[Zeke]

I am certified to remove lead and small amounts of asbestos. The only difference between what I posted above and a full blown lead abatement job would be to seal the rooms where the work is being done and wear full body suits with a wash at the entrance/exit port. The whole sealed package is then taken down outside in and properly disposed of.

If you can keep the work from becoming airborne to begin with, there is less need for all this preparation. Common sense is the key.

Randy, I don't think removing soil about the house is necessary unless there has been gross contamination. Couple of rain showers and it's gone anyway.

Now, I'm not saying where it goes is right, but if you're careful about the amount that will be tracked outside, it is really negligible. I know, I know, add up a few 1000 negligibles and you have a problem, but the OP should be able to do this w/o endangering himself or his family with a bit of understanding of the process.

I'll go on: Here in CA we are allowed to paint over paint that contains lead. I don't think that is all in all a good practice since most amateurs don't get a good bond with their paint jobs. It can chip off or be picked off by an industrious child.

This is what you do with an old house that has crappy paint that you want to make look great. First, wash the old paint and then while still wet, wet sand just enough to rough up the surface and remove "nubs" that would otherwise catch on a soft cloth.

Then prime with a high build primer. I add industrial talc or a similar compound to make a soft and easily sandable surface. I use a medium nap roller and leave the "texture." I then lightly sand that to smooth out old brush marks and runs staying out of the base paint.

I then apply either more primer or my finish coat depending on how bad the substrate was. We used to use a "split coat" of half primer and half finish as the intermediate coat. The paint manufacturers don't recommend that today.

When I get to the finish, I would prefer to spray, but can't always do that. So, in lieu of spray, I will roll the paint on quickly and immediately lay off the wet paint with a quality brush. The wet brush marks will level if you don't over do it and get it done quickly. You can't do this in the sun or on a real hot day.

The combination of brushed out paint over the rolled texture primer has a "cancelling out" effect and can look just like a spray job. You won't get this first time out, but with practice and patience, you can make an old house look really fresh and detailed even with some flaws still showing. Call those character.

Completely stripping wood to only paint it again can be a lot more labor intensive than my method.

One more tip: all the paints and tools (brushes and rollers) must remain absolutely clean. If you drop the brush or get trash in your paint, you need to strain the paint and get a fresh brush. And, new rollers leave fuzz on the surface. I use a new roller for primer, wash it thoroughly, and then use it for finish. No junk in my top coat.