How can I tell if old funiture is painted with lead paint?

Question

If I seal it in with clear acrylic is it ok then?

Answer 1

At minimum, home test kits are sold in many paint, hardware, and home center stores. When used according to directions, they can detect old lead paint with more than 90 percent accuracy. You use a swab to apply a chemical to the paint, and look for a color change, indicating the presence of lead.

Do not dry-sand the old paint surface to rough it up. If absolutely necessary, wet-sand sparingly with wet/dry abrasive paper. You might consider a chemical deglosser as an alternative to sanding -- but if you do, make sure to open doors and windows for adequate ventilation, and follow the label directions. Follow up with a thorough cleaning, using a lead-specific detergent solution.
Repaint with two coats of high-quality paint/sealer such as a clear or colored acrylic. When choosing your new paint, remember that you want a cleanable surface that will hold up under frequent washings.
To make sure surfaces are clean and uncontaminated, you should repeat the wet-wipe testing of surfaces after the job is finished.

Answer 2

if the furniture is older than 25 years I would assume that it was lead paint, yes clear acrylic would be ok to paint over. If you want to change color etc you would need to do that before the acrylic otherwise you should sand the acrylic to get a rough surface to have the paint stick.