Stripping Old Paint

This is not always necessary for a smooth finish. If the gloss on the surface is solid and smooth you can quite simply sand down and paint over. If the existing colour is dark and the colour you have chosen to paint is white, you will need several coats to hide the original paintwork. Old whitewash if flaky can quite often be washed off with soap and water. If the paint is heavy duty, you may need to try scraping, a chemical solvent or even a heat gun.

• Scraping is time consuming and can leave scratches/damaged surfaces
• A heat gun is efficient – but you must be careful not to overheat as you could scorch the surface, especially wood.
• Chemical strippers are very efficient and less toxic than they used to be. You simply paint on the liquid, it peels of the paint then scrape off with ease. This method is particularly useful for tricky surfaces such as banisters and stair rails.