How to Remove Gloss from Walls

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By Murray Anderson
eHow Contributing Writer

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(8 Ratings)

One of the quickest ways to modernize a room is to give it a new coat of paint. Painting walls is something most people can take on themselves, plus new paint is inexpensive (you can easily update a room for $100), and you get your new look almost instantaneously (you can paint a room from start to finish in less than 2 days). However, if you are trying to paint over glossy paint you will need to do some up front preparation. Here's what to do.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Paint Scrapers or wide bladed putty knife
TSP
Liquid deglosser (optional)
Gel chemical paint strippers
Work gloves and eye protection
Heat gun
Drop cloths and plastic sheets
Sandpaper

Removing Gloss From Walls

Step 1

Removing paint from walls or woodwork can be done in a number of ways. Chemical strippers, heat guns and scrapers, or sanding are all options
Step 2

Regardless of the method you choose, move your furniture out of the room (or into the center of the room and cover it with drop cloths). Lay down drop cloths on the floor at the base of the walls, and remove all switch plate and outlet covers.

Using a Heat Gun

Step 1

A heat gun is probably the best choice for removing gloss paint from large areas, or if you are removing a number of layers of paint
Step 2

Wait until the gun is hot and then play the heat over a section (about a square foot) until the paint bubbles.
Step 3

Using a wide blade putty knife held at a low angle, slide the blade under the softened paint and peel it off the wall.
Step 4

Continue the process, heating and scraping sections at a time until you have removed the glossy paint from the entire wall.
Step 5

Work carefully. It's easy to gouges the wall with the edge of your putty knife.

Using Chemical Strippers

Step 1

Chemical strippers are a better choice when you are removing paint from a small area. Be sure you put thick plastic sheets (6 mil) down on the floor before you apply the chemical stripper so your floor will be protected.
Step 2

Use a gel stripper, since it will stick to the wall better than a liquid.
Step 3

Apply the chemical stripper following manufacturer's directions. Allow the stripper time to do its job (again read the directions). When the stripper has softened the paint, use a wide bladed scraper held at a low angle and scrape the paint off the wall. You will likely need to wash the walls with a mixture of TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water to remove all traces of the chemical stripper.
Step 4

Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection when using chemical strippers

Sanding

Step 1

Sanding will remove the gloss from the walls and provide a "tooth" for new paint to adhere to the old. However, if you want to remove all the paint rather than repaint, use a heat gun or chemical stripper. Sanding would be too time consuming.
Step 2

Use a medium grit sandpaper (about 150). Sand the walls from top to bottom.
Step 3

Wash the walls with a TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water to remove all the sanding dust, and let the wall dry.
Step 4

Finally, rinse the wall with clear water to remove any traces of the TSP and again let the wall dry.
Step 5

Now you're ready to paint.