How to Remove Antislip Deck Paint

Anti-slip deck paint is usually epoxy or acrylic and sometimes contains gritty material for extra slip-resistance. This paint is most easily removed with paint strippers. New environmentally safe paint strippers work best for decks outdoors, so you won't have to be concerned about contaminating the area with toxins--especially important if the deck is near a waterway. The entire process can take 24 to 72 hours because the stripper takes a while to loosen the paint. However, once it has loosened, most of the paint can be easily removed.

Things You'll Need

• Push broom
• Wire brush
• Plastic sheeting (enough to cover entire deck plus surrounding foliage)
• Rubber gloves
• Safety glasses
• Shoe covers or old shoes
• Environmentally safe paint stripper (examples include Deck Stripper by Armor Deck and SoyClean)
• Long-handled paint roller
• Long-handled scraper
• Container to hold the old paint scrapings
• Water hose

Instructions

1. Remove all loose objects such as patio sets and grills from the deck and sweep it clean with a push broom. Place plastic sheeting over nearby shrubs and grass to protect them from the chemicals you'll be using.

2. Put on safety glasses, rubber gloves and protective shoe covers or an old pair of shoes. You'll likely get some paint stripper on your shoes.

3. Dip a long-handled paint roller into the paint stripper. Generously apply the paint stripper to the deck so that no part of the surface shows through.

4. Place plastic sheeting (check the product label for specific instructions--some may differ) over the deck to protect it as the product begins to work. It will take several hours, at least overnight in most cases, for the non-slip paint to soften enough to remove. For thick paint, it can take up to several days for the paint to fully loosen.

5. Remove the plastic sheeting and use a long-handled scraper to scrape the paint from the deck--be careful not to gouge the deck surface. If some of the paint is resistant to scraping, you can reapply more stripper later. Scrape the loosened paint into one area of the deck. Place the scraped paint into a container for proper disposal.

6. Remove small traces of paint left behind by scrubbing the deck with a wire brush or a push broom. Rinse the deck with a water hose. If the deck is wood, once it's dry, sand it to remove minute particles of paint.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to stain or repaint the deck, make sure you have thoroughly rinsed off all traces of paint stripper.

• Keep pets and children securely away from the deck until the paint and stripper have been removed. Don't dispose of the softened paint in your regular trash--contact your household waste facility first for any special disposal instructions.

References

• Removing Paint From Decks