Sometimes it’s safest to leave paint undisturbed as long as it’s in good condition.

Paint that is peeling, flaking, chipping or regularly disturbed through normal wear-and-tear, such as paint on doors, windows, stairs, and railings, can expose you and your children to lead.

Whenever you disturb surfaces with lead in paint, you risk creating hazardous lead dust even if the old paint is covered with new paint. To reduce the chance of exposure to lead in paint, surfaces can be covered with new paint, vinyl wallpaper, wallboard, or paneling.

If you decide to remove paint you should follow lead-safe guidelines or hire an expert to do the job. To learn about lead-safe practices, view the ‘how-to’ videos in the resource section at thep.ca.