Stripping old porch paint involves getting lead out

Q: How can I eliminate the peeling paint on the concrete at my front porch? I have heard of sandblasting, but I am not really sure what is involved. Grinding? Stripping? What's the best and the cheapest?

A: Sandblasting is not something you generally can or want to do by yourself. If you have lead in the paint (a house older than 1978) to be removed, sandblasting creates containment issues, and can be a bit spendy.

Grinding and torching also give you the same airborne lead and dust issues. Strippers will allow you to contain the discarded material completely, but it may become a multistep process if, like so many other concrete porches, yours has multiple layers of paint to remove. Covering the stripper with plastic wrap to keep it from drying quickly may help it penetrate deeper per application.

Local lead-paint guru Terry Meany suggests a product called "Peel-Away" (or other similar products). Lye in a paste form, this material has a built-in paper covering, allowing the stripper to sit overnight on the material to be removed. After doing its magic, the covering is lifted, and the mess removed. After removing the paint, the concrete surface will need to be neutralized with vinegar, powerwashing or the manufacturer's alternate instructions.

In any removal project, you need to do a test area to determine the extent of the mess, work and results you will encounter. Testing for lead paint is required (kits are available at retail stores), and you will need to acquire a legal way to dispose of the paint by contacting your waste-removal company. You might also consider an overlay of concrete if possible, or brick pavers, or another material if you have room and want a different look.

Q: I have a rot-treated cedar roof that I am planning to install. What are the recommended fasteners?

A: Stainless steel, aluminum and hot-dipped galvanized (not zinc). Other fasteners are subject to corrosion.

And now, two questions — and I use the term loosely — on the issue that just won't die, a Kirkland couple's weekend getaway on Herron Island (originally featured in Home/Real Estate Aug. 1, then mentioned again in this column Aug. 15).

Q-1: You spent several paragraphs criticizing environmentalists but still did not answer the question of how you get to Herron Island.

Q-2: I just can't imagine anyone going to the same place every weekend. How boring!

There is a great big world out there. I would rather travel to foreign countries, see the world and enjoy other cultures rather than pollute the Earth going to the same place every weekend every year.

A: My gosh, I hope we can put this to rest now! The nonprofit Herron Island Maintenance Co. operates a private ferry from Lakebay to the island. A voyage aboard the 49-passenger/12-car "Charlie Wells," the world's first sail/oar-powered hybrid ferry, takes approximately seven to 10 minutes and is for residents and guests with signed passes only.

Well, OK, I embellished a bit — it actually does have an internal-combustion engine. The cost is similar to a Washington State Ferry. That being said, I challenge the second correspondent to tell me how she will get across the ocean to see other cultures without polluting.

Darrell Hay answers readers' questions. Call 206-464-8514 to record your question,