How to clean old paint. How to remove paint from wood - expert advice

Take off old paint from a tree: effective solutions

Do you want to update wood flooring and strip the old paint off the wood? It's quite easy, the main thing is to choose effective methods and you'll be fine.

To remove the paint, you can use a chemical method or apply heat. Both options are good, which one to use is up to you.

If we talk about the effects of heat, then you need to take a spatula and a household hair dryer. Direct the air stream that comes out of the hair dryer directly onto the surface, this way you will soften the paint. When exposed to hot air, the paint will bubble, and this is normal. Now you can start removing it, for this it is better to use a spatula. If the paint is in the recess, use the spatula that has a triangular shape, a razor will also work. Care must be taken with the spatula, otherwise the surface of the wood may be damaged.

Video: Removing paint with a special remover Docker S5 Wood

Methods and technologies

When exposed to varnish in a chemical way, you can use caustic soda, or rather its solution. It is suitable not only for wood, but also for other types of surfaces. Be careful, be sure to wear thick rubber gloves and old clothes. Also, you can not do without a plastic container, a brush, a few spatulas and caustic soda. Pour the solution into a plastic container and begin to apply it to the tree with a brush. Keep applying until bubbles appear on the paint. After their appearance, remove the paint as carefully as possible with a spatula, and rub the surface with a solution that will degrease it. AT last resort you can use plain water.

Caustic soda can be used to make a thick paste. To do this, you need to take soda and dilute it in water, it should completely dissolve, then add oatmeal flour to the container. Adjust the amount of flour yourself, a thick paste should form. It can be used in places where there is a lot of paint. The more paste you apply, the better. Do not wash it off immediately, wait an hour or two until it is absorbed. After some time, remove the paste with paint, and rinse the surface thoroughly with water.

You can not waste time making paste and purchase a ready-made product that will remove old paint from wooden surface. It can be purchased at any hardware store or market. When choosing, consider what kind of paint you are going to remove, as well as the type of coating. Available for sale universal means, they are used for both metal and wood.

One of the stages repair work is cleaning the surface from the old damaged coating. Often this coating becomes paint. It is much easier to remove it from surfaces made of concrete or metal than from wood. Before removing old paint from wood at home, many questions arise, since in its structure it refers to soft materials, and if not used correctly, the coating can be severely damaged.

Paintwork substance - why remove and is it necessary?

Sometimes, before starting to choose a way to remove old paint from a tree, beginners in this business ask themselves if it is necessary to do this at all. The answer to this depends on three factors:

• thickness;
• condition;
• type of old dye.

If the old layer paintwork small thickness and does not have any visible or hidden defects, then it is enough to simply sand the surface and you can apply a new layer. But, if it is covered in several layers and is too thick, then the paint must be removed. Knowing how to remove old paint from wood is also necessary if the old and new coloring matter consist of incompatible components. This may adversely affect the wood.

How to remove old paint from wood

Before removing old paint from wood, it is recommended to prepare the appropriate tools for this. Most often, this procedure requires the following (depending on the method of removal):

• simple spatula / scraper (universal tools);
• building hair dryer (thermal technology);
• power tools with nozzles (mechanical technology);
• dye remover (chemical technology);
• protective equipment.

How to remove paint from wood at home

It is customary to distinguish several ways to remove the coloring matter from the surface of the tree. To choose the best one, you need to know determining factors:

• type of surface to be treated, as well as options for its subsequent decoration;
• type of paint;
• bonding strength of paint with wood;
• thickness of layers (their number);
• financial opportunities.

Now that you know what tools will be required, and what nuances exist in the work, you should familiarize yourself with the most common ways to remove paint from wood. Today the following technologies are used:

1. thermal;
2. chemical;
3. mechanical.

The first option is a chemical solution

To get rid of the old layer of paint, special chemical solvents are sometimes used, which destroy its structure upon contact. These substances are applied with a conventional brush or roller. After a certain time, with a spatula, remove the remaining paint. This option is the fastest and simplest, it does not require much effort. But such chemicals often have bad smell and toxic, therefore, when interacting with them, it is necessary to put on protective equipment. In addition, chemical solvents require special disposal.

The second option is high temperature treatment

You can remove the paintwork substance when using building hair dryer, it's fast and efficient. To do this, the painted areas are heated and then removed with a spatula. In the absence of a hair dryer, you can use foil and an iron. That is, put a foil on the surface, and an iron on top of it and heat it to desired temperature. Here it should be remembered that there is a risk of surface fire, so you need to be careful and prepare extinguishing agents in advance.

