Best Paint Stripper

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a really good paint stripper? It's for really old paint on dado rails, skirting boards, doors etc?

I hear there'sa type of industrial aerosol one you can also get?

Thanks a lot

There is some discussion here on a paint stripper.

Buy or borrow a heat gun and a shave hook. Be patient and do the job slowly, in stages.

Alternatively, if there's a lot to be done, remove the boards/rails, doors etc. and have them dipped (ask antique restorers in your area, they'll either be able to do this themselves or tell you who does). It's generally inexpensive, although you need to be careful removing and replacing the rails, doors, etc. (and may have to pay someone to do it for you.)

Nitromors and the like are a nightmare to work with. Avoid unless you're comfortable working with noxious chemicals.

extopia said:

Buy or borrow a heat gun and a shave hook. Be patient and do the job slowly, in stages.....Nitromors and the like are a nightmare to work with. Avoid unless you're comfortable working with noxious chemicals.

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Just to qualify the above- heat gun and shave hook are certainly a cheap way to strip paint BUT it may not be the best method if stripping very old paint that may contain lead! Also I know of a number of small roof fires that were started when paint was stripped from fascia and soffit using this method so be careful! Dipping (in caustic soda) is very effective but it can lead to failure of glued joints in joinery and will cause some swelling of the wood, raising of the grain etc. I've used Nitomors and the like for many stripping jobs and once you observe the basic safety measures it is effective and safe. Klingstrip is probably my preferred method (being water washable), someone like MRCB in Christchurch may be able to supply this.

Carpenter said:

Dipping (in caustic soda) is very effective but it can lead to failure of glued joints in joinery and will cause some swelling of the wood, raising of the grain etc..

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The glue (normally animal glue) from old doors tends to have lost its effectiveness after a few years, what generally holds the doors together is the wedges not the glue. Regarding the swelling of wood this is caused by the doors being in fluid, oblivously the longer the timber stays in the fluid the more swelling you'll get. Regarding the raising of grain there are 2 different reasons that it occurs 1. if a door is left in a tank too long which most, not all, people seem to do or 2. if a door is in a sunny spot for a few years and was naturally finished then painted this causes a door to look like a teddy bear.

If anyone finds this magic Klingstrip in Dublin at a reasonable price, please let me know!

I went onto the MRCB website and saw that they do Peelaway - it appears it does more or less the same as Klingstrip see here

I also got on to the UK supplier for Klingstrip and asked for ROI stockists - this is what they said:
We have stockists in both Northern and Southern Ireland. Acol Ltd are based in Drumree, County Meath and can be contacted on: 00 353 1 8250171. Salters Powerwashers are based in Portadown and their number is: 02838 338355

S.L.F said:

The glue (normally animal glue) from old doors tends to have lost its effectiveness after a few years, what generally holds the doors together is the wedges not the glue. Regarding the swelling of wood this is caused by the doors being in fluid, oblivously the longer the timber stays in the fluid the more swelling you'll get. Regarding the raising of grain there are 2 different reasons that it occurs 1. if a door is left in a tank too long which most, not all, people seem to do or 2. if a door is in a sunny spot for a few years and was naturally finished then painted this causes a door to look like a teddy bear.

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hi.i read your message about paint stripping.do you know what chemicals are in these dipping tanks.thanks

madforit said:

hi.i read your message about paint stripping.do you know what chemicals are in these dipping tanks.thanks

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Most of them use Caustic Soda.

The guy I used to work for used something else which I'm honour bound not to reveal the name of.

This stuff was far better than Caustic Soda because it didn't leave a residue on the surface of the wood.

I have recently got hold of some reclaimed four panel regency style doors which I want to strip of many years of paint (some probably lead-based). I know there are eco-friendly soy-based stripping products but its going to be very time consuming to do any quantity.
Can anybody recommend a close-to Dublin company that will dip my doors using (reasonably) enviromentally friendly techniques and taking the kind of precautions about not leaving them for too long etc. mentioned above. Many thanks, Mick