Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting

• Resealable rigid walled container, like a screw‐top plastic centrifuge tube. (Note: Do not use resealable plastic bags. Paint chip samples may be lost during handling and transport.)
• Steel or plastic measuring ruler ‐ metric only with millimeter and centimeter divisions
• Cloths for cleaning purposes
• White paper for making paper funnels (paint chip sample collection trays)
• Masking and duct tape
• Permanent (indelible) marking pen
• Personal safety gear
• Cutting and scraping tools:
  • Sharp‐edged razor knife
  • Single‐edged safety razor blades
  • Pocket knife with locking blade
  • Rigid blade paint scraper with extra blades
  • Flexible putty knife
  • Chisels
  • Hammer
• Flashlight
• Trash bags
• Plastic gloves, powderless
• Paint Chip Sample Collection Form (PDF)

The paint chip sample collection form should include:

• Project or client name
• General sampling site description
• The name of the person collecting the samples

The paint chip sample container should include:

• A unique identifier
• Dimensions of the sampled surface (include measuring units) 

• Using a ruler, draw an outline of the sampling area on the painted surface with a permanent marking pen.
• Record the dimension of the outline.
• Score the outlined area with a razor knife or similar cutting tool.
• Use the cutting tool to retrace the outline area.
• Clean the ruler with a cloth.

Note: Samples generally should be at least 1 in², but the sample size needed may vary by laboratory. Contact your preferred laboratory for its requirements. The laboratory should be accredited by the National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP).

For Horizontal Surfaces

Use a sheet of letter‐size white paper to make a paper funnel for paint chip sample collection. If needed, cut the paper to a smaller size appropriate for the size of the sampling area.

For Vertical Surfaces

• Center a piece of tape along one of the long edges of a clean sheet of white paper. (Tip: The tape should be shorter than the paper. Place it so that the paper firmly sticks to the paint surface.)
• Place the paper directly below the sample location. The taped edge should be closest to the scored location.
• Pull the two lower corners of the paper together and overlap slightly to form a funnel.
• Secure with a piece of tape.
• Fold the bottom of the newly formed funnel up and use a piece of tape to close off the funnel bottom.  Be sure no sticky tape surfaces are exposed inside the funnel.

For Overhead Horizontal Surfaces (Painted Surfaces Facing Down)

• Make a closed‐bottom funnel in the same manner as described in “For Vertical Surfaces.”
• Affix the funnel to the painted surface directly under the sample location. Be sure not to impede access to the surface. Or attach the funnel to a ladder beneath the sample location. 

• Using a cutting tool, begin removing the paint chip sample from the substrate.
• Slide the blade along the score and underneath the sample to peel it from the substrate.
• Having trouble? Try using a scraping tool or similar tool.