How to remove old paint from walls: easy and quick methods, preparation, step by step instructions, materials and tools

Knowing a few tricks on how to remove old paint from walls, you can clean the surface with minimal effort and time. There are 3 ways to remove the cover. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Combination of paint and base

The first thing to do is to assess the scope of the work. It may not be necessary to remove old material from the surface of the walls. If the coating is even, smooth, without defects - places of swelling, peeling and crackling, then a new layer of paint is applied on top of the old one.

In addition, the finish must match in appearance and composition with the base. Oil paint should be placed on top of oil paint, and water-based paint should be applied on top of water-based paint. If the old decor is oil, and the new epoxy or acrylic, the necessary adhesion of the surfaces to each other will not be. The composition will not lie on the walls, it will not be evenly distributed.

Those who want to remove old paint from the walls are advised to think about the advisability of such work if the walls are very uneven. It may be much more economical and better to level them with drywall. Then there is no need to remove old material from the walls.

This stage of repair work is skipped when it is planned to fix plastic or other wall cladding, lining. Before dismantling the old material from the walls, make sure that the chosen method can be applied on the surface. Coated with paint:

• wood;
• plaster;
• cement base;
• metal;
• stone, etc.

For each of these surfaces, one or more methods of removing paint will work, while others will be useless or damage the coating so that it then has to be restored.

Experts advise to test, remove the material on a small and inconspicuous area, evaluate the result, and only then apply the product to the entire surface of the walls.

What is the best paint removal method?

Three methods have become widespread, allowing you to remove old material from the walls:

1. Mechanical.
2. Chemical.
3. Thermal.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, taken into account when choosing. The first is the simplest, but at the same time more laborious. The more layers of paint present on the surface, the harder it is to remove them. For this, various electrically driven tools are used to speed up and facilitate the task. This will require a lot of work and time from a person.

The chemical method involves the use of special compositions with a dissolving effect. They corrode the old coating, allowing it to be removed from the surface of the walls faster and easier. It can be applied to different types of paints.

The disadvantage of such dismantling is that it requires the use of special protective equipment and a mask. There is a danger of poisoning with caustic fumes, so you need to work in a well-ventilated room where there are no children, pets. The method is good, but not applicable in all situations.

The thermal method is also impossible without the use of special equipment - a building hair dryer. It softens the old coating, which is much easier to remove from the walls. Not everyone has such a tool and you need to be careful when working with it.

If exposed to high temperatures, the paint may ignite. Working close to electrical cables and outlets is also fraught with negative consequences. In addition, when heated, the old coating evaporates, releasing caustic toxins into the atmosphere. Protective equipment is required for work.

Tools and materials

To easily and quickly remove old paint from the walls, use the following tools and materials:

1. Protective clothing - a construction respirator or mask, plastic goggles, thick rubber or fabric gloves.
2. Scraper, chisel, knife, spatula.
3. The working mechanisms designed to remove the old coating are an electric grinder, a chemical preparation or a building hair dryer. Additional devices for them will come in handy, for example, a brush for applying a caustic wash or nozzles on a drill.

Methods for removing paint and varnish coatings

When choosing a technique that will give a good result with minimal effort, experts advise taking into account:

1. Willingness to invest money. Sometimes it's easier to arm yourself with a hammer and chisel than to buy a chemical solvent.
2. Time. If it is limited, it is better to call on a grinder or solvent to help than to methodically remove the old coating centimeter by centimeter with a spatula.
3. Foundation type. Concrete is best heated with a building hair dryer. For wooden walls it is not used.
4. Paint type. It is often difficult to understand what kind of paint was used on the walls in the past - oil, acrylic, water-based or enamel. The hardest thing to remove is the oil composition, especially if it is applied to a concrete base.
5. The number of applied layers. Sometimes it seems that a thin layer is easier to remove than a thick one, but it happens the other way around. The thick one is easily amenable to mechanical action, breaking off whole plates under its own weight. Thin sits firmly and requires a lot of strength to remove it.

mechanical method

To remove the old coating from the surface of the walls, you can operate manually or using various electric tools - grinders, drills, grinders. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the type of surface, as well as whether work is being carried out in the room where people live, or whether it is empty and completely given over for repairs.

In the first case, I want to carry out work with a minimum of dirt and dust, which means that electrical assistants will have to be abandoned.

Working with an electric grinder

Work as a grinder - this is the fastest and most risky method of dismantling old paint. All you need to do is install a special removable nozzle into the device and turn on the device by pressing a button. It is expedient to work smoothly, easily, performing circular movements.

Be sure to protect your eyes with glasses, as a large amount of dust appears in the process, pieces of old paint fly around.

If you need to remove large layers, it is recommended to use a nozzle with a chain, which, when rotated, will knock out whole pieces of the dried material. But for solid concrete bases it is not recommended to use it.

The grinding wheel is a versatile solution that can be tried on any surface. It is operated in different rooms - bathroom, living room, hall. With a grinder, you can qualitatively, easily and quickly remove old material from the walls without damaging them.

Working with an electric drill

This tool is needed when the base is concrete. Between such a coating and oil paint, the best adhesion is created, which is not so easy to break and remove the used material.

