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Lead lined drywall

58K views 35 replies 15 participants last post by  scottktmrider 
#1 ·
I'm remodeling a CT room in a hospital & it has lead lined drywall that I've got to hang & finish. I've never messed with it before, what do y'all think is the best way to cut it?
Thanks,
Jim
 
#6 ·
I worked on a Hospital upgrade, totally gutted and refitted. In certain procedure rooms with Xray facilities they used lead lined plasterboard. Our outlet boxes had to be screwed down onto 2mm lead foil which was folded up behind them to prevent radiation escaping through the electrical and network outlets. The plasterboard didnt seem to any more difficult to cut with a normal jab saw when we had to cut open buried boxes...
 
#7 ·
Thanks y'all. With it being as soft as it is I kinda thought it would be fairly simple to cut but I didn't know for sure, I was hoping anyway.

I started demo on the room yesterday and what a PITA!! There's 1/8" on the walls now, heavy chit. I'm going back with 1/16" as per plans so one sheet will be around 200lbs, not as bad as what I'm taking down.
 
#8 ·
I started demo on the room yesterday and what a PITA!! There's 1/8" on the walls now, heavy chit. I'm going back with 1/16" as per plans so one sheet will be around 200lbs, not as bad as what I'm taking down.
I wonder if there is a chance of radiation exsposure demoing an exisitng lead lined wall that has been exposed to radiation?
 
#10 · (Edited)
I'm also interested to hear how this is done under RRP as it contains lead. Do you have to be RRP compliant to install it as well as remove it?

Just spoke to me mate who does a lot of this kind of work. I knew some of this but he said it don't require nothing under RRP even when installed in residential applications. He said just like stuff like floor coverings, bathtubs, pipe work etc etc He said under commercial the demo has to be done under OHSA's hazardous materials removal section for radio active waste. He said he ain't had to demo it for years so the laws could be much stricter now that Lead is also considered hazardous.
 
#12 ·
Did the same thing in a chiropractors office once. If I remember right we cut it with a utility knife. Just unrolled it and had another guy to help hoist that stuff up.

I always wondered about the X rays transferring through the screws. We just used reg. drywall screws.

I don't think the RRP has anything to do with it. It's basically encapsulated behind 1/2" of rock. No lead dust can be generated.
 
#14 ·
Yes, those lead disk are a real pain. You end up floating over those things, there's no way to get them recessed.

Also you would have 2'' wide rolls of it to go behind all the seams and corners.

I have done both rolled lead and the lead board......Always a lot of fun..............Not:laughing:
 
#15 ·
One thing you have to consider is that there is a difference between using lead as a solid sheet of material vs. it being in paint, gasoline, or any other substance where it is in particle form and can be inadvertently inhaled.
 
#23 ·
Not really any different at all. The lead is encapsulated in all the stuff it's in. It only gets released when it's destroyed. If you burnt fuel it's released, cut paint with a circuler saw its released, cut lead lined drywall with a circuler saw its released. Same goes for floor coverings and bathtubs. All this stuff is safe until its messed with. But there's vastly more lead in lead lined drywall than paint. Be curious to know RRP stance on this stuff when in residential, prob be the same as floor covers and bathtubs. Even they admit that the law not covering them to things is silly. One of them I spoke to said that may be added soon though as its come up a lot lately.
 
#19 ·
I can tell ya from the last two I worked on one is only 4 or 5 years old and the other is probably 30...neither one had boxes wrapped. Not to mention there was nothing special in the ceiling...what about the people above?
 
#21 ·
Heck one that I'm thinking of doesn't even have doors of any sort...the other one was just regular doors...

Oh well the cheque cleared and I know about as much about radiation as I do about hanging drywall.
 
#26 ·
Not really any different at all. The lead is encapsulated in all the stuff it's in. It only gets released when it's destroyed. If you burnt fuel it's released, cut paint with a circuler saw its released, cut lead lined drywall with a circuler saw its released. Same goes for floor coverings and bathtubs. All this stuff is safe until its messed with. But there's vastly more lead in lead lined drywall than paint. Be curious to know RRP stance on this stuff when in residential, prob be the same as floor covers and bathtubs. Even they admit that the law not covering them to things is silly. One of them I spoke to said that may be added soon though as its come up a lot lately.
Sheet lead cuts like fudge, it doesn't blast into a gajillion fine dust particles...well it didn't when I cut it.
 
#28 ·
I have only ever cut it with shears when we done flashing and it cuts easy. The dust from the cut gotta go somewhere when cut with a saw. I'm sure it dont come of in chunks. Just like cutting allow with a blade. Your left with a micro fine dust that sits in the air for some time. Bet the same happens with lead. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to cut lead with a saw but I'm sure it happens.
 
#30 ·
X-rays are like light. You turn it on there is light, you turn it off there is no light. There is no residual remaining.

If you are talking about alpha and beta radiation then there can be residual because they are particles that get stuck and remain.

Just like the fear when food was being radiated by cobalt 60. People were freaking out expecting radioactive food when there is no chance of that ever happening.
 
#31 ·
I built a lead wall about two yrs ago. It was just wide enough for the technician to stand behind. And I installed a window for them to look through.

I think the technology with the x-ray machines has come a long way. When I was younger we would hang the entire room with the lead sheets.

Have also done several home theaters that were all lead lined.......They were a *****! :censored:

But on the bright side. I have a lifetime supply of duck decoy anchors :thumbsup:
 
#32 ·
I built a lead wall about two yrs ago. It was just wide enough for the technician to stand behind. And I installed a window for them to look through.

I think the technology with the x-ray machines has come a long way. When I was younger we would hang the entire room with the lead sheets.

Have also done several home theaters that were all lead lined.......They were a *****! :censored:

But on the bright side. I have a lifetime supply of duck decoy anchors :thumbsup:
What the heck you need duck decoys for? Just bring a loaf of bread, they'll come right to the boat. :thumbsup:

Just leave them poor ducks alone.
 
#36 ·
About one of my first jobs (20 yrs ago) was at the va hospital.We had lead lined drywall,lead hollow core jambs and lead doors.We was working on the 3rd floor and they would only allow us to stack 6 sheets per pile because it was so heavy.
It was a good thing i was young or mite have got out of the trade after that job.
 
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