Dear PoP – Who Can Remove Lead Paint?

Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour

“Dear PoP,

Does anyone have experience with lead paint removal? We have some original windowsills with chipping lead paint. The windows and frames are newish and not creating any lead dust when we open or close them; it’s just the sills. Altogether, we have about 12 feet of 4-inch-wide windowsill/original trim with cracked paint. Because the paint is not intact (and we have a toddler), leaving it in place is not an option. The question is how to remove it. A few people have recommended something like Peel Away, which keeps the paint wet and avoids the problem of scattering lead-tainted dust throughout the house. Lead paint is made to seem so dangerous, though, that the DIY option isn’t as appealing as it might otherwise be. Another option is a certified lead abatement professional, of which there don’t seem to be many in the area (according to EPA’s National Lead Information Center). That also sounds like a little bit of overkill for what’s really a fairly small job. If anyone has some advice or experience to share, we’d greatly appreciate it.”

I seem to recall this has come up in the past but I can’t remember if anyone recommended someone?