How to remove water-based paint from timber panel?

wattosark

Hi. 

Always get good advice here 🙂

We have a vertical weatherboard  timber feature on the front oof our old home that is beautiful Brunswick green.

We want to strip it back to bare timber.

Can we please get advice on the easiest way to remove the old water based paint.

Thank you

MitchellMc

The easiest and least aggressive way to remove old water based paint from weatherboards @wattosark, is to use a paint stripper in combination with a bladed scraper. Apply a generous coat of paint stripper to the surface, making sure it is evenly covered. Once applied, tape a plastic painting drop sheet over the area, sealing it around the perimeter. This step is important because it keeps the stripper active and allows it to penetrate deeper into the paint layers rather than drying out too quickly.

Leave it on for a few hours, or as recommended by the manufacturer, then remove the plastic and use a sharp-bladed scraper to lift off as much of the softened paint as possible. On older paint jobs, you will often need to repeat this process two or three times to fully remove all layers and get back close to bare timber.

Once the bulk of the paint is off, use a detail sander or orbital sander to sand the boards back and remove any remaining paint residue. Finish with a finer grit to smooth the surface ready for whatever clear finish or oil you plan to apply.

Take your time, work in manageable sections, and you should be able to restore the timber without damaging the weatherboards.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell