Removing old paint from walls: tools and methods. The best way to remove oil paint from walls: mechanical removal, how to clean it with a remover and is it possible to quickly remove several layers? How to clean a wall from oil paint

From the author: Hello, dear readers. As everyone knows, building a house begins with the foundation, and any finishing work begins with preparing the foundation. Most of us, or rather more than 85% of people, live in buildings that were built during the Soviet Union. And the most popular finishing material at that time for corridors, kitchens, bathrooms and toilets was paint. Today we’ll talk about how to remove old paint from walls.

Even though we previously turned a blind eye to it and glued wallpaper over it or repainted it, the time comes when our aesthetic demands on the walls rise to the level where we can no longer tolerate paint. After all, or else by refining on top of it, we will not be able to achieve an ideal result.

Today we will go over this whole topic piece by piece and teach you all the existing ways to rid your walls of this disease. Because there are both simple old-fashioned ones, in which you will spend only your physical strength, and modern chemical ones, where a minimum of effort is required from you.

And before we begin the debriefing, I want to draw your attention to this. It has already become clear that you have to not only remove the paint, but also carry out a whole range of work related to the renovation of the room and its finishing.

Just by studying our articles once, you will learn how to carry out most of the finishing work independently and without anyone’s help, choose high-quality products for installation in your apartment or house, and also understand which tool is worth buying and which one will fail after just a few hours of work. . Now let's move on to the topic.

Types of paints

You know, there are a huge number of types of paints, but there is no point in sorting them all out, because only a few are used in everyday life, and others are a one in a million case. Therefore, in order not to waste time, we will analyze only those that have actually been used and that we actually encounter. So here they are:

Oil paint is the most difficult type of paint and takes the longest to remove. And all because the base is drying oil or other similar resins and varnishes. The strangest thing is that such paint quickly deteriorates in just a few years, losing its entire appearance. But she is in no hurry to be removed from the walls. After application, it forms a smooth glossy surface that is absolutely impervious to water and moisture. Most often, oil paint was used to paint wooden surfaces or, in extreme cases, walls. And only because it was often not necessary to buy it, but could be obtained at work or taken from friends who also got it through connections;
enamel is another worst enemy of many finishing works. If oil paint did not have any special mechanical strength, then this one is a real armor-piercing shield. Especially after it stood for decades and became solidly petrified. Fighting such an enemy is very difficult and time-consuming, but still possible. And all because it is made on a polymer basis using chemical hardeners, solvents and pigments. Yes, all these components determine all its wonderful properties, but its advantages for coating are reflected in inverse proportion for the person trying to peel it off;
acrylic - again, polymer. And any polymer, as you know, is a derivative of the oil industry. But in the production of such paint, more gentle acrylates and less “violent” chemical components are used than in the production of enamels. Although such paint is considered waterproof, I wouldn’t shout this word too loudly. If water gets on it, it will not come off, but the first time you try to wash such paint, it will lose all its pigment or, even worse, will come off completely. But still, as a paint, it is good, it applies smoothly to any mineral surface, without streaks. It is a pleasure to work with it; it does not emit unpleasant odors and is not caustic;
water-based - almost the same acrylic, but a little simpler. I assure you, if you put three buckets of white paint in front of you: acrylic, water-based and well-strained and diluted lime, you will not understand anything, because they are as similar as two drops of water. True, the one in question has no properties at all. It won’t even be possible to compare it with, because that one is not afraid of water, but ours will be washed off by the first sponge that touches it. This can only be used in bedrooms or children's rooms, where high environmental friendliness is required, and there is no danger of being dirty or exposed to moisture and water.

There is one more. Previously, this was painted very, very rarely, because it was not on sale, and could only be obtained at specialized factories. We are now talking about silicate. It’s a complete disaster in terms of removal, but as a finishing material it’s ideal.

She is not afraid of water, she is not afraid of fire, she doesn’t care about mold, in principle, just like she doesn’t care about blows. Even chemistry doesn’t take it, only brute physical strength. But, I assure you, you definitely won’t come across something like this; you’re more likely to come across one of the above. And the methods for removing enamel and oil are the same, as are the methods for removing water-based emulsion and acrylic.

