There are a number of reasons why you might need to remove paint from a wood surface. If working with heat, protect adjacent surfaces with aluminum-foil tape or a metal paint shield. Mineral spirits is very strong and can cause skin irritation, so be sure to ventilate the room, wear rubber gloves and be very careful in this step. A quick word about sandpaper and wire wool, both of which can cause damage to wood unless you take it easy… Removing Paint From Smooth Wood, Metal, and Concrete. Maybe you were painting the walls and splattered the hardwood floors in the process. Once the surface is dry and the stain has been removed, polish the wood to restore its luster. But these tools are bulky (see example, above) and hard to use in tight spaces. Although its use went into steep decline after 1950, lead-based paint wasn't banned in the U.S. until 1978. Keep a file handy to keep the scraper edge sharp. Well here's how. The heat draws moisture from the wood, improving its ability to hold new paint. “Brace the scraper against a flat surface, try to follow the original bevel, and always file in the same direction.”. If working outdoors, cover the ground with 6-mil plastic, extending the sheeting 10 feet beyond the work area. They look like maple, but they are really vinyl. Skip canvas drop cloths in favor of 6-mil plastic sheeting, which won't trap fine grit or let chemicals seep through. How to Remove Paint From a Laminate Wood Floor. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Still, that doesn’t mean you want them covered in paint splatter or other unsightly blemishes. The paint should loosen, allowing you to wipe it away with a dry rag. Nearly 90 percent of homes built before 1940 have some paint laden with this toxic metal. This scrubbing pad with a built-in handle made this process super easy! It might be far easier to simply paint over it with an appropriate primer and a water-based latex paint. It's especially toxic to children, whose developing brains are more sensitive to its effects. These wood stripping products contain less toxic, less noxious ingredients and remove both latex and oil paints. It is still finished nice, but when the previous owner had repainted the walls, they dripped paint on most of the wood trim. S19 E11: Garden Upgrade, Adirondack Chair. Peel Away1: This paste works with a paper cover to control evaporation. Heat stripping is like a tango between the hand holding the heater and the one with the scraper. Our advice: Check your labels and steer clear. To use, simply apply the spirits on a cloth and work it in to the wood, going with the grain. Remove all hardware(nails and screws, brackets and doorknobs) from the wood you are going to work on. Three common ways to strip paint from wood are heating, chemical stripping, or sanding. For larger jobs, like furniture, use a mechanical hand sander or a power sander to buff dried paint away. To help you decide what approach to take, we’ve laid out options below. They minimize dust and can lift years of paint. Avoid harsher abrasives like steel brushes, as they may scratch your wooden surface. Use water to mist the debris on layers of paper and plastic drop cloths underfoot before carefully folding them, dirty side inward. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Mineral spirits like simple paint thinner can work wonders for restoring your wood floors or furniture. Carrie asked: How do I remove paint from wood trim? "If you're hoping to expose woodwork and finish it with a clear coat instead of paint, you need to determine whether it was originally varnished or painted," says painting contractor and TOH contributor Rich O'Neil. Then, scrub the wood gently with a soft-bristled brush, working in the same direction of the grain. Last Updated: August 5, 2019 Next, mix some warm water and mild detergent to clean the affected area. Hover the device over the surface. rubber gloves. Be thorough with this cleaning; otherwise, the paint stripper can interfere with any new coats of sealant, stain, or paint you might put on the object. But this paint stripper is also dangerous. There are a handful of different products to choose from for each of these methods. Gear for handling fumes, paint chips, and caustic solvents. And the condensation minimizes dust and fumes. Wear rubber gloves throughout this technique to avoid any skin irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin. While DCM-containing paint strippers are still widely sold in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tied the ingredient to 13 deaths in 10 states. SmartStrip: A paste with a frosting-like consistency that can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed on. You can use a chemical paint stripper. Ceiling mounted speakers disappear in plaster. References. Check with your town about hazardous-waste collection programs. Here's how to detect it. Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Heaters use high temperatures to soften varnishes or multiple layers of paint so that the gunk can easily be removed with a scraper. Stripping paint off wood is a rather tedious and messy process. Jenn demonstrates how to clean up a garden; Ross explains how air filters can catch unwanted air impurities and demonstrates how to build a DIY one; Tom and Kevin build an Adirondack chair. Citristrip: This wood stripper is an orange gel, best on furniture details and flat surfaces since it is thin. After that, replace or resharpen the blades. And, we’ve shared step by step instructions to guide you through each stage of the process. wikiHow's. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Remove-Oil-from-Wood-Step-01.jpg\/v4-460px-Remove-Oil-from-Wood-Step-01.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5a\/Remove-Oil-from-Wood-Step-01.jpg\/aid10110669-v4-728px-Remove-Oil-from-Wood-Step-01.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"