Of great importance is the fact who laid the coating - a professional or an amateur. Removing old paint after a specialist is much harder than after an amateur. If work is carried out in an apartment building, it is not recommended to use chemical solvents so that the smell does not spread throughout the entrance and does not harm neighbors.

In this case, you need to use an electric drill. This is the best solution both in terms of speed and security. It is also recommended to work in protective equipment and shoes, mask, headgear, glasses.

It is better to operate the device at low frequencies in order to control the process as much as possible. To remove the old coating, touch the wall only with the edge of the nozzle, without moving too fast or too deep.

If the paint comes off easily, you can use a metal brush. In severe cases, it is recommended to resort to a nozzle, which is a chain-linked link equipped with a washer.

Working with a chisel and hammer

A chisel is the first device that everyone starts working with who wants to remove old decor from smooth walls. It is especially convenient to use it in cavities and narrow places, as well as in areas where accuracy is required - in the area of ​​​​sockets, decorative elements, switches, cables.

This carpentry tool will help out when you need to remove your used paint from a tree. But it quickly becomes dull and its capabilities are not always enough to dismantle obsolete material, although this is one of the most economical and safe ways that do not require investments.

In areas where such a tool is already powerless, it is worth using a chisel. It does not bend under mechanical stress. By tapping the handle with a hammer, even the most difficult coating can be removed from the walls.

Ax work

It seems that this is not the right tool for removing your old coating, but it is very effective. The task of the master is to make notches on the paint. Blows must be applied tangentially to the wall, trying not to go deep into it. It is good if the distance between the notches does not exceed 10 mm.

As the notches are made, it is necessary to moisten the surface with water. It should be absorbed deep into the material. After that, the paint can be easily removed with the same tool, bringing it almost parallel to the wall covering.

This one is not suitable for everyone. Even a light ax is not easy to swing, especially when repairs are carried out by female forces. In addition, a lot of notches should be made, and the hands of the master will get tired anyway. Therefore, you need to resort to it only in special, difficult places on the walls.

chemical method

This method involves the use of special washes - solutions with caustic chemical components. They corrode the old coating, greatly facilitating its further removal.

They cope well with different types of paints, regardless of the period of their application and the thickness of the layer. With multi-layer application, a second procedure may be necessary to remove the outdated decor from the walls.

Suitable drugs:

1. Wallpaper glue. It is advised to use it in order to remove water-based paint. It is necessary to impregnate newspapers with glue and stick them on the walls. After half an hour, the surface will swell, and the paint can be easily removed from the wall.
2. HEMPEL Universal Wash. This is a gel-like mixture of solvents that softens well various materials - one-component varnishes, enamels, primers. The advantage of this drug is that it does not leave behind reagents that can be absorbed into the walls and subsequently cause peeling of a new decorative composition.
3. Paint remover PROFF NEOMID. Copes with paints based on oils, epoxy, acrylic, phenol formaldehyde, epoxy ester. Suitable for metal, wood surfaces. The composition penetrates well into the walls, it is enough to apply it with a spatula or brush in a thin layer, leaving it for 10-25 minutes. After this time, remove the paint with a spatula.
4. Antikras. It is a fast acting paint remover, versatile and economical. It includes solvents, corrosion inhibitors, thickeners and complexing agents, which together act on all types of existing paints and varnishes. Antikras also dismantle the primer, putty.

Most of these drugs require special processing. You can't just dispose of the leftovers in the toilet. Do not forget about protective equipment.

thermal method

This method involves heating the surface of the walls. As a result, the old paint begins to bubble, crack, melt, and it becomes easier to remove it. What tools and mechanisms are used for this purpose:

1. Building hair dryer. Even an amateur can handle this device. The technology is simple - the heated area of ​​\u200b\u200bpaint should be removed immediately with a chisel or any other suitable scraper.
2. Blowtorch. A kerosene or gasoline burner is also used to remove the old coating from the surface of the walls. Its flame should be brought as close as possible to the coating, and when it starts to melt, dismantle it from the wall. Do not allow material to burn.
3. Iron. This is an alternative to special tools. If you could not get a hairdryer or a lamp, you can use a regular iron to iron your clothes. Heat the surface with it through foil, newspaper or other paper. When the old coating softens, it is removed with a spatula. An iron is best used if the paint is applied in one thin layer. Several layers of this device will not warm up.

The thermal method is good for many, but it has one significant drawback - a small heating area. To remove the old coating, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. In addition, not all surfaces are suitable for heating. You also need to consider the location of wires, sockets, switches.

If overheated, the paint may ignite. This method also emits caustic fumes into the atmosphere, so it is necessary to protect the respiratory system and work in a well-ventilated area. If the old coating consists of lead, it should not be heated. Vapors from this material are so toxic that they can cause irreparable damage to health.

In general, all these methods are able to solve the problem and remove old paint from the surface of the walls. And how did you do it? Share your tips in the comments and help those who are just starting to repair. If you liked the article, bookmark it, repost it on social networks.

We also recommend watching selected videos on our topic.

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Links to sources:

• https://remstroiblog.ru/karina_vajlo/2018/09/27/10-sposobov-kak-snyat-krasku-so-stenyi
• https://gidpokraske.ru/okrashivanie/pokrasochnye-raboty/kak-snyat-staruyu-krasku-so-sten.html