Options in which the paint does not need to be removed or, on the contrary, it is strictly forbidden to leave it

Situations are different, and paint does not always need to be removed from the wall. And sometimes, on the contrary, you absolutely cannot leave it, otherwise all the work will go down the drain. Let's look at all these points. Perhaps you have just such a situation in which there is no need to indulge in this torment. So, in these cases, you can leave the old paint:

planned . They will be covered with panels anyway, nothing will be visible, so why bother? Of course it's not worth it. The only thing we need to do is treat the areas where it is not present with an antifungal agent. And where we see that it is swollen, we remove the bubble with a knife or hatchet and also treat it with this product. Because the paint is blown up by fungus, and we don’t need to allow it to grow;
It is planned to apply exactly the same coating as before. Look, if you have an acrylic emulsion on the wall, and it is in decent condition: no pieces are peeling off from it, it is not cracking, and in general, it holds up well - then even in this case you shouldn’t do this. Because acrylic will be successfully applied to a smooth, non-leaving coating and will last no less than if you tore everything off a concrete wall;
the room will be covered with clapboard or MDF panels. The case is identical to the first one even when the panel is attached close to the wall. But they are attached with screws, and not with any adhesives, so removal is not required. And in general, it is removed only in those cases when we are faced with a situation where the initial surface will disrupt adhesion and become a stumbling block before gluing the base and the applied coating;
It is planned to apply enamel over the oil one. In this case, you can do without complete removal, but preliminary preparation should still be carried out. And it should include puttying of the exfoliated areas, primer, grouting and only then - coating with a new layer;
vinyl wallpaper. Remember, a layer of old paint will be invisible only under thick vinyl wallpaper, and better yet, with a relief pattern. If you bought or are planning to buy just these, then you don’t have to bother with difficult removal. Simply add 100 ml of PVA glue to 1 liter of diluted wallpaper glue, and your wallpaper will not go anywhere, I guarantee it will stick dead.

Okay, that's sorted out. And now about in what cases, no matter how you look at it, you will have to suffer:

It is planned to apply an acrylic or water emulsion to the surface on which the enamel is applied. The compositions under consideration are not capable of applying to glossy surfaces or any other surfaces that do not absorb water. They are able to contact only mineral substrates, and will not lie on others. When you try, it may even seem to you that you have deceived everyone, and the paint has faded. But the situation will turn out to be that you bought a ticket and went on foot. After drying, you will see that the emulsion has formed into small islands, and transparent threads have formed between them. We'll have to redo it, so we're not experimenting;
Paper, textile, non-woven or thin ones will be glued to the wall. All of the listed types perfectly reveal a bouquet of shortcomings on the wall. Therefore, if you decide to do this, then be prepared for the fact that all the smudges, transitions and flaws will become noticeable;

The wall must be puttied or plastered. When applying any mineral layer to the paint, you will encounter the problem that the putty or plaster does not stick or stay on the wall at all. So you won't even be able to experiment.

That's all. But there is, of course, an exception. What we are about to tell you can be applied, but it will not give you a 100% result. Rather, this tool is suitable for small-scale work, or in cases where all of the listed options are not available.

We are now talking about the use of such a primer as concrete contact. This is a chemically active polymer mixture with a strong adhesive base and quartz sand. The composition of such a primer is such that it can make even glass suitable for plaster, not to mention some kind of paint.

But using this method, you can often encounter another problem. We will stick to the paint well, but do you know how tightly the paint sticks to the wall? Perhaps she is on her last legs and will soon fall off. Well, we can resort to the concrete contact treatment method and its subsequent plastering only if we are 100% sure of the strength of the treated layer.

Removal methods and determining the optimal

This is the most interesting and informative section of our entire story. It is here that we will reveal all the ways to remove this dirty trick and talk about what nuances there are. So, there are not many methods, but each of them is used quite often. And now about the specifics:

