28
votes
Accepted
How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls?
These are consumables
You wouldn't worry about reusing a rubber glove or a paper towel. If it's pristine, sure... But generally you don't expect to.
That roller cover is $3, the hot dog is $1 ...
26
votes
Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?
Given the high likelihood of lead based paint, I would not under your current circumstances attack this with a grinder or a sander. You'll create lead-contaminated dust which will haunt you for a long ...
- 18.3k
23
votes
Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?
Is lead really there?
First and foremost, check your assumption about the presence of lead. Lead appears in 2 places: certain bold pigments like orange and red lead oxides (not that yellow chromium ...
20
votes
Accepted
Safe way to remove paint from ground wire?
Just some sand paper will be fine. You don't want to use a chemical stripper as it may interact poorly with the copper.
- 20.6k
14
votes
Accepted
Preparing an old metal cabinet for painting
OK, so this is a classic prep-paint situation, on a metal thing which has alkyd (that's what its mom calls oil paint when it's in trouble) or possibly LPU paint. Definitely not latex, so we dodged ...
11
votes
Preparing an old metal cabinet for painting
You don't need to go to bare metal on paint that is well adhered.
Hammerite has a particular "look" (a deliberately uneven, uniformly) surface which can help to hide surface defects under it - if ...
- 175k
7
votes
How can I clean this older paint roller to make it usable again for painting my walls?
I think you're going to be much less frustrated if you just buy a new roller brush. Those are meant to be disposable and not to be stored for long periods.
You can get away with short term re-use by ...
- 25.8k
7
votes
Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?
I sympathise with you your situation. I am sure that most of us have started a job that has become a lot tougher than anticipated with no easy way back. I know I have.
Try a different paint stripper....
- 593
6
votes
Covering Up Some Old Wall Art
I would put a wood frame around/over it then cover the frame with a hardboard then decorate that.
Many times that an internal framed wall has been removed to find things behind.
- 24.9k
5
votes
Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?
Stop guessing if there's lead
I bought a mid-1970s house right on the edge of where lead paint was banned. We had some older windows, so I bought a lead test kit and made certain there was no lead. ...
- 23.2k
4
votes
How do I remove glow in the dark paint from my walls?
You can try with soapy water. But - having removed a lot of paint, what you're hoping for is probably impossible. Even if you get the glow-in-the-dark stuff off, doing so will roughen up the ...
4
votes
Best way to remove old paint from door hinges
I would remove the affected parts from the door and wall and drop them in a small container which can be a) placed outdoors (for fume abatement) and, b) have paint thinner or Goof Off to soak for ...
- 12.3k
4
votes
Accepted
How to remove gloss paint incorrectly applied to wainscoting over gloss paint
Rip out and replace the wainscoting. Wainscoting generally comes pre-primed. For a little more at a better lumber yard, you can get a true plywood panel. The big box stores will have MDF, which is ...
- 10.6k
4
votes
Accepted
How to prep walls with cracked paint
The only way to really do this right is to sand/scrape off all the cracked paint. Painting over it will not hide the cracks and the old paint can continue to crack. In some instances, it might be ...
- 72.3k
3
votes
Accepted
How to remove magnet paint from regular drywall?
Locate the studs on either side of the area affected.
Cut down the middle of the studs, and horizontally above and below
the affected area.
Remove drywall and bad paint.
Insert new drywall
Mud/feather/...
- 175k
3
votes
Best way to remove old paint from door hinges
I have just recently done this. I had some 90+ year old doors with so many coats of paint on the hardware that the doorknob would not even turn. The ball ends of the hinge pins looked like mini onion ...
- 111
3
votes
Accepted
Remove paint residue from ladder
Don't waste your time. Trying to prevent a ladder from being covered in paint is like trying to keep a war hero's uniform from getting covered in medals. Exactly like that, in fact.
Paint stains ...
3
votes
How do I remove paint from pipes?
The "original" color doesn't exist
Actual pipe color is not what you think. Naked pipe is very dingy gray that quickly turns rust red. The pipe you see in buildings is Sched 40 water pipe and it is ...
3
votes
previous owner painted over door latches, preventing doors from closing - how to proceed?
That's an interesting tactic.
You may be able to mask things off and use paint stripper to clean up the latch area in place. Otherwise, take the hardware apart and soak it clean. Lubricate as ...
- 120k
3
votes
Removing sand-blasting residue from window glass
You wouldn't be asking if it just wiped off, which it would if it was just a little bit of low-energy dust caught by the wind.
This tells me the glass was hit by high-energy sand particles, i.e. ...
3
votes
Accepted
How enthusiastically should I strip a flaking deck before staining?
Based on what I've seen in the pictures I'd say you have two option: 1) get a sander and sand the entire deck or 2) get two gallons of stain remover and spray in on the entire deck and scrape it all ...
- 72.3k
3
votes
How can I remove the coating from black iron pipe?
It is "mill varnish" , nothing to do with mill scale. I find no definition in the ASTM index. Very likely it is a varnish ; A resin plus a solvent/vehicle. Mineral spirits or gasoline should take it ...
- 8,143
3
votes
Paint-stripping purgatory - stuck in the middle - what should we do?
Grab a sander or grinder, and wet sand it. It'll be a 2-man job, one of you sanding, one constantly wetting.
If you've got a plant sprayer or similar (the ones you pump to pressurise), that'll make ...
- 226
3
votes
Preparing an old metal cabinet for painting
If this is a personal project and the cabinet will not be on display in a public location at your business or something, I would recommend listening to the advice from the pros at the paint shop.
...
- 51
3
votes
Preparing an old metal cabinet for painting
remove loose/flaky/unsound existing paint and all rust/corrosion by scraping/wire-brushing/sanding
sand smooth to desired level of appearance, de-gloss any glossy painted areas. NOTE- there is no need ...
- 33.9k
3
votes
Accepted
LoBase layer of paint resists chemical stripping
It is likely milk-based paint, which often resists remover. Unlike normal paints that just need a solvent to remove, milk paints require a caustic, such as lye.
Oddly enough, it sounds like PeelAway ...
- 1,354
3
votes
How to remove rest of paint from wood beam
Paint stripper is probably your best bet for this rough looking outdoor piece of wood. Anything else will be massively time consuming trying to get enough paint out of it to make staining successful.
...
- 37.9k
2
votes
How can I smooth rough latex paint before repainting
USG All Purpose joint compound sticks to shiny surfaces. you have to lightly sand the wall first only to prevent bubbling. All Purpose compound has glue in it. It stuck perfectly to my semi-gloss ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to prepare walls, windows and baseboard for re-painting
Painting is easy - preparing for a new coat of paint so it will last is the hard work.
You should scrape off all loose or peeling paint - otherwise the new paint will simply peel right off there. ...
- 175k
2
votes
Accepted
How can I remove paint from a wood deck so I can stain it?
Rent a drum sander and run it in line with the boards. You can take off a large amount of wood in short order depending on the grit of paper you use. Then use a sanding disc with a backer on a ...
- 1,281
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