The third way is mechanical action

Removing paint mechanically most often used when processing large areas. For work, a grinder or a drill with a special nozzle is usually used. In the process of removing the paintwork substance, a lot of dust and small particles appear, so it is necessary to have protective equipment. And also experts advise not to press hard on the wooden surface, otherwise it can be damaged.

Before removing paint from a wooden surface and proceeding with the subsequent finishing of the coating, it is recommended that you become more familiar with how to process wood before painting a new layer. For this, primers are used, they should be selected for the appropriate paint and varnish substance, since they must be chemically compatible.

It should be noted that it is not recommended to use open fire to remove paint, as this is very dangerous and severely harms some wood species, reduces their strength and durability. In addition, resin may appear, which makes it difficult or even impossible to apply a new layer to the surface.

How to remove old paint in several ways, ways

Traditional and familiar wood flooring is regular paint. It is still used to finish floorboards today because it is one of the cheapest ways to decorate or update a floor. At the same time, wooden floors used to be done in good faith and in some apartments during repairs there is not even a need to completely remove all the old coating and replace it with a new one - ordinary wooden floors are so durable and reliable. But the paint on such a basis wears out over time and needs to be updated. How to remove old paint from a wooden floor? There are several effective ways.

But, like any other coating, the applied paint periodically needs to be updated. For example, when there is a repair that does not involve the removal of the old floor covering, it becomes necessary to repaint the floors or simply change the color of the floor so that it fits the design and interior of the room, the paint must be removed.

Also, removing paint from wooden floorboards is carried out in case of:

• deterioration in the overall appearance of the floor;
• peeling paint;
• changes in the color of the coating;
• stain formation;
• the need to level the floor;
• mounting tiles on a wooden base.

On a note! Many apartment owners, wanting to save time and money, apply a fresh coat of paint over the old one, but this is not recommended. One of the reasons is the formation of a layer that is too thick, which will prevent the doors from opening normally. Also, a new layer may lie ugly, which will ruin the entire appearance gender.

The most problematic thing is to remove the old paint, which the floors were painted back in Soviet time. This is due to the fact that over the entire long period of operation of the floors, the pigment of the paintwork material managed to penetrate deeply into the structure of the wooden base, which is why it will not be easy to remove such a coating layer. But if you wish, you can cope with any colorful layer.

Paint removal methods

There are several methods for removing old paint:

• chemical;
• thermal;
• mechanical.

They differ from each other in technology and materials used. But in general, they are all effective, it remains just to choose exactly the method that is suitable in a particular case.

Mechanical way to clean the floor from paint

This is the most popular and familiar method for many, since in general it does not require the purchase of any special formulations and equipment. Although, depending on the capabilities and wishes of the master, some specific tools may still be needed.

For this type of paint stripping, both manual and electric tools can be used. The latter do the job as quickly as possible. Plus, they provide maximum convenience during work. Usually it is with their help that they are cleaned large areas. Hand tools are used in case of additional cleaning of hard-to-reach areas or for cleaning small areas.

Hand tools are:

• scraper;
• metal brush (wire);
• putty knife;
• sandpaper, fixed on a special holder.

An electric tool is:

• Sander;
• drill with a metal brush;
• grinder with a special nozzle;
• cleaning cutter.

On a note! Depending on the type of paint used, not all tools may be useful. For example, special paint stripping machines or routers do not always cope with oil formulations.

The mechanical method of removing obsolete paint also includes sandblasting the surface. With the help of a special device, the floors are exposed to a jet of air and water enriched with sand particles. Since the impact occurs under high pressure, the paint is removed from the surface of the floors quickly and efficiently. Sandblasting equipment is also used to remove rust from metal surfaces. The advantage of this method is the ease of removal of the coating in hard-to-reach places where neither a grinder, nor a drill, nor a grinder can cope.

But, since sandblasting is not cheap equipment, paint is usually removed using improvised tools that are available at home.

Table. Improvised means for removing paint from the floor.

Tool name	Recommendations for use
	Works great on thick oil coats. The method is usually used for surface treatment before tiling.
	Works well on rust and peeling old paint. However, the brush can damage the structure of the tree, so you need to work carefully.
	A small tool that is usually used to process small areas. Easily copes with the removal of paint, old varnish.
	The paint is easily removed, but during operation there is a risk of touching the floor fasteners (nails, self-tapping screws). It is recommended to get them or drown them as deep as possible into the tree before starting work.
	A great option for a securely "sitting" paint, especially in the corners of the room.
	Used in the presence of a special nozzle in the form of a metal brush. The fastest and most convenient of all available options. But during operation, in this case, a lot of dust is generated.