removal using a blowtorch. If you don’t know, a blowtorch is a burner that runs on gasoline or kerosene vapor. Fuel is poured into it, the pressure is manually pumped up with a small built-in pump, then the valve is opened, the torch is ignited and the desired combustion is adjusted. You can work on one liter for about 20–50 minutes, it all depends on the intensity of the torch. Well, you put the flame almost close to the paint and heat it up, naturally, not so that it burns, but just softens. As soon as you see that you have brought it to condition - that’s it, remove the heated area with a spatula. It works, in principle, easily, but it takes a long time, and the smell in the room is unpleasant. Therefore, you have to work with open windows, which is a little inconvenient in the winter;
ax - I don’t know why, but this is the tool most people use. It consists in the fact that you take an axe, preferably a Soviet one, with good metal, and start making notches on the walls with it. The length of each is approximately 30–40 mm, and the width is approximately 5–7 mm. One notch from another should be at a distance of 5–10 mm. Yes, both plaster and putty will fit well on such a wall, but watch. Firstly, the adhesion is still not the same as with completely removed paint. And secondly, remember: you constantly hit the wall and often break the adhesive bond of the plaster layer with the main wall. Is it worth doing? No, of course, when using this method there is a danger that in a few years all your efforts will be in vain, because the main layer of plaster will begin to collapse. Yes, this doesn’t happen often, but it still happens;
construction hairdryer Almost the same method as with a blowtorch. The only difference is that a hair dryer heats much less, and it is electric. It works many times slower than if you worked with a blowtorch. But there is not such a smell, and there is no smoke at all;
chemistry. The market is now replete with a variety of paint removers. I used this myself not too long ago. The feeling is the same - a miracle! One liter was enough for me to completely remove all the paint from an entire bathroom combined with a toilet. Yes, I agree, this liter cost some money, but, you know, I didn’t feel sorry for it, because it’s completely unpleasant to suffer with other methods;

Bulgarian. The method is popular, but I am not a supporter of it. An angle grinder, or as it is correctly called, an angle grinder, is an extremely dangerous thing. If you only knew how many lives this tool has ruined and how many people it has injured, you probably wouldn’t even think about working with it. The danger is that this is a high-revving tool, usually 11,000 rpm, but there are more and less. Well, when the disk is accidentally destroyed at such a speed, it flies with such speed and energy that is comparable to a shot from a Makarov pistol. It is very dangerous. And if you decide to use a metal brush rather than an abrasive wheel to remove paint, then, again, be careful. Because when the metal wire particles fly out of it, they literally stick into your skin. And okay, when it’s in the arm or leg, this is nonsense, but in the eye or face, it’s dangerous, so always work not just with safety glasses, but only with a protective mask, and don’t even dare remove the casing from the angle grinder;
drill - well, this is the most humane and cheapest method of removing paint from walls. A drill is often a low-speed thing, and the number of revolutions can be strictly regulated, not like on an angle grinder. Here the choice is between a brush attachment, which is not so effective at low speeds, and a chain, which is optimal. This attachment consists of several chain links connected to washers through a carabiner. As they rotate, they chip off the paint.

There are all the options, and I advise you to choose between chemicals and a chain attachment on a drill, because they clean the paint effectively, and working is not as dangerous as with an angle grinder. And below, we will look at how to work with a drill, because this is a cheaper option than processing with chemical reagents.

Work execution algorithm

So, we have decided on the choice of method, all that remains is to understand what and how to do. In order to quickly remove paint, go through the following steps sequentially.

Prepare a power tool, that is, a drill. Check its performance: does the cartridge hold well on the shaft, is there any play, is the commutator and brush apparatus sparking, is the cord broken somewhere, which could cause us to get under voltage. By the way, a small spark from under the brushes is allowed, but if it is abundant sparking, occurring with changes in speed, then such a tool cannot be used. Repair is required, or rather, polishing the commutator and replacing the brushes.
Set up a carrier or extension cord, whatever you want to call it. It should be enough for comfortable work with power tools over the entire wall treatment area.
Free the room from all unnecessary pieces of furniture and household appliances, because they will be mercilessly attacked by dust, which will certainly form in large quantities. If this happens in the kitchen, then, of course, you won’t be able to take out the gas stove, especially if it is rigidly connected to the gas pipeline. In this case, it will need to be covered with film. And in general, this is what you need to do with all the items that you cannot remove from the room.
Prepare personal protective equipment, namely: a protective shield or face mask, protective clothing, shoes and a hat (a regular cap will do). Gloves cannot be used. Remember well, working with rotating mechanisms - any kind - with gloves on, with long flowing hair, with unbuttoned sleeves or with hanging pieces of clothing is strictly prohibited. If something like that gets on the shaft, it will rip it off.
Start the drill without an attachment and set the rotating resistance round on the start button to slow speed.
Insert the nozzle into the chuck and tighten it well with the key.
Start the drill and start touching the wall with the rotating part of the attachment, doing this only with the washers, and not with the entire chain. Start removing the paint one by one.

