Scrape paint-heat gun,chem,pressure washer? HELP!

r0GuE · Apr 26, 2003

Can you even imagine a more boring subject? I can't think of any better place than TBN to ask the question (lots of experience on this site), and I guess this is a good category to post it under. It's a simple problem:
Old house (50 years), peeling paint (but only enough to look bad, not enough to come off easy). So what’s the best way to scrape off the paint? Hand scraping if awful (and the bottom stuff is probably lead paint). Yeah, I have 2 little kids...
So should I use a heat gun, paint stripper, or as one person suggested, a pressure washer. Anybody have experience with removing old paint with a pressure washer. the good news is I have a brick ranch and the only thing that needs painted is the soffit fascia and the window frames.
I have to get this project rolling or the wood is going to start to rot. I have already done the best effort procrastination (2 years /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif). Time to do some work I guess. Hopefully as little as possible though!
Thanks for your help all…

alco141 · Apr 26, 2003

saw a program on house painting once, the reason paint peels is because the wood underneath was not dry enough and the moisture evaporated and forced the paint away from the wood. they were not in favor of using a pressure washer as that forced water too deeply into the wood. they used a mechanical tool looked like an angel grinder to remove the paint along with hand scraping. lots of luck on the project, my way out was to cover everything with dryvit or aluminum soffit and fascia.

alex

JohnMiller3 · Apr 27, 2003

...what’s the best way to scrape off the paint?...

Two words...

Vinyl siding... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

DocHeb · Apr 27, 2003

I don't know about the best way, but there are several considerations:

Heat guns will vaporize lead from old paint, and if inhaled can cause acute and massive lead toxicity. Appropriate fume respirators must be used.

Power washers will strip out any oxidized wood that is exposed, while the paint will protect other areas, leaving significant step-offs between those areas.

I might suggest a Porter Cable 7403P Paint Stripper. This looks good in theory, but I have no experience with this machine. Appropriate dust masks should be used.

Use a good primer before you repaint.

Paint scraping is a truely miserable job. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

IllMarty · Apr 30, 2003

Rogue,
Heat gun is a major no-no with lead based paint. As some one else said it will make the lead easier for you to ingest. I would power wash to remove all loose paint, keepind a fair distance with the nozzle from the wood. Then sand any exposed wood and rough edges of paint.Use at a minimum a respirator with hepa filters when sanding for yourself and have a good shop vac running near the area being sanded to get the dust up. Prime bare wood and the apply 2 coats of an exterior acrylic latex. Wash the whole interior of house after completion to get all dust picked up.I would make sure the kids are elsewhere when sanding. Also wash your work clothes outside with a hose before washing with your families clothes. Be safe. Marty

bgott · May 1, 2003

You'll have to do a little digging on this, I'm suffering from CRS right now. I can't remember if I saw this on the show or in the magazine but "This Old House" had an article on chemical strippers. They were saying that the stripped paint wasn't considered hazardous waste anymore so they would strip the paint onto plastic sheets and then put it in garbage bags and throw it in the trash. If I get a chance I'll go through my back issues and see if I can find the article. Hopefully someone else will remember reading this and come up with a little more detail.

This was easier than I thought...

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/exteriors/article/0,16417,386353,00.html

bgott · May 1, 2003

That link screwed up, copy and paste works.

r0GuE · May 1, 2003

Thanks All! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

r0GuE · May 1, 2003

My wife hired a guy today. He pressure washed it and it did a crappy job. Now he said he will come back and prime it, even though there is still loose paint. He claims the primer will help pull off the old paint. Then he said he will scrape once, and spot prime the areas that paint came off.
I am truely DUBIOUS /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Thoughts?

sendero · May 2, 2003

(
I am truely DUBIOUS /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Thoughts? )

I don't blame you for being skeptical. Sounds like bullsquanchie to me /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif