Today’s article will focus on Paint & Varnish removal.
One of the first steps in the renovation of an older house is removing bad quality, used, wrinkled or cracked paints and varnish. If it is not possible to paint over you will need to get the old paint off your surfaces for a perfect finish of your walls, floors and ornaments.
But if you don’t know how to do it properly paint & varnish removal can not only be an enduring and tedious job but also be dangerous for your health or you might risk damaging the surface.
There is a large panel of solutions available at your local supply shop but before you take advice to rent a sander or buy very expensive chemicals, I would recommend you assess the type of paint or varnish you need removed, the state of the surface underneath and compare it to the quality and length of your wood - To see if you can afford making a mistake and having to sand more off afterwards.
Here are a few examples with hints and tips how I usually work to remove different types of paint & varnish:
With old paints you will need to use petroleum like products. These chemicals can be quite harsh so you will need to try use as little as possible, have a high level of ventilation and wear a protective mask in order to avoid intoxication.
I always recommend trying the gentlest chemical first in order to do as little damage as possible. For sensitive surfaces, turpentine, most alcohols and lighter fluids or even nail polish remover are the best solutions and should always be tried first.
However when the results aren’t satisfying you might want to try the following paint removal options:
- A light oil such as kerosene oil will dissolve paint, grease, tar off you surface allowing removal with ordinary detergent.
- Lacquer thinner is a combination of various petroleum like chemicals it’s enough to soften most finishes but bear in mind it could do strong damage the surface underneath.
- Paint strippers are widely available but contain highly volatile but effective solvents it is important to follow the directions of use very closely and maybe best if you test it first on a small inconspicuous area before applying to a larger surface.
- Heat guns can be used to strip off the hardest of paints. It emits a steam of hot air which in turn lifts the paint off your surface so you can peal it away with a scraper (putty knife).
Remember that you should always keep the heat gun moving. Never allow the gun to stay in one spot long enough to burn the wood. Keeping the heat gun moving will avoid browned and darkened spots on your surface.
- Mechanical removal with sand paper, scraper, wire brush or steel wool will usually be a beginner’s first approach to paint removal but although it can be very effective in certain case, you should always keep in mind you might damage significantly the underlying surface.
- Water-based paints can be removed with detergent and water before it dries. Alcohol liquefies the oldest of paints as long as you wet the paint thoroughly and cover with plastic. Water-base paint should wash off with soap and water after a short period of time.
- Paint on clothing can be removed by soaking first then followed by machine washing.
How to remove varnish?
When you are looking to remove varnish there is a wide variety of products available. A lot of these products work like paint strippers so it is important you read the direction of use closely and test it on an area that’s less eye-catching.
These products are generally applied with a paint-like brush.
When using a chemical for varnish removal the objective is to soften the painted surface beforehand, then it will be ready to be scrapped off and washed away with water. When you have the area stripped of varnish, running some steel wood over the area will pick up any residue left behind. When doing this kind of work always wear chemical-resistant gloves and work in a well ventilated area.
Removing paint for or varnish by sanding is only recommended on extremely rough jobs. Although sanding removes the painted surface quickly it also removes some of your wood surface beneath the paint. For this reason it is best to use a chemical paint / varnish remover first. They are much more effective and a lot easier to use.