Well, that's it, readers. Now you know everything you can about how to remove paint. And it doesn’t matter where exactly, in the bathroom or in the hallway. Removal methods, of course, do not depend on the specifics of the room.

And in the end, I would like to remind you this. Our site does not publish professional literature, but only introductory articles aimed at introducing you to the topic. So, if you have a desire to learn in detail what and how to do, it is better to turn to professional literature. And we are in no way responsible for your actions. Good luck!

High-quality wall finishing is impossible without carefully carried out preparatory work, one of the points of which is the removal of old decorative materials.

And if there are no special problems with wallpaper or panels, then quickly removing old paint can be a labor-intensive undertaking.

How to remove old paint from walls? By carefully studying all possible ways to remove old paint from a wall, you can solve the problem of quickly and efficiently preparing the surface for subsequent finishing.

There are several ways to do this, each of which differs in the complexity of execution, the necessary tools, and the presence of certain knowledge and skills.

Mechanical methods

The mechanical cleaning method involves the use of the following tools:

painting knife;
putty knife;
chisels;
scraper;
axe.

Algorithm of actions:

Prepare the tool. It is necessary to check that the blade is well sharpened and tightly fixed to the handle.
Place the tool at an acute angle to the wall, and make many cuts with short strokes (the more, the better).
Moisten the wall generously with water from a spray bottle.
Scrape or knock down the swollen layer of paint.

Work with hand tools is carried out only in protective glasses, gloves and thick clothing. Otherwise, there is a high risk of injury from flying pieces of old decorative coating.

Heat treatment

The simplest, fastest and most effective way to clean a wall is to heat the decorative coating with a hairdryer. Everything is very simple: the paint on the wall is burned with a stream of hot air from a hair dryer, and then very quickly removed with a spatula or scraper.

In order for the cleaning process to go faster, it is carried out simultaneously by two people (one burns, the second immediately removes the paint).

Limitations of using the thermal method:

In cases where it is not possible to use a construction hair dryer, it can be easily replaced:

blowtorch (it is important to follow fire safety rules);
iron and foil (cover the painted surface with foil and then heat it with an iron);
household hair dryer (inferior to a construction hair dryer only in terms of service life).

Electromechanical

You can remove paint from a concrete wall as quickly as possible using an electromechanical method. Simply put, a variety of power tools are used to clean walls:

Grinder with wide grinding wheel(it is recommended to use a wheel with an abrasiveness of at least 40). You can also use a grinder with a special attachment in the form of a steel wire brush.
Drill with paint remover attachment. The nozzle is a structure of three chains, each of which has thirteen links. During operation, the chains break the decorative coating (flying off in pieces) with a minimum amount of dust.
Drill with hole saw. The process of cleaning a wall with such a power tool is quick, with minimal risks of injury and dust formation. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the high cost of the nozzle and the need for its frequent replacement.

Work using power tools is very rarely used on wooden surfaces (active rough cleaning disrupts the structure of the wood).

Use of chemicals

The chemical method of removing paint from a wall involves the use of special liquid or gel removers and solvents:

White Spirit,
acetone.

Work with chemicals is carried out only in a very well-ventilated area and using personal protective equipment (gloves, respirator, goggles).

Basic rules for applying chemical solvents on a painted wall:

If signs of illness (dizziness, nausea) appear during the use of chemicals, work must be stopped immediately and the premises must be left.

How to choose the right method?

Several criteria are considered for choosing methods for removing paint from a wall: the type of decorative coating, the required amount of time and money spent, and the most important thing - the type of surface being treated.

Cleaning from concrete or stone surfaces

Poorly adhered decorative wall covering easy to clean using a mechanical method (in other words, using a scraper or spatula).

If it holds firmly, a chemical method followed by electromechanical cleaning will help to remove it.

How to remove from wooden coverings?

A spatula will help remove fragile layers of paint from a wooden wall. Work must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the structure of the tree.

