Old paint removal from wood

New paint on wood only holds as well as whatever is underneath it. If the old coat is flaking, cracking or peeling off in sheets, the next coat will come off with it. Removing old paint from wood is the starting point for restoring doors, windows, stairs, panelling and old furniture.

Ways to strip paint from wood

The handyman chooses the method to suit the piece and the paint, and often combines a few:

• heat gun and scraper: quick on thick layers of oil paint on flat surfaces, but needs care near glass and ironmongery;
• chemical paint stripper: good for mouldings, carving and spots a sander cannot reach;
• sanding: finishes the surface once the paint is off, and on thin coats it is sometimes the only method.

What to know about old paint

In buildings several decades old, woodwork was sometimes painted with lead-based paint. Dry-sanding it spreads toxic dust through the whole flat. In such places the handyman works wet, uses stripper or dust extraction, and seals the room off with sheeting. If your doors or windows are old, mention it in the job.

The second issue is the wood itself. Once the paint is off, you sometimes find rot along the bottom rail of a window, or cracks. The handyman then shows you the problem and suggests filling or replacing the part before any painting.

What the price per m² depends on

Price depends on the number of layers, the shape of the surface and the method. A flat door is a very different job from an old box sash window with glazing bars, or banister spindles. Priming, preserving and painting afterwards are priced as the next stages.

Common questions