layer of paint ?

The responsibility is happening right in front of you If you have read the OP’s comments.

Most folks here know that I'm not an alarmist about lead. Few adult homeowners, especially those who maintain their homes well, really need to lose much sleep over it.

But it's also undeniable that developing brains in little kids are sensitive to lead. There's plenty of data showing that lead has had a measurable and negative effect on kids living in old, poorly maintained inner-city (mostly rental) houses.

Like asbestos, lead also affects adults who work with it every day. I know a painter in his 50s who's been diagnosed with high lead levels. It's had a serious effect on his health.

I'm not a lead expert. However, in this case, I don't think there's cause for great concern, especially since the lead levels detected in your tests were low.

The metal cladding should take care of any potential lead problems. I see no reason for sanding and/or priming. I don't think they're either necessary or helpful.

Containment and clean up can be just as important on the exterior. Just preparing a window for aluminum can be just as messy as tearing it out.soil Is common source of lead poisoning as well.