If the wood is covered with a durable, perfectly smooth layer, only a chemical method can clean it. When using a torch or hair dryer, it is important to monitor the flow of hot air so as not to burn the wood.

It is better not to use the electromechanical method for cleaning wood. This is because the structure of the wood is soft and uneven, and the use of brute mechanical force of the tool is fraught with the appearance of scratches, cracks, and chips that will have to be puttied. An exception would be to use fine-grained sandpaper.

From metal surfaces

Simple, fast, high quality A grinder will help you clean a metal surface.(electromechanical method) or solvent (chemical method). The use of chemicals is preferable for removing old, stubborn paint.

Cleaning with hot air (thermal method) for metal surfaces requires certain skills. Mistakes made when removing old paint can cause layers that swell when heated to stick to the metal surface.

Features of removal depending on the type of paint coating

The different composition of paints applied to the wall requires a special approach to the removal process.

Water-based compositions

it's easiest to do it from a concrete wall. It is enough to moisten the surface generously, wait until the decorative layer softens and remove it with a spatula.

An applied layer of varnish can add complexity to the process. It must first be treated with chemical solutions, and then cleaned off with a spatula.

Oily

Most often, masters are faced with exactly this problem. Depending on the number of layers applied and the time elapsed since the date of repair, choose:

mechanical,
chemical,
thermal method.

Acrylic

The choice of cleaning method is determined by how long ago the decorative layer was applied. If you need to clean a freshly painted (in the first day after application) wall, then just moisten the paint with water and wipe with a sponge.

If more than seven days have passed since painting the wall, the paint is removed with a solvent or using a mechanical method. For a wall that has been painted for more than a year, we apply the method of chemical and electromechanical cleaning.

Acrylic paint can be easily scraped off wood surfaces with a sharp knife or spatula. Glass or plastic wall partitions painted with acrylic paints can be easily cleaned with a hot soapy solution.

What mistakes are most often made and why is it better not to make them?

The process of removing old paint from a wall is labor-intensive and requires certain knowledge and skills.

Lack of necessary experience can lead to the following errors:

You can save your repair budget if you use rented power tools (there are a sufficient number of companies providing a similar service).
When heating the paint on the wall, you need to create a draft in the room (open windows and doors). Otherwise, toxic fumes entering the air can cause poisoning of the body.
Melted paint must be cleaned off immediately with a spatula. Otherwise, it will be baked on the surface of the wall, and it will be very difficult to remove it.
When removing old paint from a concrete wall using a chemical method, it is best to use acid-free compounds.

Useful video

How to remove old paint from walls - video tips:

Conclusion

Having studied the theory in detail and using in practice all possible options for removing paint from the wall, you can quickly and efficiently carry out preparatory measures before the next decorative finish.

Preparing the walls for finishing is an important stage in the renovation of a room. Only thorough cleaning of the entire surface of the walls from old wallpaper, paint, tiles, plaster or whitewash will subsequently allow for high-quality finishing work. And although this is a labor-intensive and messy process, it cannot be avoided. Regardless of which finishing option is chosen, the walls must be cleaned to the ground. The only exception is plasterboard sheathing.

Cleaning the walls of old wallpaper

To work you will need:

spray, roller or sponge;
respirator, safety glasses;
narrow and wide spatula;
scraper;
a bucket of warm water;
wallpaper remover.

Different types of wallpaper differ in properties and quality, and therefore require different approaches when cleaning walls from old wallpaper.

The waterproof layer of non-woven or washable wallpaper will not allow water to soften it so easily, so you need to break its integrity by making cuts and notches, and then moisten it generously with water using a sponge. After the glue dissolves, the wallpaper comes off the walls easily.

When removed, vinyl wallpaper does not tear into pieces, but comes off the wall in entire strips. If part of the paper base remains on the wall, it can be easily removed by moistening it with water and lifting it with a spatula.

Liquid wallpaper can be removed using a spatula, after pre-treating it with water and adding a primer. If removing the wallpaper by hand is difficult, you will need a sander with an abrasive attachment.

How to remove paint from walls

The most difficult part is removing oil paint from a concrete surface. But you can cope with such a difficult task if you have all the necessary tools and means at hand. Can be used:

grinder with nozzle;
spatulas, chisels, scrapers;
hammer drill or electric drill with an attachment;
paint thinners;
axe;
construction hairdryer

There are three ways to remove old paint from walls, each of which has its own pros and cons.

