Paint Stripping Dos & Don’ts

Posted on

paint stripping

Paint striping involves the process of paint removal from a surface. The removal can be done through various methods which include scraping, electrical removal and chemical removal. Nevertheless, the chemical removal is the most preferred method for its ease of use and effectiveness.

The Dos of Paint Removal

Always buy and use the right stripper that will fit in your job. For every material, there is a suitable stripper that can be used on it. There is also a big distinction between strippers when it comes to pains, stains and other kinds of finishes. Always wear glasses to prevent the paint particles from entering into the eyes. These particles can be harmful and painful if they get into the eyes. Do wear gloves when removing paints. That’s necessary for your health. Some of the paints are harmful in case they get in contact with the stains and removing chemicals. When paint stripping, do it evenly by applying the stripper from the upper part to the downwards. The strippers will smoothly flow and distribute in a better way. If the items to be stripped are movable, do it from the outside as most of the strippers operate well under sun’s heated temperatures. Always remove the paint in without rushing. It is good to read and follow the steps that may come with your purchased stripper. For instance, you are supposed to wait for the chemical remover to soak before you start stripping. It ensures it effectively softens the surface to be removed.

The Don’ts of Paint Removal

Do not hurriedly handle paint stripping; you may find that some parts are not attended while others have an excess of it. That would be wastage. It’s necessary to have a professional do it for you. Do not use stains meant to remove some other finishes to remove pains. Such a practice will lead to poor effectiveness or and wastage since there are strippers made for paint removal specifically. Do not cause damage while stripping the paints.

You have to be careful when removing the colours. For instance, if you are sanding, you have to do it in a manner that doesn’t affect the flatness and originality of the surface. Don’t remove paints with hands or nails. At times, the dry paints may even be hard enough to cause damages. For instance, sharp portions of the removed paints may even cut into your skin. These paints can be dangerous to health, especially if they contain lead chemicals. Do not use materials that may affect the contents being under paint removal. Use of plastic cannot bring much damage. Do not use the strippers indoors. Some are powerful and may cause health hazards to you. It’s better to hire professionals to do it for you; they usually have protective mechanisms such as clothing and helmets.

Best Paint Removal Alternative

Paint stripping involves a simplified process of paint removal. However, the process requires a lot of care to avoid wastage, damage and health hazards. It’s recommendable to hire Premium Door Stripping‘s services to prevent potential problems and worries while you just await the best results.

A List of Industrial Paint Stripping Formulas

Posted on

Stripping paint

Industrial paint stripping formulas contain a number of ingredients, each offering a specific solution in the stripping process. It is the number of constituent ingredients carried by a stripping formula that gives it the characteristics to remove pain without having to damage the target on which the paint sticks. That’s why when you are out to get a paint stripping formula you have to consider the material on which the paint rests so as to pick the right stripper. Continue reading “A List of Industrial Paint Stripping Formulas”

How Does Door Dipping Work?

Posted on

Door Dipping: All You Need To Know

Why Choose Dipping Over Manual Stripping?

Door dipping

If you have a house whose wooden doors date back to the mid-20th century or earlier, chances are they’ve been repainted several times and are starting to spot a worn appearance. One common way of restoring the original texture of the wood is by manual stripping, usually involving the use of sandpaper. Researchers have however warned of the health complications that could arise due to the manual stripping of old furniture, especially those repainted pre-1960s. Old paint is likely to contain lead. Prolonged exposure to lead has multiple negative health implications. Dipping is a safe stripping alternative to manual stripping and paintbrush stripping. At Premium Door Stripping, we use top-quality warm tanks for door and furniture stripping.

How Does Door Dipping Work? : The Process of Door Stripping at Premium Door Stripping

The dipping process takes place at our UK-based workshop. The tanks contain a caustic mixture that can detach old paint from the wood for up to 15 doors at a time within 30-45 minutes. A pressure cleaner is then used to wash off the solution alongside the now-dissociated old paint. We then let the doors dry naturally thereafter, to avoid warping and twisting.

What’s Next After Door Stripping?

There are a few care and maintenance procedures to be followed after the stripping process completes. First is the sanding process which helps revert the grainy texture of the wood caused by the dipping process. Sanding also facilitates smooth wood finishes. Also, our personnel ensures that residue material like filler is cleaned off for a visually appealing finish. However, one can opt to have their doors stay with the post-stripping look, especially if the goal is to achieve a rustic appearance.

Treatment and Finishes

Premium Door Stripping offers door treatment services where you can either choose to have your doors waxed, varnished or stained. Waxing has both a functional and aesthetic purpose, as it highlights the beautiful grainy feel of the wood material while protecting the wood from dampness. Varnishing is mostly ideal for pine wood doors as the glossy finish nicely complements the material. We recommend staining if you’re going for variety as the available wood stain colours are plenty. Finally, you can have your doors re-painted for a reinvigorated look.

