How to Remove Gripper Paint

A putty knife scrapes up chemically loosened paint.

A surface painted with "Gripper" features any type of regular oil-based or latex paint applied over special high-adhesion primer. White and tinted Gripper primers are sold exclusively by Glidden for painting on a variety of surfaces. Gripper's high-adhesion resin makes it difficult to remove. Fortunately, the product is water-based, and normal paint removal practices can break down the resin. The project may require a few extra applications of paint stripper, however.

Things You'll Need

• Rag
• Soap
• Water
• Rubber gloves
• Chemical paint stripper
• Paintbrush
• Putty knife
• Isopropyl alcohol

Instructions

1. Clean the surface with a rag, soap and water. If the Gripper surface is coated in grime, the chemical paint remover won't penetrate the layers as effectively.

2. Dry the surface with a paper towel.

3. Put on rubber gloves.

4. Apply a chemical paint stripper to the surface using a paintbrush. Make sure the stripper is labeled for use with water-based paint products. The paint stripper will go on thick; don't try to smooth it out. Just let it sit and work on the surface. Consult the paint stripper's container to see how long the chemicals must sit before removal. For most products, the stripper will be ready to remove in just a few minutes.

5. Scrape off loosened paint using a putty knife. Chemical paint strippers turn existing paint layers into loose, gel-like layers for easier scraping. As the putty knife becomes caked with loose paint, wipe it off with a rag.

6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 as needed to remove the paint. The high-adhesion resin of Glidden Gripper products usually requires several applications of chemical stripper before the paint and primer are fully removed.

7. Wash the surface again with soap and water to remove any remaining paint thinner.

8. Wipe down the recently stripped surface with isopropyl alcohol and a rag. Isopropyl alcohol is nothing more than common rubbing alcohol, but this substance will remove any adhesive residue lingering on the surface after paint removal.

References

• Glidden Professional: Gripper
• "Painting Secrets"; Brian Santos; 2004