On a note! The mechanical method of removing the coating is more often used for incomplete removal of paint - for example, in places where it is swollen or peeling. The tool is used only for cleaning out areas that have lost their appearance. Then a layer of fresh paint is applied to them.

The main advantage of the mechanical method is simplicity and versatility. It will handle any type of paint. But the main disadvantage - high level the complexity of the method. To make the work easier, it is recommended to soften the paint, which will be discussed below.

The use of chemicals

The compositions used to remove old paint are made on the basis of alkalis, acids, and various solvents. They are easy to use - they are applied according to the instructions on the floor surface, aged certain time and then removed. Usually, the composition is simply washed off with water. Although in some cases after processing chemicals you will have to work with your hands - soft and swollen paint is removed with a spatula or cycle.

Important! Work with any chemicals It is only necessary to wear gloves so as not to harm the skin of the hands. To use some, you will also need to purchase a respirator.

The main advantage of the chemical method is that you do not need to make strong efforts to get rid of the coating. However, you still have to spend money on the purchase of compounds. It is not recommended to use these substances to remove paint from a large surface - it will be very costly in financial plan. Another disadvantage of the method is that chemistry often cannot cope with old paint, the service life of which is more than 2 years. Most likely, in such a case, you will have to process the floors again.

Important! It is necessary to dispose of the resulting garbage in a special way; in no case should it be washed into the sewer.

To chemical methods includes the use of some improvised means. For example, mineral kerosene perfectly removes old paint. Sometimes even an ordinary one can cope with it. warm water- it all depends on when the surface was painted, what the floors are made of, and other factors.

Another "folk" way to remove paint from the floor is to use soda ash and lime; 1.2 kg of quicklime is mixed with 400 g of soda and poured with water until a creamy consistency is reached. Such a mixture is applied to a layer of paint and aged for 12 hours, after which the paint is scraped off with a scraper. Also, the floors can simply be well moistened with water and sprinkled with soda ash - the old coating will rise and be easily removed with a spatula.

Application of the thermal method

In this case, a thermal effect is exerted on the old paintwork. Due to this, the paint softens and can then be easily removed with a conventional spatula. For heating, burners, building hair dryers, sometimes even ordinary irons through a layer of foil are used.

The method is good in that it allows you to remove even old paint, which bubbles after heating and is easily removed with a spatula. At the same time, new paint can be applied immediately after removing the old one - no need to wait until the floors dry out. No other required special training, thanks to which the repair of the floor will be carried out quickly.

The thermal method is convenient and easy to implement, but it has its drawbacks. For example, it is important not to create a fire hazard. Also, some types of paint, when exposed to high temperatures, release toxic substances into the air, which limits the possibility of using the method in unventilated rooms.

Important! If the paint is overheated and not immediately removed from the floor surface, it will bake and it will be impossible to remove it.

Features of cleaning the floor from paint

Removing paint from the floor is a seemingly simple task, but still this type of work has some features. For example, it is important to observe safety precautions.

How to remove paint from floors

Paint removal work involves a series of preparatory work. It includes preparation necessary tool and acquiring the necessary funds. It is also desirable to free the room from all furniture and various items interior, so that they do not interfere, and also so that later they do not have to remove the resulting dust.

Usually, paint is removed from a wooden floor quite simply, but it is important to be careful in work - if the floorboards were attached to the joists with nails, then it is not recommended to use a planer or grinder, as the tool is easy to break. In extreme cases, you need to make sure that all nail heads are deeply recessed into the wooden base.

Determine the type of paint

In order for paint removal to be as effective as possible, as well as in order to choose the right removal technique, it is necessary to determine the characteristics of the applied paint layer. Oil, acrylic or water-based paint can be used for the floor. Each of them has its own characteristics of adhesion to the base, advantages and disadvantages.

Oil paint for removal - the most difficult, it adheres as strongly as possible to the base of the floor. In addition, it is often applied in several layers, which complicates the removal procedure. For such a coating, it is recommended to use a combined method - mechanical and thermal in combination.

FROM acrylic paint, especially fresh, plain water or alcohol solution. If the surface has been painted for a long time, then the thermal or mechanical method will help to remove the paint.

water emulsion does not like water, therefore it is this liquid that is recommended to be used for removing paint. The surface is wetted with water and then processed manually - mechanically, such paint is easily removed.

Important! When choosing a method of removing paint, you should focus on the most difficult option – a large number of layers, old paint, etc.

How to remove old paint?

Consider how paint is removed from the floor with a building hair dryer and a spatula. This is a combined thermomechanical method.

