DIY Home Improvement: How to Remove Paint

If you own a home with an interior that has been painted many times over, chances are you have noticed a thick build-up of paint on door casings, baseboards, walls, and even the doors themselves. Overtime, this build-up of paint can take away from wood detailing, and make it difficult to open and close doors and windows. Stop the paint-over process by learning how to remove paint to make these surfaces smooth and like-new again.

There are two different ways to remove paint. To remove paint from wood surfaces, the most efficient method is a heat gun, followed by a quick application of chemical. When removing paint from metal surfaces, chemicals alone must be used. Here we'll discuss both paint removal methods.

Materials needed to remove paint from wood:

• Heat gun
• Putty knife
• Traingluar scraper
• Metal container
• Steel wood
• Paint thinner
• Handheld vacuum
• Soft cloth
• Protective gloves and face mask

How to remove paint from wood:

STEP 1 - Place the heat gun next to the paint. As it heats, you'll see the paint begin to bubble and move. Move the heat gun slowly from left to right. Reheat the same section over and over until you are ready to remove paint.

STEP 2 - When the paint is very loose, begin removing paint larger sections with a putty knife. Smaller sections, or those embedded in the detail of wood, will need to be removed with the smaller triangular scraper.

STEP 3 - Discard the paint into a metal container as it is removed. Continue until most of the paint is removed.

STEP 4 - When you are finished, you may still see small segments of paint. That's perfectly normal and should be expected. These can be removed with steel wool dipped in paint thinner. Apply it gently with the natural grain of the wood. (Be sure to wear protective gloves)

STEP 5 - Use a handheld vacuum to remove small pieces of paint that may be left behind.

STEP 6 - Wipe with a clean damp cloth.

STEP 7 - If there are any surface areas that were gouged with the putty knife, lightly sand them before repainting.

Materials needed to remove paint from metal:

• Liquid paint remover
• Glass container
• Small paintbrush
• Putty knife
• Triangular scraper
• Metal bucket
• Soft rag
• Protective gloves and face mask

Safety tip - Liquid paint remover is very dangerous to work with, so be sure you are working in a well-ventilated area before you begin. The fumes can be bothersome to some people, thus a respiratory face mask should be worn at all times. Protective gloves should also be worn to protect the skin from irritation or burns.

STEP 1 - Pour the remover into a glass container.

STEP 2 - Dip the paintbrush into the container and brush it onto the metal surface, working small sections at a time. Allow it to set until the paint begins to bubble.

STEP 3 - Use a putty knife to remove paint in large sections, or a triangular scraper to remove paint from small areas, or areas of paint located in crevices or wood detailing. If you hit a stubborn patch of paint, apply more of the remover until it bubbles.

STEP 4 - Discard the paint into a metal container as it is removed.

STEP 5 - When you have finished removing paint, wipe the surface down thoroughly with a wet rag.

STEP 6 - If there are any surface areas that were gouged with the putty knife, lightly sand them before repainting.

Safety Alert! - If you have a home that was built before 1978, you need to be aware of the danger of lead paint, which can cause lead poisoning, in your home. Do NOT begin the process of removing paint until you have verified that the paint in your home is 100% lead-free.

More DIY Home Improvement from Jennifer Wagner:

How to Paint Over Concrete

How to Paint Over Laminate Countertops

How to Paint Over Paneling

SOURCE:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network