Potential chemical pollution of waterways

Most old buildings in Australia, whether commercial or domestic, incorporate one or two materials that today can cause major headaches in redevelopment or refurbishment projects.

These are, of course, asbestos and lead paint. And it was the latter that posed a significant problem for the development of the heritage-listed Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, Sydney.

Many extensive studies conducted in Australia and overseas have concluded that significant damage to health can be caused by lead paint, especially to young children and pregnant mothers. Lead has been found to affect IQ levels, and to cause hearing loss and slow growth in children.

Consequently, the Environmental Protection Authority and the construction industry have set strict standards for handling old lead paint.

So while the huge 300 metre-long Jones Bay Wharf was slated for a $200 million commercial redevelopment, there was first the issue of removing many layers of old lead paint from a structure that was 90 per cent built over the water.

Some of the areas tested had a lead content of over 12 per cent on the painted hardwoods. The construction company had very strict environmental guidelines that stated no contaminants could be allowed into Sydney Harbour, therefore the contractor had to be extremely careful in removing the paint.

The Peel Away paint removal system, a product manufactured by Haymes Paint, was used. It has become known for its innovative solutions for the safe removal of old lead paint as well as other paint types.

The product is a thick paste, which is applied to the substrate and then sealed with a special laminated cover sheet. This seals the complete surface during the stripping process, with no fumes, dust or particles able to escape. After a period of time the old paint is carefully removed and, contained in the laminated sheet, is placed into bags for disposal.

Peel Away 9 (Marine Safety Strip) was nominated for the Jones Bay Wharf project. It was sprayed on using an Oldfields airless gun GS700 with a 32" tip.

Most of the surfaces were hardwood weatherboards and beams which had at least 20 layers of old peeling lead paint to be removed.

All the paint particles were completely contained during the process. The wash-down process was done a section at a time, with minimum water being used. To prevent contaminants reaching the waterways, the area was dammed using plastic sheets and two rows of sandbags on the concrete deck.

Excess water was vacuumed off using wet vacs, and in other areas steam cleaners were used. The contaminated solid waste was disposed of in accordance with EPA guidelines, and all stripped surfaces were restored to their original condition.

Peel Away comes in a variety of products designed to provide a very effective paint removal solution for a wide range of surfaces and paint treatments.

Peel Away 9 (Marine Safety Strip) is specially formulated for the removal of marine anti fouling, old lead paint, varnishes, exterior acrylic and water-based paints. It is suitable for use on all types of wood, plaster and decorative plaster, stone, render, concrete, stucco, brick, marble, cast iron, metal, aluminium, fibreglass, laminated and compressed boards.

It can be applied by brush or sprayed on and, after removal of the paint, surfaces can be washed down with water. It is recommended that a test evaluation always be carried out first, as all buildings are painted differently.