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It is safe to remove old linoleum, but it may require the help of a specialist due to the risk of asbestos in the material. Before you cut into linoleum or try to peel it up, have it tested for asbestos. If it tests positive, professionals will need to remove it to prevent the risk of health issues from airborne toxic particles. If it’s asbestos-free, DIY removal is possible and safe.

Lead toxicity comes from inhaling lead or consuming it. Before the 1980s, when the government banned lead from consumer use, it could be found in paint, plumbing, pipes, ceramics, and even gasoline. Lead paint is toxic for the same reason lead itself is toxic, which is why lead poisoning from paint presents the same as lead poisoning from water or food sources, with a slight increase in respiratory symptoms vs. digestive symptoms. Lead paint is most dangerous when it’s old and peeling, cracking, or otherwise disturbed. This increases the concentration in the air and, therefore, in breathable air. 

You can paint over lead paint, or “encapsulate” it with a special paint that includes an ingredient called an encapsulant. The EPA approves encapsulation as a lead paint removal method as long as the paint remains undisturbed. Standard types of paint without an “encapsulant” from the big box stores or hardware stores do not meet EPA standards for remediation of lead-based paint.

Professional lead-paint abatement companies use a variety of methods to remove lead-based paint, depending on each particular situation. Some of the most common methods include:

• Total removal: $8–$17 per square foot

• Demolition and replacement: $1,000–$15,000 per project

• Encapsulation: $4 per square foot

• Enclosure: $10 per square foot

• Chemical stripping: $10–$17 per square foot