How To Take Paint Off Wood Trim Using 3M Safest Stripper

Repaint your wood trim after stripping old paint with 3M Safest Stripper.

Removing paint from wood trim is an easy project, but it can leave toxic fumes in your home and -- if not applied and cleaned up carefully -- the materials used in the process can remove paint from walls and other areas you didn't intend to strip. With 3M Safest Stripper, you no longer need to worry about the harmful fumes in your home. You will still get a quality product that allows you to strip paint from wood trim and refinish it whatever way you want.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Synthetic brush
• 3M Safest Stripper
• Putty knife
• Rag
• Flexible stripping pad/sanding pad
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Shake the bottle of 3M Safest Stripper vigorously before applying. Brush on a thick coat of stripper -- at least 1/8 inch -- and let the stripper penetrate the finish. For varnish and shellack, the minimum set time is 30 to 60 minutes; for latex paint and polyurethane, it's one to three hours; and for oil-based paint and other problematic finishes, let the stripper sit overnight. If you are applying the stripper in your home, make sure you clean up any spilled stripper before it sets.

2. At the minimum set time, check the paint with a putty knife to see if it has softened. If not let it sit for longer, applying more stripper, if neccessary, so that it doesn't dry out.

3. When the paint is soft, remove it with a putty knife and a flexible stripping pad (in hard-to-get-at areas). The paint should come off relatively easily, but if it resists, reapply stripper and repeat steps 1 through 3. Do not use steel wool with 3M Safest Stripper, it will leave dark spots on the wood.

4. After all of the paint is removed, use a stripping pad and soapy water to remove any remaining paint sediment, working with the grain of the wood. Follow with a damp rag to remove all stripper residue from the wood.

5. Dry the area with paper towels and let the wood dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before lightly sanding to prepare it for a new finish. Wrap the stripper residue in newspapers and throw it out with your household garbage.

References

• 3M Safest Stripper: Instructions