When you are planning to paint a wall, you will most likely paint over the current coat instead of stripping it from the wall. This is particularly true in the case of painted drywall, due to the reason that the paint soaks into the paper and you don’t want to rub off the drywall paper. However, you need to strip off the paint from the wall for many reasons including if the paint has bubbled or flaked on a wall. You can’t paint over it, because the bubbles and flakes will show through the new paint job. You need to concentrate more on hard surfaces such as wood or masonry. A simple general principle is that you will need a smooth surface to paint on. If it’s not smooth, strip it as needed as long as you have a good surface to paint.
Step By Step Process Of Removing Paint From Drywall
There are numerous reasons that you are going to remove the paint from your drywall before applying something new. Old paint may not be regular, consistent, or equal, peeling, or just plain low-quality, all of which need to come off. Collect certain things required for the process before going through the below-mentioned steps carefully & accomplish this task.
Things You Will Need
- Lead Test Kit, Drop Cloths & Paint Tray
- Eye Protection, Rubber Gloves & Orbital Sander
- Ear Plugs, Polar Fleece Rags & Electric Fan
- Paint Stripper, Paint Roller & Respirator
- Broad Putty Knife
- Sandpaper Disks, 40 To 80-Grit
- Sanding Block
Step 1: Check For Lead-Based Paint
Lead-based paint was common in homes that were built before the year 1978, so if your home was built during that period, then it is important to use a testing kit in order to ascertain or establish whether you are dealing with lead or not before doing anything else. Your paint test will give positive or negative results for lead, if it shows negative, go ahead with stripping the paint yourself, however, if the test shows positive for lead, do not try to remove this yourself. You need to get in touch with a professional restoration service in order to remove this as the drywall itself may have to be removed.
Step 2: Prepare Room For Paint Removal
Take out all the furniture from the room, if possible in order to make your work hassle-free. If there are some heavy objects in the room that cannot be move, then you can place them in several areas throughout the room, nearly two feet out from the walls. Think of several small islands rather than a huge continent, if it is all in the middle, it will be a very big barrier. As soon as everything is moved, protect your furniture as well as floors with drop cloths. Keep all the windows open or use a fan for a sufficient amount of ventilation, and take down curtains and blinds.
Step 3: Apply Paint Stripper And Peel Off Old Paint
You need to buy a stripper that will be effective for your type of paint, whether you are dealing with oil-based or latex-based paint. Pour a little amount of paint into a paint tray, and with the help of a roller, apply it to your walls. After that, flake off the stripper and the paint with the help of a broad putty knife as soon as it has penetrated deep. Make sure to protect yourself by wearing goggles, a respirator, as well as rubber gloves during the time you're working with this chemical. If there are 3 or fewer layers of old paint over the drywall, then there is no need to use any paint stripper. Its chemicals will critically damage the drywall underneath.
Step 4: Sand Off Remaining Paint
You can use an orbital sander that has a dust extraction feature in order to keep your work area cleaner and make your work easier. Secure & fix a 60 or 80-grit sanding disk and, make sure to wear goggles and face mask, then move it in all directions over the wall in order to sand off the remaining paint. If in case the paint is very thick and not regular, consistent, or equal, then switch to a 40-grit sanding disk. Make sure to use rotating, perpendicular, and sideways motions. Do not let the sander stay over any spot for a longer period of time, as it may cut the drywall. Also, avoid sanding or scraping off the paper surface of the drywall, just use enough pressure to take off the paint. You also need to wear earplugs as the orbital sanders are noisy, and the motor's sound is also very high-pitched.
Step 5: Clean Up The Room
Finally, clean and vacuum the dust off the walls as well as the floor. Dust afterward with the help of a large dry rag, ideally made of polar fleece fabric as it is good at trapping dust. Do not wash the drywall surface in order to get rid of dust, due to the reason that it is porous and will be damaged by water or any chemicals, soaps, or detergents.