When the paint ispeelingon a house, many homeowners opt for replacing it withfiber-cement sidingor covering it withvinyl siding.
In that case, removing the paint is your best option.
Home testing kits are available or you’ve got the option to call in a local testing company.
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High heat causes acrylic-latex paint to soften, making it easy to peel away with a putty knife.
But its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages.
First, using an open flame is dangerous.
Be very careful if you want to use an open flame to remove exterior paint.
You also have less of a risk of burning down your house, but the risk is still there.
Sanders rip off the paint quickly.
However, if you lay into the sander too hard, you risk gouging the wood.
As with the other paint removal options, there’s the lead-based paint problem.
Everything that the sander takes off is immediately converted into dust.
Dust that goes into your hair, face, and lungs.
Some communities may ban their use.
After being left to do their work, the paint bubbles up and softens.
After that, the paint is scraped up.
Despite the danger, chemical strippers do have their place in the workshop.
When the paint responds well to the stripper, it’s satisfying to see that paint bubble right off.
For textured surfaces or for complex architectural details, chemical strippers are indispensable.
Not all chemical strippers are harmful.
Some soy- or citrus-basedpaint strippersare effective at softening the paint for later manual removal.
Applying chemicals on a large scale, across an entire house, is not realistic.
Save the chemical paint strippers forsmall projectsor for select portions of the house exterior.
If the structure has very loose oralligatored paint, scraping might just be the best option.
Get a sharpener or a whetstone to keep that scraper sharpened up.
Scraping produces dust and airborne debris.
So, wear a mask and eye protection before undertaking this project.
But sandblasting does come at a cost since it is also very effective at removing wood.
Sandblasting works best atremoving paint from metal, concrete, and brick.
Hire a company to do the sandblasting and ensure that they approach the work carefully.
Environmental Protection Agency
Home Structure Fires Report.National Fire Protection Association
Steps to LEAD SAFE Renovation, Repair and Painting.U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
What You Should Know About Using Paint Strippers.U.S.
