Where in Helsinki to test paint for lead?

[Pursuivant]

Might we be able to stick the landlord with the responsibility of getting the place tested?

He told you to sand the doors?

[AlexInHelsinki]

No, but it got me thinking about the rest of the flat. It's white, and it's very old, and the paint is peeling every which where from the existing walls and doors...and if it's lead white, it's pretty relevant, no?

[Desundial]

WTF - does your flat have serious moisture in the walls/ ceiling?? That would open an entirely different environmental quality issue (molds...)

btw, I sincerly hope you don't have small kids with access to that attic...

[AlexInHelsinki]

Well, the attic is locked, but it's communal for the building, so what other people do with their kids is their responsibility. Nobody can get in there without a key though, so I doubt it.

Moisture/mold doesn't seem to be a problem at all. Flat is as warm and dry as a bone w/good ventilation. At least in winter...haven't spent a summer here yet. I think it's just age and the fact that the place really hasn't been taken care of at all. Sad, 'cause it has amazing potential to be an absolutely gorgeous place.

[raamv]

hmmm sounds like Landlord has been renting for many a college students..
and not bothering to clean up..so rent is cheap and no need for any maintainence!!
Onus on renters to prove that apt was in "good" condition to rent!!
I wonder if he is going to sue you for damages done to the old and sturdy door that now looks ugly!!

[Mattlill2000]

If you want to fix the mess, first forget about sanding the doors. (lead) Scrape off the loose paint, prime the doors with an oil based primer eg. otex and then fill and plaster the damaged areas with proper filler eg. snickeritasoite (spelling?) Sand the patched areas lightly (lead) and refill untill the surface is acceptable. Then reprime with an oil based primer and then apply the topcoats.
For the ceilings, it looks the paint is "dead" This happens when the paint is very old, perhaps 100 years old etc., and in those days the painters mixed up their own paints with whatever, so you are dealing with whatever. Again scrape off the loose the paint, then prime with an oil based primer and then apply fiberglass cloths to the ceiling the keep the dead paint up there and then plaster and paint.
I will gaurantee if you are not extremely patient and handy, you will mess it up even more and as raamv said if you didn't have the owners permission.......................

[raamv]

practically, since they cant sue here as it costs them €€,, thye might not return your money!!
Anyways, Why are you not asking the owner to Fix this ?

[Pursuivant]

Sdamn, looks like something I'd want to have jumped on in back in the day...

[AlexInHelsinki]

practically, since they cant sue here as it costs them €€,, thye might not return your money!!
Anyways, Why are you not asking the owner to Fix this ?

Well first of all I'm subletting, so I'm not on the lease. They don't have any of my money. In fact, no one does.

Second, I'm leaving in a month.

Third, the landlord is super nice and *extremely* chill and lets us do things like rip out walls and replace doors. He's also so chill that I guess he doesn't care much about crumbling paint, though to be honest I don't think anyone has kicked up much of a fuss about it.

Fourth, they'll be ripping out all the pipes in the flat/building this coming December for required renovation works, after which point I expect he will renovate the whole flat, jack up the price, and sell (or at least rent it out for a lot more than we're paying now).

I've already put a ton of time and energy into replacing the entire entranceway to my room (Why bother? Don't ask me. The existing barrier was atrocious and it was a rewarding project other than the lead poisoning ) , so I'm not about to take on anything else at this point (and yes, the person I'm subletting from was totally cool with it).

But man...if I owned this place I'd do it up proper.