Wood positive for lead? Advice please!

[GibsonGM]

Hi Ron,

Yes, next week I'll start digging in on this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capt._Joel_Whitney_House
It's for a historical society...will probably take most of the rest of this season and part of next! Hard to do them alone - there is no help in the area, nobody wants a job.
But projects like this are nice...no occupants, so no 'been here too long' sentiments. I'm doing all the windows, too. I have finished the 1st floor ones already! You have to take them out with a hammer and painter's tool, lol...30 thick lead paint layers.

Broke my arm falling on ice in March, so I"m surprised I"ve come back enough to take on a 'scraper'. Still young enough at 50 that I heal fast, I guess, lol.

~Mike

[Gothichome]

Gibson, that looks to be a big job. So what’s the plan, scrape and paint white again or have they researched the original colours?

[GibsonGM]

Well Ron, it's one where a few different "painters" have had at it over the years. Last one appears to have not primed anything and just went over it all with some sort of satin paint, and caulked the window glazing!! (that is killing me while doing windows, with the fumes and so on. In the end, most of the glass is just replaced - too much breakage). There are far too many layers of paint on the place, too...in some places, approaching 1/4"!! Exposed caulk that's all brown, those sorts of issues. Bleh.

So, my plan here is a comprehensive scrape and sand, and 2 coats of SW "Woodscapes", which IMO has surpassed anything Ben Moore has by a large measure. Just the basic white again, yes. I think it always was white. Stains are 'lighter', less about a physical layer. When they wear out, off they go rather than creating more build-up. Not sure what 'we're' doing with the shutters, if anything. Maybe just re-install them right way around! ha ha It's a nice building and they've just had a $45k roof put on....the old one was SHOT, covered in liquid asphalt as a desperation measure. So it will be nice to have a gleaming-white facade for the public! And to get things buttoned up where now they're sort of...wide open....