How Do You Remove Old Paint From Wood Work?
Gram writes: I have an old house that used to have a central stair carpet and the wooden steps that were bare were painted white. I cannot seem to remove the paint and sanding a small area takes hours. Any ideas?
Hi Gram, thanks for asking on how to remove old paint from wood work. Stripping off old paint latex and oil can be a pain in the rear. Sanding is one way, but you will be removing some of the wood from the stair tread. There are a variety of chemical paint removing systems available.
The biggest question is how environmentally friendly you want to be and what the environmental regulations are in your area. Some areas require special treatment of the paint removal waste.
Chemical strippers can be divided into liquid and semi paste. Liquid chemical paint removers are good for removing one to two layers of paint. This is because the liquid evaporates so quickly that it can only work on one to two layers. The semi paste paint removers are ideal for removing multiple layers of paint. The paste takes longer to evaporate which gives the chemical more time to work on the paint.
Once the paint stripper has done its work, you use a plastic scraper to remove the layers of paint that the paint remover has loosened.
Another technique to let the paint remover do its work even longer is to put down a layer of paint remover and then cover it with clear plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will keep chemical stripper from drying out to quickly and lets the chemical work longer on the painted surface.
Use proper precautions to protect yourself from the paint stripper chemicals. They are harmful to your lungs as well as your skin. Don’t try to save a couple of dollars by using cheap gloves. Only use gloves rated for use with chemicals. Also, work outside in a well ventilated area.
Read the labels on all paint remover cans and follow manufacturers’ instructions carefully.
Another method for removing old paint is to use heat. There are special paint removal heat guns that break down the film in the old paint. This makes the paint easier to scrape off with a putty knife. Be careful not scratch the wood while working the old paint off.
Personally I prefer the chemical paint removers as they work faster and are more efficient.
