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REMOVE
THE PAINT, NOT THE SURFACE UNDERNEATH IT!
An
effective paint-removal process should not damage the substrate (the
surface underneath the paint). It should also enable the paint to be
completely removed from the substrate.
Our products make all this
possible by dissolving the paint to a residue, which is then washed off
the surface. No scraping, sanding, wire brushes or
abrasives of any sort are necessary. The pores of the surface or the grain
of the wood can thus be left completely free of paint.
Any surface, from fine timber mouldings to soft red bricks, can be left
looking as if it had never been
painted.
USE
THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR EACH JOB
Different paints need different kinds of
paint-remover. By selecting the right product from our range, you
can remove virtually any paint from virtually any
surface. We can help you with this selection as
follows:
- Try the "
I want to
remove " page on this site.
- Advice on the phone. We are always
pleased to discuss any paint-removal problem, no matter how
small.
- Tests on paint layer samples sent to
us. – Send us samples of the full paint layer and we will do tests on
them free of charge and advise you which product(s) should be right for
the job.
- Supply of trial packs. – Ideal for
doing the tests which are so essential to ensure that you have
the
right product for the job. £8.00 per product, carriage and VAT all
included.
- Project
feasibility studies. – We send our
experienced staff to carry out tests on site, producing as many test
patches as are required, using the equipment which would be used to
carry out the actual job. We then submit a written report explaining how
the results have been arrived at. This service has
proved invaluable in drawing up accurate specifications and costings at
the pre-contract stage of a project.(Please note this is a chargeable service).
WE
ARE HERE TO HELP
Our products, selected and used
correctly, can produce outstanding results. However, the reoccurrence of
the words "usually" and "may", in the texts on this site, is a monotonous
but consistent reminder that paint-removal is an inexact science.
Every job is different. Possible permutations of
paint coating types, paint layers and substrates are infinite and often
vary within one job. We do not pretend to have magic answers to
every paint-removal problem, but we always welcome the opportunity to help
you with any of the knowledge we may have gleaned from over 30 years
involvement with paint-removers. So never hesitate to let us know
the results of your tests, even - or especially! - if they are
inconclusive.
WHAT
CAN'T BE REMOVED?
Virtually
any coating can be removed from virtually any surface. See "I want to
remove…" Notable exceptions are limewash and cement
based paints (e.g. "Snowcem"). Limewash
(not to be confused with whitewash) is, once cured, a thin layer of
limestone. Like cement mortars, it can be very slowly dissolved with an
acidic cleaner but the process is extremely time-consuming, as the product
has to be continually re-applied. Removal is therefore only practicable if
the limewash is very thin. There is no straightforward solution, as any
form of air-abrasive (blasting) or mechanical system will be destructive
to the substrate. On brickwork, try ACICLEAN
liberally applied, brushed over every two or three minutes and
pressure-washed off every fifteen minutes. Wet the surface thoroughly
before you start, to minimize the penetration of the product into the
brickwork. If you use the pressure washer to do this, it will blow off any
loose areas of limewash at the same time. See "Pressure-Washers".
Where
limewash is revealed after removing an overlaying paint layer, the options
are generally: (1) If the limewash layer is thin and
patchy, consider attempting removal by the method described above.
(2) Leave it to weather away naturally.
(3) Apply
limewash or lime paint over the top. These are very vapour-permeable
finishes which will not inhibit the essential "breathing" characteristics
of solid wall
buildings
DO'S &
DON'TS:
-
Always do a test on a sample area
first.
-
With a large job, do ensure that the
area(s) where you do the test(s) is/are representative of the area as a
whole.
-
When doing tests, do ensure that the
product is applied sufficiently thickly, as explained in the relevant
product usage data
sheet.
-
When doing tests, do experiment with
different dwell times of application, according to the relevant product
usage data
sheet.
-
When doing tests,
do always wash off the residues even though the paint-remover may appear
not to have worked. This often unexpectedly produces the hoped-for
results!
USEFUL
TIPS:
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When washing off by hand, a sponge is essential to
remove residues scrubbed off the surface.
-
The
paint-remover should do the work, not the scraper. If any undissolved
paint remains after washing off, a second application will be
needed.
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MASKING:
Polythene sheeting is compatible with all our products, making it a
suitable material for masking and protection
work.
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PRESSURE-WASHERS - Using a pressure-washer:
-
A hot water pressure-washer is, for most jobs, quicker and more
effective than a cold water machine. For some paint removal jobs, hot is
essential.
-
With a pressure washer, you can quickly and easily wash off the
dissolved paint Utilizing it for gouging out the last of any undissolved
paint will damage the substrate.
-
Keep the nozzle of the pressure-washer just near enough to the work to
cleanly wash off the dissolved paint. Too close and the water pressure
will damage the substrate.
-
What pressure?? - The
higher the pressure, the further away the nozzle can be held from the
surface; thus wider coverage can be obtained with each
pass.
WHY NOT SANDBLAST THE PAINT
OFF?
Air-abrasive systems, in their
various wet or dry, high or low pressure forms, regardless of the type of
abrasive, cannot distinguish between the coating to be removed and the
substrate. Coatings are also often harder or more resistant to the
propelled abrasive than the substrate which is to be exposed, so that once
the abrasive penetrates a small area of the paint, it rapidly erodes the
substrate before removing adjacent areas of paint. Brickwork looking like
dried sponge, carved stonework with its detail all but obliterated and
woodwork with the appearance of sea-eroded driftwood are common examples
of air-abrasive systems having provided a quick and easy but otherwise
unsatisfactory
solution.
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