Can you even imagine a more boring subject? I can't think of any better place than TBN to ask the question (lots of experience on this site), and I guess this is a good category to post it under. It's a simple problem:
Old house (50 years), peeling paint (but only enough to look bad, not enough to come off easy). So what’s the best way to scrape off the paint? Hand scraping if awful (and the bottom stuff is probably lead paint). Yeah, I have 2 little kids...
So should I use a heat gun, paint stripper, or as one person suggested, a pressure washer. Anybody have experience with removing old paint with a pressure washer. the good news is I have a brick ranch and the only thing that needs painted is the soffit fascia and the window frames.
I have to get this project rolling or the wood is going to start to rot. I have already done the best effort procrastination (2 years). Time to do some work I guess. Hopefully as little as possible though!
Thanks for your help all…
Problem with lead based paints, is that sanding them just spreads the lead and paint stripper will cause it to get splattered around more. With lead based paints, it's not the chips that are the initial problem. It's the dust from the paint as the lead works its way out. Kids play on the ground/floor and get the dust on their hands, then transfer that to their mouths. (At least that's the way is was last explained to me.)
If you really think you have a lead problem, your best bet is to encapsulate it. (Cover it with vinyl/aluminum soffit and fascia). I believe, however, that there are home test kits available now for lead, so you would at least know going in what you've got.
Otherwise, best I've found for houses is to just scrape it. You could pull the window trim off and chemically strip it, but the soffit and fascia is probably going to be easier with a scraper.
Reply With Quote
