How to Strip Paint at Home
Stripping paint is a messy job that can be time consuming and frustrating unless you approach it with patience. The key to stripping paint from any surface is to select the right stripper and allow it to work by leaving it alone. If you let the chemicals in the stripper work for the full amount of time recommended on the label, your job of removing the paint will be much easier.
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Things You'll Need
- Heavy duty plastic or canvas drop cloth
- Belt sander
- 100-grit belt
- Chemical stripper
- Metal scraper
- Coffee can
- Mineral spirits
- Rag
- Paintbrush
- Small brush
Instructions
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Set your project piece in the center of a heavy duty plastic or canvas drop cloth. If you are working on moldings or fittings, cover the floor with a heavy duty plastic or canvas drop cloth. Sand the surface to be stripped with a belt sander and a 100-grit belt. Work aggressively to remove as much paint as possible without tearing into the wood or metal below. Sand over the entire surface, not just areas that are loose. Breaking down the gloss on top of the paint will allow the stripper to penetrate and lift the paint more effectively.
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Apply the stripper heavily to the surface with a disposable paint brush. Cover only as much area as you can work on before the stripper dries. Work the stripper well into small details.
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3
Allow the label-recommended drying time for the stripper to penetrate and lift the paint. Scrape the stripper and old paint from the surface with a thin, flexible metal scraper with rounded corners. Scrape the old paint and stripper off the scraper into a metal container, such as a coffee can.
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Work the detail areas with a small brush, such as an old toothbrush. Scrub the paint away. Rinse the surface with a rag dampened in odorless mineral spirits to clean off the stripper and remove as much of the paint residue as you can. Reapply the stripper if much of the area still has paint on it, and go through the whole process again.
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Work over the entire project piece in the same manner. Apply the stripper, then scrape and scrub. Rinse the surface with mineral spirits every time you complete a section to remove the stripper. The stripper will continue to work as long as it is left on the piece, and may dry out wooden surfaces.
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Tips & Warnings
Select the chemical stripper recommended for the surface and paint finish you are trying to strip. Most strippers are multipurpose and can be used on a variety of surfaces. Read the labels for specific information on each product.
Most strippers contain similar chemicals. Always work with chemical-resistant rubber gloves, especially if your skin is sensitive.
Wear goggles to avoid getting flecks of stripper and paint in your eyes.
Work in a well-ventilated area, and avoid inhaling fumes.
Do not reuse any containers used to hold stripped paint to store food or water.
References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
