How to remove old paint from wood without problems
How to remove old paint from wood? This question is being asked by the owners of the houses when starting its repair.
It is definitely impossible to answer it. Different compositions of paints are removed in different ways. Some are easy enough, but it happens that even experienced builders do not know how to remove old paint from wood?
The article suggests some methods of removing old paint from the surface, their advantages, and safety measures during work.
The content of the article
When to paint
In the Soviet period, when decorating, it was very common to paint walls in bathrooms and kitchens. Many are still faced with the problem of how to remove the old coating from walls, ceilings and floors, for example, to level the surfaces before a new painting (see How to align the ceiling for painting) or laying ceramic tiles.
If the wall will be sewn up with drywall - the old coating can be left. But more often it is necessary to remove it from walls and ceilings.
This is due to the fact that:
- The adhesion or adhesion at the painted surface to adhesives for tiles, cement-based plasters and other building compounds is practically zero. So, applying a new paintwork on top is a waste of money, the coating will not last long.
- After removing the old coating, with the right finishing technology, the quality of the painted surface improves.
What are the ways to remove the old coating
When choosing a method for removing paint, several factors must be considered:
- The type of surface on which the paintwork was applied.
- What is planned to do with her next.
- Type of paint.
- The number of coatings applied.
- The adhesion strength of the paint to the base of the wall.
- Which tool is available.
- The funds that the owner has.
Wall paint can be:
- Emulsion.
- Acrylic.
- Oily. This type of coating is most difficult to remove from concrete surfaces.
Tip: If you do not know what type of paint is applied to the walls, you can find out. To do this, several experiments should be carried out: remove the coating on a small surface area using different methods.
Depending on the removal method used, tools and materials are prepared:
- Wide chisel, metal scraper or putty knife.
- Liquid with special chemicals for removing a specific type of paint.
- Brush, you can roller.
- Ax for making notches.
- Construction hair dryer.
- Electric drill with various nozzles.
- Bulgarian.
- Pure water.
- To protect a person, a respirator, gloves, goggles.
It is most difficult to remove oil paint from walls and ceilings if plaster has previously been applied to them.
Paint can be removed in one of three ways:
- Chemical.
- Thermal.
- Mechanical.
What tool to remove old paint from the tree to use, the owner decides.
How to remove old paint chemically
Work procedure:
- The chemical composition is purchased and prepared, for which the instructions for removing paint are carefully studied.
- The solution is applied with a brush or a special roller to the surface. In this case, movements must be made in one direction.
- After a time has elapsed, when the paint softens, it is removed with a spatula, scraper or brush with a metallic pile, along with a wash.
Tip: This is the fastest method, but the smell may remain for a long time. In addition, if the paint was applied in several layers, when using a wash, there is no guarantee that the perfect removal will be obtained immediately. In this case, apply the solution several times.
The use of chemical reagents for removing paint has quite a few disadvantages:
- It is a highly toxic material with a sharp specific odor-resistant material.
- May cause burns if it comes into contact with human skin.
- It requires special disposal, it can not be lowered even into the sewer.
- The high price of the process.
If chemistry is used, be sure to adhere to the safety rules in work:
- Work with reagents only in a well-ventilated building.
- Use personal protective equipment.
- Children and pregnant women should not be in the room.
- All parts of the body must be completely protected from chemical contact: a mixture of acid and solvents has a very aggressive composition.
A more gentle method is the use of soda ash.
In this case:
- The wooden floor is thoroughly wetted with water.
- A thick layer of soda falls asleep.
- Everything is covered with wet burlap.
- The coating is aged 24 hours, not allowing the burlap to dry completely.
- After swelling from dampness, the paint is easily cleaned with a spatula.
You can remove old paint with your own hands with a mixture of lime and potassium carbonate.
For this:
- 1.5 kilograms of quicklime and 500 grams of potassium carbonate or soda ash are taken.
- Everything is thoroughly mixed with water until thick.
- The mixture is applied to the surface.
- Aged 12 hours.
- Old paint can be easily removed.
Oil paint can be removed with liquid glass:
- The surface is lubricated.
- Drying well.
- The silicate film should then begin to fall off with the paint. The procedure should be repeated several times.
How to use the thermal method
The use of a building hair dryer to remove old paint has long been known.
With this method:
- The tool heats the previously painted surface until it softens.
- Soft paint is scrubbed off the wall, floor or doors with a scraper or trowel.
Tip: If there is no hairdryer, you should take a wide sheet of ordinary foil and heat the paint through it with an iron.
This method cannot be used in places where electric wires pass or there is a decorative coating, for example, plastic: it can be damaged by high temperature.
But this method answers the question of how to remove old paint from wooden windows when no vibrations and shocks are allowed. A significant drawback of heat treatment is the presence of a pungent odor of paint and the release of harmful toxic substances when heated. This requires reliable protection of the respiratory system, and use the method only in a well-ventilated area.
How to remove paint mechanically
In the case when it is impossible to use the previous methods due to toxicity, the most optimal option would be to use a mechanical paint removal method.
This is a laborious, fairly slow, but inexpensive way. It is non-injurious and not harmful, it is carried out with notches on the walls with an ax.
In this case:
- Notches are made with an ax.
- The wall is sprayed with water.
- After a few minutes, when the paint is absorbed, you can begin to clean off the paint with an ax. For the speed and efficiency of the process, the correct tool angle is selected.
This method is best used in a room with a small area, and in the absence of the ability to ventilate the room - this is an ideal way. Mechanized mechanical paint stripping can also be used.
To accelerate the mechanical removal of the coating from the surface, facilitate work and increase its productivity, it is worth using the mechanized method. To do this, take a grinder with a wide range. How to perform paint stripping grinder shows the video in this article.
Paint can be removed using a punch with different nozzles:
- Nozzles on a drill - a chain.
- This method allows you to remove paint and rust from concrete, wood and metal surfaces.
Chains can be of two configurations:
- paint removers;
- in the form of a roller. Such a nozzle is a chain consisting of 13 links, the thickness of which is at least five millimeters. The link located in the center on each side rotates six links. The axis on which the link rotates is the M6 bolt. The chain is put on and well clamped with a nut. An electric drill drives the chain.
If the extreme link flies off on the one hand, it is necessary, in order to maintain balance, to remove it on the other hand. The paint is removed until there are three links on each side. After that, it is thrown out and a new one is put. A chain of paint discourages pieces.
- Crowns on bricks are often used as nozzles, as in the photo.
How to remove acrylic paint
To remove acrylic paint you can use:
- Good metal brush.
- Coarse skin.
Tip: This is handmade, you should not forget about hand protection - wear gloves.
Good quality paint will not be removed easily. In this case, it is better to apply methods of removal for oil paint. When painting with acrylic paint on previously applied onto the surface of the same composition, cleaning can be omitted, it fits well on any acrylic paint.
What are some best practices for removing paint?
When cleaning a wooden surface from paint, do not use:
- Thermal method using open flame. Otherwise, it will cause a fire.
- Chemical flushing in rooms that cannot be ventilated.
Whatever method is used when removing old paint, we must not forget about measures of individual protection of hands, eyes, face.