Mechanical

The mechanical method is the dustiest, but the least toxic compared to the next two. You can remove the paint manually: beat off individual areas of the surface with an ax or hammer with a chisel. If you choose the right angle of the ax, the paint will be easy to remove.

When working with an angle grinder there will be a lot of dust, so it is better to use a hammer drill or a drill with a chain attachment. The tool uses chain links to knock off the paint, which flies off in pieces and does not collect dust.

Chemical

This method is less labor intensive. It is necessary to apply a special reagent to the surface, under the influence of which the paint softens and is removed with a scraper.

Thermal

This method is simple, but toxic, like a chemical one. The essence of it is to heat the surface with a construction hairdryer until the paint begins to bubble, and remove it with a scraper.

Important points:

To make it easier to remove water-based paint from concrete, you need to moisten the surface with an iodine solution (10 ml of iodine per 1 liter of water).
You need to remove acrylic paint by first spraying the wall with water mixed with alcohol or acetone.
Oil, water-based and acrylic paints can be successfully removed using all three methods.

Getting rid of old whitewash

Old whitewash can be removed in two ways - dry and wet.

Dry method of whitewash removal

You will need:

respirator;
Sander.

A lot of dust during work is a significant disadvantage of this method. All furniture must be removed from the room or wrapped in protective film. The advantage is that the sanding machine will quickly clean the walls of whitewash without damaging them.

Removing old plaster

To decide whether to remove all the plaster or not, you need to tap it with the handle of a spatula. In those places where there is emptiness, a dull sound will be heard.

To remove old plaster you will need one of the following tools:

putty knife;
scraper;
perforator;
Bulgarian;
machine for removing plaster.

Beating off old plaster with a spatula or hammer. If it doesn’t come off well, use a grinder, a hammer drill, or a special machine with abrasive discs. Before this, the wall should be moistened with water to reduce dust.

Cleaning with a wire brush. To eliminate unevenness, the wall must be worked with a brush or sandpaper, and then wiped with a wet rag.

Tip: in order for the old plaster to come off easily, it must first be wetted with water with the addition of starch (2 tablespoons of starch per liter of water).

Cleaning the wall from mold

Advice. Regular table vinegar works well against mold. It is applied to mold-infected areas and washed off after an hour. For prevention purposes, repeat the procedure several times. Also effective in the fight against mold is baking soda, an aqueous solution of which is sprayed onto surfaces. And ammonia mixed with water will get rid of mold no worse than a store-bought antiseptic.

When carrying out renovation work, a situation often arises when preparing walls for subsequent decoration involves removing the old coating - paint.

A seemingly simple procedure often turns into a living hell. Be that as it may, this problem will still have to be solved, so it would be useful to familiarize yourself with possible ways to solve it.

To delete or not to delete?

In the recent past, the method of improving the walls of the bathroom, kitchen and even hallways by painting them with oil paints was quite popular, so when making repairs, many are faced with the question of whether it is necessary to remove the old coating and, if so, how to do it.

The answer to this question depends on your future plans.

If you plan to paint the walls with new paint, it is not necessary to remove the old one. Modern water-based, acrylic and silicone paints adhere perfectly to almost any substrate. The only condition for a high-quality new coating is reliable adhesion of the old paint to the wall. It should not bubble or peel, otherwise the repair will end sadly.

If the planned work involves leveling the walls with putty compounds, it is necessary to remove the old enamel, since most leveling building mixtures stick to it very poorly.

Main works

Different types of paints are removed in different ways - some are easy to remove, while others will require serious work.

Let's look at the most commonly used methods, their advantages and disadvantages.

The types of paints you encounter vary greatly in composition, so you have to use different methods to remove them. Water-based paints are relatively easy to remove, but with oil paints it will be more difficult, so we will consider this particular case in detail.

The difficulty of removing oil enamel depends on the number of its layers and the quality of the base on which it rests - the thicker the layer of such paint, the easier it is to remove and vice versa.

It is easiest to remove paint from old sand plaster; it is much more difficult from an unplastered concrete slab - it is absorbed into the pores and sticks tightly. It will be especially difficult to clean the ceiling in the bathroom.

