Lead Paint in Older Melbourne Homes: What to Know Before You Repaint

Toorak and its neighbours are full of beautiful period homes, and a great many of them were built or last repainted well before 1970. That is worth knowing before a repaint, because older paint layers can contain lead — and how those layers are handled during preparation genuinely matters.

This is not cause for alarm. Lead paint is common in older homes, it is managed safely as routine, and understanding it simply makes your repaint more predictable.

Why older homes have it

Lead was added to paint for durability and colour for a long time, and it was widely used in Australian homes until it was progressively restricted. Paint manufactured before 1970 in particular can contain high levels of lead, with lower levels persisting in some products for years afterwards. In a period home, that old paint is often still there under later coats.

Where it tends to be

Lead paint most commonly turns up in the layers on:

- **Exterior weatherboards, window frames and sills** - **Doors, architraves and skirtings** - **Verandah posts, fretwork and railings** - **Eaves and fascias**

Because it is usually buried under newer coats, you cannot tell it is there by looking. Testing is the only way to be sure, and test kits and professional assessment are both available.

The real risk: disturbing it

Intact, well-bound paint that is not flaking is generally low-risk while left undisturbed. The problem arises during preparation, when sanding, grinding, scraping or heat-stripping can release fine lead dust and fumes — and that dust is the hazard, particularly for young children and pregnant women. This is exactly why the preparation stage of a repaint on an old home has to be done thoughtfully.

What safe, lead-aware preparation looks like

Good practice on a pre-1970 home means:

- **Testing** suspect surfaces before aggressive preparation. - **Avoiding dry sanding, grinding and open-flame or high-heat stripping**, which generate the most dust and fume. - **Containing the work area** and using drop sheets so debris does not spread. - **Cleaning up thoroughly** — collecting paint chips and dust rather than washing them into the garden or drain. - Following the guidance set out in **AS 4361.2** and the **WorkSafe Victoria and EPA Victoria** materials on lead paint management.

Where a home needs extensive removal of lead paint rather than careful over-coating, specialist handling may be warranted, and a responsible painter will tell you so plainly rather than pressing on regardless.

The bottom line

Lead paint is a normal part of owning a period home, not a reason to avoid repainting one. What matters is that whoever prepares the surfaces takes a lead-aware approach as standard. If you are getting quotes on an older Melbourne home, it is a fair and sensible question to ask a painter directly: how do you handle lead paint? The answer tells you a lot about how they work.