Removing the paint on the wall is something that you may need to do at some point, especially when you want to renew it. Do you want to know how to remove wall paint? Keep reading and discover how to do it correctly.
How to remove wall paint?
The strippers are the most recommended products today to remove paint. You can find them of various types, since according to the painting used, one or the other will be recommended:
Liquid stripper: it is the most suitable if the wall has one or two layers of paint. It is also recommended when the surface is small.
Stripping paste or gel: it is a kind of paste that has to be applied with a brush. It is perfect for when there are several layers of paint or the surface is very wide.
Spray: ideal for very small areas that are covered by thin layers of paint. It is fast and practical.
Necessary materials:
- Stripper
- Mineral alcohol
- Spatula
- Lija
- Mask
- Gloves
- Construction plastic
Steps to remove the paint from the wall:
The first thing you have to do to remove the paint from the wall is to prepare the area in which you are going to do the work. Cover the floor with the construction plastic so that the paint you remove will fall on it and will not soil the floor.
Put on gloves and the mask before the next step. It cleans and sanders the entire surface, it is an essential step so that the paint stripper can be really effective. Apply the stripper following the letter of the manufacturer’s instructions, which will be written on the package. Instead of this product, you can use another that is called remover, effective but not as much as the stripper.
When the paint stripper has dried you can start to use the spatula to scrape the paint. After removing the paint from the wall over the entire surface, apply another coat of paint stripper, let it dry and remove any remaining paint.
General considerations
The first thing to ask is whether it really is necessary to remove the paint from its walls. If it is in perfect condition, maybe you only have to paint over it, unless the base is dark and the new one is not. In this case, you need one or two layers of a primer.
In the cases that it is convenient to completely eliminate the old paint is when it is falling, there are cracks, humidity or desquamations.
The whole process will be dirty, regardless of the form chosen to remove the old paint, so it is convenient to remove all the furniture and cover the floor with papers or rags.
There are good ways to loosen the paint on the walls:
Paint removers
These break the chemical structure of the paint, making it smooth and easy to remove with the scraper. They come in several presentations: liquid, gel or aerosol.
It is important to wear gloves and protective glasses, in addition to being in a well-ventilated work area.
They are applied according to the instructions and they are left to rest for a certain time before proceeding to the removal of the paint.
The purpose of heat loosens the paint on the walls. A safe method is to use a special heat plate for this task, and never use an open flame device, it can cause a fire and also too much heat can release toxic gases
Sanding
This is the least simple way to remove the paint, it also produces a large amount of dust that stays in the air for a long time and poses a health hazard.
If sanding is necessary, keep it to a minimum. In the case of lead paints, existing in some old houses, never need to be sanded because lead can be easily aspirated when it is turned into dust.
Once you have removed all the paint, clean the surface thoroughly with mineral spirits. Sand the wall again so that it is smooth. So, you will have it ready so you can paint it, cover it with wallpaper or whatever you want to do.
Do you know any other way to remove the paint from the wall?