We prepare tools and means

To clean walls from paint you may need:

Removal methods and their application

There are not so many ways to clean walls from old paint; you will have to choose from three options:

chemical;
thermal;
mechanical - manual or mechanized.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Chemical method

Its essence is as follows - a specially made solution is applied to the painted surface and after some time the paint partially softens and peels off in bubbles from the surface, after which it is removed with special scrapers, a hard metal brush or using a spatula.

This method is quite simple and convenient, but has a number of disadvantages:

When using this method, you must take care of safety - you need to ensure good ventilation of the room, in particular the bathroom, work with rubber gloves, goggles and use a respirator. During the work, children, pregnant women and people prone to allergic reactions must leave the premises.

The chemical method also includes the method of removing paint using liquid glass. The surface is coated with this product and, when dry, gives a durable film that peels off along with the old coating.

You can use a solution of potassium carbonate and quicklime. The mixture is made in proportions - 0.4 kg of calcium per 1.2 kg of lime mixed with tap water. Paint coated with such a solution can be easily removed with a spatula after 10 - 12 hours.

Important! All of these methods involve the use of potent toxic substances, so the first thing you should take care of is safety.

Thermal method

It consists of heating the paint to the temperature of its destruction, at which its layer swells and is easily removed with a spatula. This method has been used for quite a long time. Previously, they heated with blowtorches, now they use construction hair dryers, which is much safer and more convenient.

We carry out paint removal like this: we heat a small area until a layer of paint appears on its surface and immediately, before it cools down, remove it with a spatula.

There are tips for heating the paint with an iron through a foil spacer. In our opinion, the procedure is quite dubious, since the iron does not provide sufficient heat, but in rare cases, for example, to remove a thin layer of fresh alkyd enamel, you can try it.

One of the advantages is the possibility of using this method in places where mechanical cleaning cannot be carried out - near glass and other fragile structures.

This method is quite effective, but has certain limitations. Do not heat the wall where electrical wires are laid, near switches and sockets, or near fusible decorative elements.

The main disadvantage of thermal cleaning of walls can be considered the release of caustic and toxic smoke when the paint is heated, so before carrying out work you need to ensure ventilation of the room, in addition, if overheated, the paint can catch fire, so you should be very careful.

Mechanical method

The methods described earlier are toxic and dangerous, so in an apartment, especially in enclosed bathrooms where it is impossible to provide sufficient ventilation, it is worth using the old, proven method - mechanical.

There are as many methods of mechanical paint removal as there are people who have used it, but they can be classified into manual and using power tools.

Features of acrylic paint removal

Acrylic paints, like any water-based paints, can be mechanically removed quite easily using a regular metal brush or an emery wheel on an angle grinder.

There is an alternative way - using special compounds - washes. Such compositions are sold in any hardware store and, if the recommendations for use are followed, they give very good results - the washed off surface is clean, without chips and does not require additional preparation when applying a new layer of paint.

Such compositions belong to modern environmental chemistry and are absolutely harmless.

Advice! If you plan to cover old acrylic paint with the same new paint, no cleaning is necessary - paint over the old layer.

Worst ways to remove paint

In our opinion, chemical and thermal cleaning methods are absolutely unsuitable for the bathroom, since in limited spaces it is impossible to provide acceptable ventilation, so there is a high probability of poisoning by harmful emissions accompanying such methods of work.

Among other things, thermal paint removal involves fire risks.

In apartment conditions, and especially in toilet and bathroom rooms, the best option would be to use a hammer drill with a toothed crown - maximum efficiency and minimal dust.

We hope that our article helped you answer the question - how to remove old paint from walls?

Removing paint from walls can be a daunting task. It is relatively rare for paint to be removed very easily. In most cases you have to work hard and solve several problems.

Unfortunately, until now, construction equipment has not been replenished with a universal machine for cleaning old paint.

And this is unlikely to happen, since construction and finishing technologies have changed a lot. That's why have to use old ways. In this article we will look at the main ways to remove old paint in the bathroom, kitchen and any other rooms.

When is this procedure necessary?

It depends on the method of repair. If you want to plaster surfaces, or repaint them, or wallpaper, then removing old paint will be required in all these cases.

