I'm in the middle of redoing our bedroom on a 1906 Queenslander and the walls have tested negative for lead. I am only removing chaulking and lightly sanding walls to repaint as they were is good condition. However when I got to the ceilings and started sanding I noticed the paint came away too easily and it would have to stripped off. I got a scrapper and scrapped off about a square metre very easily and underneath was what looked like a greenish paint that was chemically stripped at some point and a cream coloured paint showing under that. I tested to see if was lead and the initial test came back negative. I started sanding had a break and when I came back an hour later the test spot was a very light pinky colour. Immediately stopped work and cleaned everything in that room.
I rechecked the tester and the knob has not changed colour so wondering if the late change is due to pigments from the paint mixing with the test, which I've read can happen.
Now I don't know how to finish the ceiling. I don't have the money to spend on professionals and I don't love the idea of chemically removing all the paint, particularly if it has lead in it as I have young kids in the house.
I think the best option is to encapsulate the paint but to do this I'd need to either continue peeling off the top paint layer to have a suitable surface to stick the paint to, or paint over it with some sort of glue and hope it doesn't flake on us.
If I knew it was safe to peel off the outer flaking layer using a metal scrapper and perhaps water then I'd do that I just don't know what the proper process to keep me and the kids safe is and I don't have alot of time to sort this out as we need the bedroom back in use.
