How To Strip Old Paint From Wood Siding

The best way to remove paint from lap board siding.

How to strip old paint from wood siding. Exterior paint removal tools. Wood siding can provide old fashioned charm to your home but old paint can cause it to look run down and neglected. If however you don t plan on repainting the object but prefer instead to show off the wood grain underneath or stain it at most then you re going to have to remove every last drop of old paint. Even if you don t have peeling paint it s always a good idea to scuff up the surface of the old paint with 180 grit sandpaper to provide a good base for the new paint.

Use a paint scraper putty knife or specialty scraper to remove the softened paint being careful to not gouge the wood. How to strip paint off wood siding. You don t have to remove all the paint just focus on the areas where it peels off easily and scuff the other areas where it still adheres. Stripping old paint off lap board siding takes considerable effort.

This wood stripper is an orange gel best on furniture details and flat surfaces since it is thin. To penetrate and remove the 10 layers of paint on the siding and trim at the winchester project painting contractor jim clark shown here and his crew used a newly developed non caustic stripper that breaks the bond between paint and wood. Scrape off the paint with a plastic scraper and use an abrasive pad and mineral spirits to remove any lingering residue. Before choosing their approach they considered several methods detailed in the following slides.

A fresh coat of paint can protect the wood. Reapply the paint stripper to detailed or problem areas scrub the entire project with nylon brushes or abrasive pads to remove all traces of the old finish and the stripper sludge. When the paint is peeling on a house many homeowners opt for covering it with vinyl siding but if you ve got an old house with a great exterior such as real clapboard you may not want to hide its beauty then exterior paint stripping is your only option.