There are times when old paint looks attractively durable and the owners stick wallpaper on it. However, in this case, the chances are very high that the drying glue, together with the mass of wallpaper that hangs on it, will detect hidden “bubbles”, where the paint adheres poorly or not at all.

This will immediately affect the wallpaper itself, which will greatly upset the owners, who spent a lot of money on repairs.

If you are covering a wall or ceiling with panels, then in this case the paint can be left on.

Methods

There are many ways to clean surfaces from old paint, and which one is the best for each specific case? depends on the nature of both the paint itself and the material walls.

Burnout

This method is fast and efficient, but unfortunately, it is not always applicable.

Its essence is that one worker heats a section of the wall or ceiling with a powerful gas burner until the paint darkens, and the second immediately after that quickly clears darkened areas sharp metal spatula.

Respiratory organs of workers are required must be protected by gas masks. Old paints can contain powerful carcinogens.

To avoid fire, it is prohibited to do so clean wooden surfaces. You can burn any paints with organic binders.

Using solvents

The chemical method is suitable for:

acrylic paints;
glypthal;
pentaphthalic;
nitro;
for some types of polymer paints.

The hardest thing to do is remove old oil paint this way. Washing starts from the top soaking the surface with a swab or roller. After a few hours, the swollen paint is cleaned off with a spatula.

This method is classified as particularly dangerous– may lead to an explosion of solvent vapors. Working without gas masks and effective ventilation is prohibited.

Special mixtures (washes)

In this case, a special remedy is used. Taking into account the previous (see the section on solvents), chemists have developed a combined method, when the paint binder is organic-based exposed to strong alkali with the addition of solvents.

This leads to a decrease in vapor concentration solvents in the air, and due to the fact that alkali loosens old paint, the solvent quickly penetrates into the depths and has an additional effect.

Swollen paint clean using a scraper and wash the surface: first with acidified water (vinegar, citric acid, weak hydrochloric acid 1-2%), and then lightly wiped with solvent R-646.

Grinder or hammer drill

A very effective and versatile way to remove paint. Suitable for all paints and surfaces, with limitation for wood. Woodworking requires great skill, since the surface can easily be damaged there.

The tool used is a crown brush or a special brick crown (mill). There are also chains, but this is a very dangerous method - if a link flies off, it may seriously injure the worker or those nearby.

The disadvantages of the mechanical method include very large amounts of toxic dust, therefore, it is necessary to work, at a minimum, with a respirator and safety glasses, and also perform continuous exhaust ventilation.

Now they are starting to appear on the market special tools for cleaning old paint, but they are quite rare.

Spatula or chisel

Least productive, but the cleanest method. Ideal, or better yet, irreplaceable, when working near sockets, wiring, pipes, in corners, near baseboards, as well as on wooden surfaces.

A spatula is used to remove layers of paint that do not adhere well to the surface, and a chisel helps in those places where the paint is held firmly. For this cleaning method it is very It’s useful to have sandpaper on hand, for sharpening tools that quickly become dull on stone surfaces.

Ax and water

This method is one of the simplest and completely safe. Its only drawback is that it requires significant muscular strength. Although each blow with an ax requires a little effort, you have to make thousands of such blows and untrained hands will quickly get tired.

An ax is used to make small but closely spaced notches, between which the paint cracks and falls off. Water is used to reduce dust, As a result, there is no dust at all. This surface preparation is very suitable for subsequent plastering.

Using a hair dryer

This method is similar to the burning method. But here the paint is heated at a lower temperature than an open flame gives, heating acts more locally, due to the hair dryer attachment, and this method can sometimes be one of the best.

Less harmful substances are released, but you should never forget about them. And use either frequent ventilation or a gas mask.

The layer of intumescent paint is removed with a spatula. Then the surface is washed, minor defects are cleaned and wipe with a swab with a small amount of solvent.

How to choose the right method?

You should choose a method for cleaning walls from old paint: based on several considerations:

wall material;
type of old paint;
ventilation possibilities;
agreement with neighbors about noise, work hours, etc.;
available tools;
affordable budget.

Another sign that will help:

X – chem. M – mechanical T – thermal cleaning methods.

When choosing a cleaning method, priority should be given work safety for people, because lost health cannot be restored at any cost, and working with paint, especially if done unprofessionally, can be very harmful.