How to Remove the Old Paint

If you want to renovate a house and you are dealing with layers of old paint, you’ll need to resort to some tricks to remove it. If washable paint is relatively easy to remove, oil based paints and varnishes involve an additional effort.

Peeling Paint
Old Paint

Here are the most effective ways to remove layers of old paint on the window frames, siding or wall paneling from your home:

1 Sanding

Even if it seems outdated and a rudimentary method, sanding is one of the most effective methods of removing old layers of paint, especially suitable for hard surfaces.

You can use sandpaper if you are dealing with a small area or a special tool for sanding if we are talking about a larger area.

Be careful though, because through the sanding you can remove a layer more or less superficial of the wall or of the wood so it is good to have this in mind if you want to restore an antique piece of furniture. In this case, sanding should be done with great care, using only the fine sanding paper.

It is also recommended to use a special sandpaper, depending on the surface you are going to apply. If it is a softer surface, it is better to use a finer grit sandpaper, in other cases the recommended one more harshly because the finer ones will thinner quickly.

2 Chemicals

However, sanding is not the only way to remove a stubborn old paint. There are special chemicals to remove layers of paint. Liquid stripper is used to clean and thin layers of paint and the solid one is effective for removing multiple layers. Also it is suitable for irregular surfaces or stains that cannot be removed with water and ordinary detergent.

Some types of stripper contain a substance in their formula that allows the mixture with water, which indicates that once soaked the paint, can be removed with a medium pressure hose. Other similar products come bundled with a spray or a spray bottle designed for an easy application. When sprayed, stripper turns into a thick foam.

However, it is good to know that the newest products on the market for removing paints contain chemicals with a low degree of toxicity so that can also be used safely in confined spaces.

No matter what product you choose, it is advisable to read the instructions carefully and let it act as long as indicated on the packaging, without touching it or to check at what stage it is.

After the stripper has done its job and the paint is softened, you will need to use a scraper to remove it. Nevertheless, sanding is required to clean the surface perfectly; you need to use a medium hardness steel wool or a more abrasive one.

3 Heat

Another effective method to get rid of all traces of paint is heat. There are many types of burners on the market or hot air guns that destroy the paint layer.

Make sure though that does not keep these devices for a long time in the same place because you can affect the look of surface. To avoid brown spots is good to move permanently the heat device.

Here, an other interesting post from our website:

Part of Your Home Identity are Paintings | How To Build A House (howtobuildahouseblog.com)