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That charming, appealing "chippy" paint? It is loaded with lead, which was used right up until the 1970s. Think twice before you put anything with delightfully shabby, chippy vintage window in the kids' room.
Right now I'm refinishing some old pieces. Here's what the label says in BIG letters and it's a direct quote:
WARNING! If you scrape, sand, or remove old paint you may release lead dust. LEAD IS TOXIC. EXPOSURE TO LEAD DUST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESS SUCH AS BRAIN DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ALSO AVOID EXPOSURE. Wear an NIOSH-approved respirator to control lead exposure. Clean up carefully with a HEPA vaccuum and a wet mop. Before you start, find out how to protect yourself and your family by contacting the National Lead Information Hotline.
One of the most appealing aspects of vintage items are the wavy glass. These are imperfections that are characteristic of glass typically dating from the 1800s right up to the 1940s. After that - the glass was manufactured differently. Wavy glass may contain bubbles, or air pockets. These are highly prized for their vintage look and are "natural" imperfections that can heighten the vintage character. Wavy glass also has a different tint when compared to modern glass. Wavy glass can have a faint pinkish or amber hue, whereas modern glass typically has a greenish cast.
If you choose to replace the glass in a vintage window and replace it with mirror, it's worth keeping that wavy glass: Have it recut to size to use in a photograph frame.
In general, it's easy to ruin a great primitive by fussing with it. You don't want to touch up the finish or restain the wood. With old windows, however, it's different.
They're great fun and fantastic for crafting...but anyone with a wee bit of experience in architectural salvage knows that there's a reason why they're so inexpensive...
Have fun! But stay SAFE!
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