I agree, since you're pregnant I would lean toward hiring an experienced crew to do the work and remove the stuff. Expensive, but safe. And don't feel like you're going to be doing nothing; as Heather noted you will have to clean, re-clean, and clean again to get the inevitable fugitive dust out of your house. Most of the dust will just be plaster dust, but it still needs to be considered potentially lead-contaminated so WET CLEANING is required. But at least you'll be spared the billows of dust from the actual removal and disposal.

Couldn't ya just murder the person who glued the wretched paneling up? I'd be tempted to see if a little judicious applcation of heat softened the glue enough to scrape it off .... not that you should be messing with it, but it might give you can alternative to a complete tear out. Though finding someone who would be willing to fiddle with it, as opposed to attacking it with a wrecking bar, may be hard. Don't worry if you hear little rivulets of plaster tumbling down behind, it can stand a lot of loss before it looses it entirely - and you can snug it back up with plsater washers in many cases.

If time and money are short, can you just slap some paint on the paneling for the time being, or do you want to get it done before you have kids there?

Molly~

"Though finding someone who would be willing to fiddle with it, as opposed to attacking it with a wrecking bar, may be hard."

This is exactly what I am finding. And until I read both comments here, I wasn't sure if the contractors were being honest or just trying to take a short-cut.

The paneling is the result of a "rats nest" project. We initially just wanted to replace the stairs in this room (they sway when you stand on them--yikes!) that go to the finished attic space. However, because the stairs will need to run alongside the wall, we have to deal with the paneling. Since it's buckling from the wall in a big way, I think removal is our only option.

I've got a call into the guys who did the asbestos removal from our house. Hopefully they can do the job without costing an arm and a leg.

Thanks, ladies.

In our area we cannot find anyone to gut and remove lead. Any formal removal companies only do instituional work.

Friends of mine have used regular day laborers- I don't know if that's an option for you.....

Have fun, just like children-it comes with stress, but it is very rewarding.

Love!

To my knowledge, the lead is in the old paint, especially the paint on the wooden trim. It is not a component of the plaster dust that will be prevalent when the plaster comes down. What is the condition of the old plaster on your ceilings?

Hey Heather,

I know the guys who did the asbestos job at my place also do lead remediation and abatement. Now whether that means they remove plaster walls, I am not sure. Our asbestos job was a really small one for them but they did take it.

Eric, interesting question. Our plaster is in pretty decent shape elsewhere. No cracks or flaking anywhere.

I'm really not sure about the plaster dust. I live in a lead high-risk area (actually the whole city of Chicago is designated high-risk).

I remember a few years ago one of our local pubs did an article on how children in the state, especially in middle and upper class homes, are undertested for lead poisoning.

One family profiled found out that a remodeling job they had done years before the birth of their first child resulted in his lead poisoning. Plaster walls that had been ripped out had contaminated not only the house but also the yard, requiring thousands in remediation.

We have a lead poisoning prevention program through our state department of health. I may call them and see if they have recommendations. I would rather spend some money now and not tons later on abatement/remediation.

I understand completely about the lead issue. After doing all of that work I had a lead test done and it came back far below "exceptable" :)

That said I had the children checked every year for the first 5. Each time my son's came back wonderful. BUT, one time my daughter's came back high- scared to death. After racking my brain, we determined that the PEDIATRICIANS office Blinds had lead!!! It ended up being only surface contact and her blood sample was great.

I do know of another not so happy story. She was another local art teacher who gutted her home and did the wood work at the same time. She had it sanded. The child has permanent brain damage and she will never be the same again....Apparently, the child was learning to crawl and picked up all the dust from between the floorboards.

Don't panic, but use caution. My Health Dept.-years ago, my son is 12- could not help us. We are outside of Richmond, VA and there was no one to do the gutting for us, I only found out after I had stupidly done it myself, only institutional abatement of both asbestos and lead. Being originally from OH, I have found the Northern and West Coast states to be more progressive.

I have sealed all of the woodwork paint with REAL ENAMEL-check the label, clean up will need mineral spirits-this seals the lead in. We are fortunate, ours were painted late in the 70's- when they were already dropping lead contents and the paint was intact.

Just be careful!

Love!