How to remove paint from grooved wood?

Goose1

  

We are in the process of renovating our outdoor area, including rebuilding the back veranda and have reused some beams that were in good condition on the structure. Some of the beams were already painted when we rebuilt, and our plan was to sand them back and stain them to match the rest of the space. However, we're encountering some difficulty because some of the beams are grooved, making it challenging to sand and remove all of the paint. (Hindsight, oops!) 

We’ve come across several videos showing people successfully using thick paint stripper for furniture and walls, and we’re wondering if this method would be suitable for outdoor areas like ours. Do you have any suggestions for removing paint from grooved beams in an outdoor setting? 

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @BunaHouse. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing paint.

There’s nothing wrong with trying a paint stripper to see how well it works, but in most cases, you’ll still need to scrape and sand the surface to remove the paint fully. It rarely just bubbles up and falls off completely. I suspect at best you'll still be left with paint in the grooves.

How many grooved sections are you dealing with? If it’s only a handful, I’d recommend sanding them instead. To get back to a clean surface, you’ll essentially need to sand right through the grooves until it’s flat. Start with a coarse grit like 40-60 to remove the bulk of the paint, then finish with 180-grit for a smoother surface. An orbital sander could work, but a belt sander will make quicker work of the heavy sanding, and then you can finish off with the orbital for a more refined result.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell