But that’s my point: it is peeling and flaking, because it’s old barn wood. When I was testing ours, I ran my gloved finger over it and entire match-sized strips came off. All it takes is the lead dust equivalent of a single grain of salt for a child to register an elevated blood level. The damage is irreversible.

I shudder when I see reclaimed barn wood in peoples houses for one big reason... tons of it is coated in FLAKING, PEELING lead paint! We obtained a large piece of art about 5-6 years ago as this trend was taking off, until one day it occurred to me to test it, knowing its origin and likely pre-1970s vintage. Lead,…