PB is Only Good in a PBJ: Lead and Furniture

PB (peanut butter) is great in a sandwich.

But Pb (the periodic table symbol for lead) isn’t good in your home. The detrimental health effects are well-documented, and most of us are aware of the risks of lead paint in homes built prior to 1971. But what you may not realize is that lead can be found in old furniture, too — and not just in paint.

What? Not just in paint?

Yep. I didn’t know when I first started refinishing that lead can be found in some old varnishes, too. Sanding any item with a lead finish releases the lead into the air, which is highly problematic. And even if the piece was painted recently, you never know what might be lurking in layers beneath the topcoat (like I discovered with this stepstool).

Can’t you just paint over it?

Simply painting over the lead on furniture doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. What if the new paint peels? What if abrasion due to normal wear and tear exposes the lead beneath, such as where a drawer scrapes when it opens and closes (see photo).

Best to Test

If you’re going to refresh an older piece, it’s a good idea to check for lead. Test kits are readily available at hardware stores and online (e.g., Amazon). Most involve applying a test swab to the surface (catching all layers, if possible). Then you determine if the resulting color indicates lead is present. Here, I’m testing a nightstand I was gifted to refurbish.

Checking the swab against the scale gives me good news: no lead! I can now sand and refinish safely. Had there been lead present, I would have had to discard the piece.