How to Remove Old Paint From a Lap Siding House

One way to take peeling paint off old lap siding is to scrap it by hand. An easier way is to use a rented pressure washer, which expels water at such high force that it can strip the paint to wood. However, using a pressure washer from a ladder is never recommended. This two-step plan calls for stripping the upper portion of your house by hand, then using a pressure washer to strip what you can reach from the ground.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paint scraper
• Rented pressure washer rated at 3,000 psi (pounds of pressure per square inch)
• 15-degree angled pressure washer nozzle attachment

How to Remove Old Paint From a Lap Siding House

1. Use a hand-held paint scraper to remove any paint above 12 feet or so on house, working from a ladder and scraping lengthwise along the siding. Do the entire upper portion of the house.

2. Attach your garden hose to the pressure washer. Set the nozzle in place as directed by the instructions.

3. Standing on the ground, point the wand of your pressure washer at the siding, at the level where you stopped scraping, about 12 feet up. Hold the wand about a foot from the side, and start the stream.

4. Move the nozzle along the length of the siding, adjusting the distance from the nozzle to the siding based on how easily the old paint is coming off. Work the nozzle in a slightly angled forward pushing motion, as you would a putty scraper. Stop before you get to any light fixtures or power lines and scrape around those by hand.

5. Let the siding thoroughly dry for several days before repainting.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't touch the water stream from the washer.

References

• Paint stripping.

[jeanef]

on 7/29/2009 Helpful tips- especially about letting it dry before painting. What to do about the 2nd story, as I understand you need to be within a few feet of the wall- use scaffolding?