Paint Removal on Wood Siding
In contemplating a daunting amount of work, or in haste, we may take shortcuts. Nowhere is that more prevalent than in the preparation needed before repainting the outside of the house. Two or three storeys’ worth of peeling paint is enough to discourage anyone. Professionals control labor costs by introducing techniques that speed up the prep work, whether that’s high-pressure power washing or use of rotary sanders. Even though they have professional equipment and lots of practice, they’ll admit (to each other) that high-powered shortcuts result in a surface inferior to that obtained by careful scraping and sanding. Handled by a novice, rotary sanders or power “paint shavers” can make a mess. For a large portion of the cutting phase, the blades or sand grains cut across the grain of the wood, tearing wood fibers and scarring the surface. Also, in removing all of the paint (rather than just loose paint), inevitably there is some loss of wood.
POWERING ON WITHOUT PRACTICE
It’s tempting to buy or rent a power rotary paint remover to save labor. Many people regret it. Without training and a lot of practice, you will probably permanently damage the wood. Under certain lighting conditions, hundreds of swirls will show up behind your new paint. And it’s best not to use a latex primer on old wood. These shrink as they dry, and the ensuing tension will cause remaining patches of old paint to detach, starting the peeling process all over again.
TAKE IT SLOW AND EASY
Big projects like exterior paint scraping present a psychological obstacle. Break up the job into smaller areas that can be finished in a few hours each. Keep your hand scrapers sharp. Follow the scraping with sanding—and lighten your burden during this step by using a pad or random-orbit (oscillating) sander, using paper no coarser than 100 grit. Flaking and poorly bonded paint will come off; it’s fine that firmly adhered patches of old paint remain. My advice, still, is to paint all surfaces with an oil-alkyd primer. You can finishcoat with your favorite compatible alkyd or latex paint.