Summary
Step 1: Prepare your work environment and protect yourself
Step 2: Method 1: Strip a wall with a chemical stripper
Step 2: Method 2: Stripping a wall with a heat stripper
Step 3: Clean your tools
Step 4: Check the condition of your wall
Stripping a wall allows you to put it back bare by removing the existing flaking or faded paint and thus prepare it to be repainted.
There are two methods to strip a wall: chemical stripping and thermal stripping. These two types of stripping are within everyone’s reach, but the work is relatively long, depending on the surface to be stripped.
Good to know: in the case of paint resistant to stripping, it is possible to repaint a wall without stripping it.
Here is the equipment that you will need:
| Tarpaulin | Starting at $8 |
| Jar with lid | Recovery |
| Wall cleaning brush | About $5 |
| Chemical stripper | Approximately $8 per 1 L pot |
| Thermal stripper | Starting at $15 |
| Stepladder | $20 approx. |
| Thick protective gloves | $10 approx. |
| Protective mask | $1 approx. |
| Absorbent paper | Less than $1 |
| Flat brush | Starting from $1 |
| Masking tape | $1 per roll |
| Spatula (knife) | Starting from $3 |
1. Prepare your work environment and protect yourself from the effects of paint stripping
To strip your wall in the right conditions, empty the room of its furniture.
If you do not have this possibility, protect your furniture and the floor with used sheets, polyethylene film, or tarps.
To do this:
– Place tarpaulins or polyethylene film on the floor and fix them on the baseboards with masking tape.
– Also, protect your furniture with tarpaulins.
– Whichever stripping method you choose, work in a ventilated room with open windows.
– Before stripping your wall, put on a pair of household gloves, and protect your face with a mask.
Warning: If your home dates from before 1977, it may contain lead or asbestos paint. A specialized company must treat these paints after a complete diagnosis. These diagnoses are mandatory when selling or renting a property.
2. Method 1: Strip a wall with a chemical stripper
– Depending on the height of your wall, work on a scaffold or a stepladder.
– Spread paint stripper in a 3 to 5 mm thick layer on the wall.
– Let it work for a few minutes (according to the manufacturer’s instructions). The coating will soften by “blistering” or “curling”.
– Scrape off the softened paint with a spatula.
– Place the paint residue in a container with a lid.
– Check that your surface is free of paint.
– If paint residue is still visible on your wall, remove it with a wall cleaning brush or light sanding.
Caution: paint residues can be toxic to the environment. Please do not throw the container in the trash; take it to a waste disposal site!
2. Method 2: Strip a wall with a thermal stripper
To be comfortable stripping the wall, work on a scaffold or stepladder.
The thermal stripper is equipped with a nozzle that, under the effect of heat, burns the old coating (paint, varnish…), which will then be removed with a metal spatula.
To strip a wall with a thermal stripper:
– Connect a 5 or 10 m extension cord to the heat gun’s electrical outlet so that the wall can be stripped easily.
– Place the nozzle (or tip) of the thermal stripper a few centimeters from the part to be stripped.
– Use the spatula to remove the residue of the burned paint.
– Place the paint residue in an empty container with a lid.
– Strip the entire wall. You should no longer be able to see any trace of the old coating.
– Brush the surface with a wall cleaning brush to remove any residue. Brush from top to bottom so that any residue falls to the floor.
– Instead of brushing, you can lightly sand the wall.
Caution: paint residues can be very toxic to the environment. Please do not throw the container into a garbage can, but take it to a waste disposal site!
3. Clean your tools
– Soak the tools used in a jar after having poured in a little solvent recommended by the manufacturer.
– After a few minutes, drain the tools used.
– Dry the spatula and brush with absorbent paper.
– Close the container containing the solvent and dispose of it in waste disposal.
Good to know: the white spirit is the most commonly used solvent for cleaning tools used to paint or strip paint. However, there are now ecological substitutes to the white spirit that are just as effective.
After thermal stripping
– Unplug the heat gun and wait for it to cool down.
– Wipe the tip (nozzle) of the scraper with paper towels.
– Close the container containing the solvent and dispose of it in a waste disposal facility.
4. Check the condition of your wall
– After stripping your wall and installing new siding, check that your wall is not cracked or damaged.
– If this is the case, fill cracks and holes with filler and then lightly sand.
That’s it. You are now done strip your wall. Please, remember to share this post and leave your comments in the section below.