How to remove paint: the best simple tips
Content
All paints are removed in different ways, some are easier to remove, while others are harder, and even professionals have difficulties. The principle of removing paint depends on many factors, mainly pay attention to the surface and type of paint itself.
This is one of the “sick topics” that appears with every cosmetic repair, because manufacturers of modern paints are trying to make this product durable and sustainable. It becomes difficult to remove paint in the kitchen or in the bathroom from walls, floors or doors, batteries and other surfaces, but we will tell you about the most effective and simple ways to remove paint from various surfaces.
There are five methods for removing paint in the kitchen, bathroom, and other rooms, let's take a closer look at them.
Thermal method
This is a simple and effective way that helps remove paint quickly. It is necessary to heat the paintwork to the desired temperature so that the old paint softens, and it can be easily removed with a spatula.
The surface can be heated with an industrial hairdryer, gas burner or blowtorch.
This method has disadvantages: firstly, in this way it is not possible to remove paint from all surfaces, even heat-resistant ones. It will not be possible to remove the paint from the plastic; it may become deformed when heated. This method is weak when removing paint from metal, and will not help at all when removing paint from plaster and concrete. Secondly, when the paint is heated, toxic substances will be released, so at home this method is better not to apply.
Mechanical way
In this way, paint is removed using a tool, electric or manual. Of course, using a hand tool to remove paint is possible exclusively from small surfaces, but to cope with large surfaces, you have to use an electric tool (a “grinder” will do). If the question is how to remove paint from metal at home, then this method can easily cope with the task. If there is no "grinder", then you can use a conventional drill.
Using a power tool to remove paint is even easier than the previous method. The working part of the tool must be pressed to the paintwork surface, and gradually moved, based on the wishes of the degree of cleaning.
Sandblasting method
This is a very common way to clean paint. The principle of operation is that under strong pressure direct a stream of water or air into which ordinary sand is added. The sand hits the paintwork surface and cleans it of paint, dirt and even rust. This method is suitable if you do not know how to remove old paint from metal.
Among the shortcomings is the high price of the equipment.
Manual way
Removing the paint manually at home is quite difficult. This method is used if you need to remove paint in hard-to-reach places (where you cannot work with a power tool, for example, when removing paint from batteries or doors), and where the amount of work is small.
The advantages of this method include universality, thanks to it the most stable paints, such as varnishes, thermally sprayed enamels, paints based on resins and nitro paints, are cleaned.
Chemical way
Paint can be removed using modern means - special chemical compounds. Various solvents, alkalis or acids will help you.
The tool is applied for a certain time, depending on the strength of the composition, usually the procedure takes from ten minutes to half an hour. After a while, the paint is removed with a spatula, and the surface is wiped with plain water.
Remove acrylic paint
Water-based paints are often used in repair and construction works, they include acrylic paints. To wash acrylic paints is quite simple, as they are based on water. If the stain is fresh, it can be removed with a simple sponge with soap, alcohol or thinner, but if the paint is old, special tools can help.
Old acrylic paint can be easily removed with gasoline, brake fluid, kerosene or acetone.
Remove oil paint
How to remove oil paint from the wall? To remove the paint, follow the step by step instructions:
- Take one and a half kilograms of quicklime and water, and make a creamy mass. With this mass, cover walls, doors or other surfaces painted with oil paint, and leave for twelve hours. After that, the oil paint will be removed without difficulty.
- How to remove old paint from wood? Oil paint can easily be removed from a wooden surface if it is well moistened with water and covered with a thin layer of soda ash, and then cover the wooden surface with a moist burlap. Burlap moisture needs to be maintained throughout the day. After a day, the paint is easily removed with a spatula from a wooden surface.
- To remove oil paint from the wall, you need to iron the surface through the foil with an iron, or heat it with an ordinary hairdryer. When the paint begins to bubble, remove with a spatula.
- If the surface is covered with very old oil paint, lubricate it with a layer of water glass and dry well. In this case, the silicate film will peel off and take along all the oil paint. Please note that the paint is not removed in one procedure.
Remember! If you remove the paint chemically, be sure to take care of your hands and put on rubber gloves, protect your eyes with special glasses, and put on a protective bandage so as not to breathe toxins. If even a drop of chemical solution gets on the body, immediately rinse with water.
Remove water-based paint
How to remove water-based paint from the ceiling? Before you start looking for all kinds of ways to remove water-based paint, remember that you must always remember about your health and follow safety precautions, do not forget about the tips listed above.
Before the start
- To get started, cover the floor with newspapers and plastic wrap.
- Pour more warm water into the basin.
- Attach a foam roller to the telescopic boom.
- Wear construction glasses to protect your eyes.
We process the old layer
Wet the roller in a basin and dampen old water-based paint liberally.
After about fifteen minutes have passed, you need a second time to walk with a wet roller on the ceiling. The better the old coating is wetted, the easier it will be removed.
Remove paint
We take a spatula and climb onto the stepladder. Aqueous emulsion ink should already swell, so we proceed to its removal. If the paint is difficult to remove in some places, tap it with a small hammer and it will peel off.
If the paint does not come off completely, moisten the ceiling a couple more times with a roller, and let the paint soften a little time.
Please note that if the ceiling dries, it will be harder to remove the paint, so do not forget to periodically moisten it.
After you have removed the old water-based paint, carefully sand the ceiling so that not even a tiny bit of paint remains.
Remove paint from plastic
How to remove paint from plastic? Almost all popular methods are completely unsuitable for removing paint from plastic. Heating deforms the surface, and the mechanical method will damage the surface of the plastic. Therefore, removing paint from plastic can only be done chemically.
Remove paint from the floor
How to remove paint from the floor? Removing paint from a concrete surface is not easy. Solvents and various flushing agents can be used. But you can wipe it off only if the paint is not very old. First you need to moisten the floor well with water and leave for several hours. After that, wipe with a powerful detergent so that the paint layers are porous. Then, a flushing agent is applied to the floor surface.
After the wash well softens the paint, it will be much easier to remove it from the concrete floor. A brush is best for this purpose, but preferably with hard bristles, or a scraper.
This method is suitable only for removing paint from the floor, for walls and other surfaces it will not work.
As you can see, in order to remove any paint, you need to know, first of all, the type of paint and surface, and based on these two parameters, you need to choose a method for removing paint.
