We are working on an exterior restoration project right now where the client wants to remove all the original paint from the siding and trim. So, that means chemical paint strippers because infrared is too slow and hand scraping is too exhausting for a whole building. Dumond was nice enough to send us one of […]
Being in the business of restoring old houses, I do a lot of paint stripping. And much of that paint is lead paint so I have to be extra careful to make sure we keep our dust under control. Here are the best paint stripping tools I have used over the years. Some work better […]
Old hardware is just like everything else in an old house, covered with decades of paint. Antique hardware can be some very attractive and beautifully crafted pieces of art that is well worth restoring. If you want to remove paint from hardware, you don’t want to just start scraping the paint off with an old […]
That’s an interesting question that I don’t think old home owners ask as often as they should. Is stripping paint necessary? It seems simple, right? But the answer is a bit more nuanced. Is it always necessary to strip paint before repainting. No. Will painting on bare wood always yield a better result? Yes. Now […]
No one likes to strip paint. Sure we love the end result, but it’s grueling, exhausting work that can be dangerous (lead paint anyone?) or messier than all get out (chemical strippers). As a restorer of historic windows I’m well acquainted with all the trials and tribulations of paint removal. I’ve tried all the tools […]
This is the last post in our 3 part series on how to strip paint. In the first one, I talked about working with chemical strippers and when and how to use them. Last week, we delved into the world of elbow grease and talked about how to scrape like a pro. This week, I […]
This may be the least exciting method of paint removal, but I have found it to be one of the best ways to remove decades of old paint quickly and cleanly. If you can learn how to strip paint without chemicals or heat, your prep/clean up time can be significantly reduced. In this post, I’ll show […]
I know a lot of you have questions about stripping paint from old woodwork. I know because it’s one of the topics I get emailed about the most. So, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. There are three primary ways you can remove paint (scraping/sanding, chemicals, heat) and we’ll talk about all three […]
Which one should you get? The debate between buying a heat gun or an infrared paint stripper is a question a lot of folks have been asking these days as this new technology has begun getting more attention and, it’s one worth asking if you have a lot of paint to strip particular lead paint […]
There is no doubt that metal weatherstripping is one of the best choices for air-sealing wood windows and doors, but which one should you choose? I’ve been restoring wood windows and doors since 2010 and have tried all types of metal weatherstrip and I want to share my years of experience on the topic so […]
Ah, plaster walls—the grand dames of home construction. Elegant, durable, but also a tad dramatic. Enter 3M Command Strips, the darlings of renters, dorm-dwellers, and anyone who’s ever sworn at a hammer. For those wondering how to hang things on a plaster wall could they be the silver bullet you’ve been looking for? When these […]
There are so many paint scrapers on the market it may be hard to decide which one is right for you. As a restoration contractor who has spent countless hours scraping paint and has employed over a hundred of craftsmen who do the same, there are very few scrapers that make the cut for me. […]