Step 1. The surface of wooden floorboards, covered with paint, is treated with an included building dryer. Hot air easily heats the surface, the paint begins to soften and move away from the wooden base.

Step 2 With a metal spatula, the paint gently rises above the surface of the floorboard. She scrapes off easily.

Step 3 Thus, the entire surface of the area to be cleaned is treated. The paint peels off in fairly large layers.

Let's get acquainted with how the waste paint remover works.

Step 1. A wash of outdated paint, in accordance with the instructions, is applied to the painted surface with an ordinary brush.

Step 2 The composition is on the surface treated with paint for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the coating has time to bubble, swell, soften.

Step 3 After that, the swollen and soft paint is easily removed from the entire surface of the wooden base with an ordinary metal spatula.

Step 4 The cleaned tree looks like new after the work done.

Video - How to remove old paint from the floor

Video - Remove old paint mechanically

Unfortunately, none of the ways to remove a layer of paint from the floor can not be called ideal. In special cases, they may not even work, and you will have to remove the subfloor completely to renew the floorboards. However, before moving on to these drastic measures, it is worth trying all the above methods.

Removing old paint by hand from a wooden surface

Before painting any surface, preliminary training. It includes removing dirt, cobwebs, insects from the surface, as well as removing paint, sanding (for wood surfaces) and puttying.

Most milestone- removal of the surface coating. The left old paint contributes to the appearance of cracks, flaking of the new coating, and a violation of the aesthetic appearance. Consider the most common paint removal methods that you can use on the farm:

• thermal;
• chemical;
• mechanical.

The use of one of the methods depends on the type of paint applied, as well as on the material of the surface to be cleaned.

thermal method

The most effective method for cleaning wooden surfaces from paint and varnish is the heat treatment method. Using a building hair dryer or burner old surface heated to melting point. The paint softens and peels off, after which it is easily peeled off with a hand trowel. The advantage of this method is that even thick layers of paint can be stripped quickly and efficiently.

The processing method is only suitable for wood, and in some cases for metal. It is ineffective for plastic, the latter begins to melt and deform at high temperatures. This method is of little use for the treatment of painted concrete, stone or plastered surfaces. A significant drawback is the release of volatile toxic substances when the paint is heated.

Chemical way to remove paint

You can also remove old paint with special tools, which include chemical solvents. They are produced for the removal of a specific coating and are based on acids, alkalis and organic polar substances, such as acetone or gasoline. There are also solvents with a universal composition, but their effectiveness is lower.

After applying the solvent to the surface, it must be left for 15-60 minutes. The time depends on the type of old paint and the thickness of the applied layer. Required time interaction with the surface must be indicated on the packaging. During this time, the old paint will begin to soften and can be easily removed with a hand trowel.

Chemical method suitable for cleaning most surfaces:

• tree;
• metal;
• plastic and linoleum;
• MDF and glass.

The method of removing paint by mechanical action

Mechanical paint stripping methods include cleaning with hand or power tools. The most common tool for removing paint from large surfaces is a grinder or angle grinder (angular Grinder). If a grinder is used, instead of a disk, a special wire brush (brushing) is fixed on it. You can also use a drill with a metal nozzle. This method is suitable for stripping wood and metal from oil paints.

To clean concrete, stone, plastered walls from water-based paints use surface grinders with coarse sandpaper, with a grain size of 250-600 microns.

The manual method of removing paint with a spatula or scrapers is also referred to as mechanical methods. This process is quite long and laborious, but the most affordable. Removing the paint by hand will not give you a completely clean surface, so use it in combination with other methods, or at the stage of completion of the preparatory work. The advantage of the manual method is the ability to remove any paintwork.

Good old oil paint is rapidly losing its popularity. This is due to two factors: the appearance of colors on water based and fashion trends. Natural unpainted wood has again gained popularity among designers. But neither modern paint and varnish analogues, nor a tribute to fashion will displace oil paints from store shelves. Their advantages are low cost, durability, rich colors.

Developers of paint and varnish coatings strive to make the material as strong and stable as possible. The better the product, the more difficult it is to remove the old paint during the repair. Experienced builders claim that this necessary procedure. From a hard surface (concrete, metal), the coating can be torn off without difficulty. When working with wood, you need to be more careful. Rough movements can not only remove a layer of paintwork, but also damage the wood.

Why remove the old layer of paint

Oil paint is used in restoration wooden furniture, window frames, door slopes, fences or benches. Before painting, it is important to assess the condition of the product. In some cases, cleaning from the old coating layer is not a necessary measure. There are 4 factors to consider:

• Number of layers. If the paint was applied in one layer, it can not be removed. Sandpaper to process the surface until the gloss disappears. The old layer will serve as a primer. It is important that the old paint is applied not too thick, without streaks and flaws.
• Color. When you try to apply a layer of light paint on a dark surface, you will not achieve the desired shade. The color may completely change (when applying a red coating on blue wall you get purple). To radically change the color of old wooden furniture or other products, you need to apply 2 coats or more of the coating.
• Prescription. If the previous coat was applied more than 5 years ago, swelling and cracks may appear on it. In this case, it is necessary to completely remove the old coating.
• Texture. If the new coating differs in quality characteristics, the old paint must be removed.

Removal methods and tools

All paints and varnishes have their own characteristics of application and removal. It depends on the composition of the product, the quality of application and the statute of limitations. The old peeled paint itself falls off the wooden surface when prying with a spatula. A fresh coating, applied in compliance with all the rules, will make you work hard even experienced craftsman. If you choose the wrong removal method and the wrong tools, you can damage the window frame or door jamb.

Three ways to remove old paint:

• mechanical,
• chemical,
• thermal.

Depending on the method you choose, the following tools may come in handy:

• metal scraper or spatula;
• technical (construction) hair dryer;
• drill with special nozzles for grinding or cleaning;
• chemical reagents (solvents) for different types paint coatings;
• grinder (angle grinder) with grinding discs;
• funds personal protection master (gloves, respirator, goggles and overalls).

Mechanical removal method

You can remove the paintwork from a wooden surface manually or using electric tools. Electrical devices necessary when processing a large area (removing paint from the floor, walls). AT construction stores can be purchased sandpaper for the circle grinder. Oil paint, unlike water-based paint, quickly sticks to the abrasive coating.

The choice of paper depends on the quality of the wood. It is necessary to pay attention to the purpose and degree of grain size of the sanding paper. Coarse-grained tips can cause scratches and gouges in the wood. Coarse-grained paper is great for removing the top layer of ink. When the wood begins to show through, change the nozzle to a fine-grained one.

Surface treatment is dry. This is accompanied by high dust formation. The master must work in safety glasses to protect his eyes from dust and possible chips. Wear a respirator to protect your respiratory tract.

A spatula and a scraper can clean a surface of modest size. If the staining was done recently, the paint will be difficult to move away from the wooden surface. The spatula is effective if the coating is swollen, cracked and in some places moves away from the wood on its own. When removing the paint with a spatula, in some places there will be areas that will need to be cleaned with sanding paper or a grinder.

Chemical removal method

Chemical reagents (acids and solvents) must be selected taking into account the type of old coating. Manufacturers guarantee the dissolution of any paint, despite the age of application and the number of layers. In practice, many are convinced that solvents are active only when applied to fresh paint (no more than 2 years). It is necessary to choose a highly targeted substance (for a certain type of paintwork). Universal solvents do a poor job.

The surface to be treated or the product is coated thin layer reagent. The duration of action ranges from 5 to 30 minutes. After waiting required amount time the old paint softens. It can be removed with a spatula without much effort. It is important to work with rubber gloves and goggles. Work better for fresh air. In the apartment it is better to open windows and doors to improve ventilation of the room. Make sure that the reagent does not drip onto the carpet or upholstered furniture.

Thermal removal method

Under heat treatment heating is implied oil paint until softened. This method is suitable for substances based on drying oil or oil. Water emulsion and acrylic paints can only be removed when using reagents. The painted wood is heated using a building hair dryer or iron.

Heating the paintwork is only effective for cleaning the wood. It is more convenient to carry out the operation together: one master holds the hair dryer above the surface, the second, following the hair dryer, removes the softened material with a spatula. You can also work alone. After 15 minutes, you will get used to it and will be able to deftly wield with both hands.

Thermal exposure is especially effective when you need to get rid of old paint that has been applied layer by layer year after year. When heated, even the most resistant coating will soften. During heating, the paint releases toxic substances. Take care of protective equipment. Wear a respirator and open all windows to let fresh air into your home.

Unwanted removal methods

Undesirable methods include exposing the wood to open fire (for example, using a blowtorch). Fire may ignite the wood or surrounding objects. High temperatures cause wood to dry out.

In the future, such a product may crack. Resins are emitted by special types of wood. This results in a film that reduces adhesion to the paintwork.

If you decide to remove the old layer of paint before repair, consider all the tips. Decide on the method, choose the right tool, prepare protective equipment(glasses and gloves), and only then get to work.