Contact us Today!

If you need to bring your wooden doors back to their original glory, give us a call today on 07481 171 243 or mail us at premiumdoorstripping@gmail.com. Our agents shall offer you a price quotation and explain the procedure. We also offer fireplace restoration services.

Beware of Methylene Chloride found in Paint Strippers!

Posted on

Beware of Methylene Chloride found in Paint Strippers!

methylene-chlorideMethylene Chloride is a chemical solvent commonly found in paint strippers and is so deadly that we strongly advise leaving it to the professionals when it comes to paint stripping.

One common reason for the use of powerful paint strippers in the first place is that the average lifespan of most paint colours is around eight years, beyond which the paint will begin to degrade and peel. After this period elapses, the paint starts to degrade and peel off, which appears very unattractive. Premium Door Stripping can use these chemicals safely and responsibly to avoid your painted surfaces from deteriorating and looking horrible, you should get them stripped and repaired early enough.

Methylene Chloride, aka Dichloromethane (DCM), Methylene Dichloride and Methane Dichloride, is used most prominently in industry in the production of paint strippers.

Public Health England (PHE) reports that Methylene Chloride was used in commercially available paint stripper products until 2010 when its use in these products was banned within the European Union. PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards describes Methylene Chloride as clear, colourless, volatile liquid with a sweet odour with the following potential side effects:

  • Exposure is most likely to occur in the workplace where it is produced and used
  • Ingestion may cause burns to the digestive tract
  • Inhalation of vapours may cause shortness of breath and coughing
  • May cause cancer in humans
  • Skin contact may cause either burns or a burning sensation and pain
  • Vapours irritate the eyes and contact with the liquid form may cause burns to eyes

Of course, there are other chemical solvents whose usage should also be approached with caution as no chemical is completely ‘safe’. Aside from being hazardous, these other chemicals can variously cause damage to a user’s eyes and skin, respiratory tracts and nervous system. The chemicals also need special handling and should be kept away from children due to their irritant effect and toxicity.

However, it our professional obligation to emphasise that Methylene is so hazardous that we strongly advise leaving it to the professionals when it comes to paint stripping.

With our expertise in the paint stripping business, Premium Door Stripping specialise in removing paints from doors, furniture, fireplaces, cupboards, radiators and benches or wooden window shutters safely and responsibly on behalf of our customers. Premium Door Stripping is a reliable market supplier and leading provider of paint removal and paint stripping services in the UK.

Reasons to Use Paint Stripping Services

Posted on

paint stripping services

Paint stripping revolves around the removal of paint, other finishes and tidying up the underlying surfaces. It may appear to be an expensive and complicated process, and you may be wondering if it is essential. Whether you work with paint on your own or you do it professionally, at one time you will need paint stripping.

Below are several reasons why you may require paint stripping services.

Paint is not permanent

Majority of the colours have a given lifespan, say around eight years. After this period elapses, the paint starts to degrade and peel off, which appears very unattractive. To avoid your painted surfaces from deteriorating and looking horrible, you should get them stripped and repaired early enough. Track the number of times and the time when you repaint to have a regular schedule.

Turning your house into your home

Most of the time, you paint your house to display its aesthetic value and express your tastes and preferences. It is essential to select the colour of paint yourself to depict your style hence your satisfaction and comfort is assured. It is important to strip off the previous paint entirely to end up with quality and more permanent paint.

Paint stripping should not only be done on chairs, doors, tables, walls, fence or beds but on every other household item that has a painting surface. This ensures that your taste and style comes out uniquely.

Improves your home’s safety

This is in the case where the already existing paint may contain lead. In the early 19th century most household paints mostly contained a significant amount of lead. It is a toxic metal that once breathed in could cause permanent brain damage.

You should make use of a lead testing kit to find out if your house is safe. If there is any paintwork containing lead, you should have it all stripped off and have a fresh and safer paintwork.

Stains and Blisters

The appearance and texture of paintwork transform over time. During the year when temperatures are cold and hot, paint contracts and expands. The newer varieties of paint are made to be more elastic than older ones, and so they contract and expand at a higher rate.

If you apply newer paint near an older paint, the non-uniform expanding and contracting causes swellings and blemishes. It is advisable to strip away the old paint and use a fresh paint uniformly.

Dangerous Chemicals in Paint Removers

Posted on

paint-remover

Paint removers are effective for stripping coats from your furniture, doors, and cabinets. The only problem is that a majority of paint removers are not safe. As a user, you should buy a stripping agent that is free of inherent toxic compounds. One very dangerous toxic compound found in most stripping chemicals is methylene chloride. The chemical is known to cause fatal effects to your body if inhaled or accidentally ingested. For this reason, you should be cautious when approaching the options.

If you don’t know what to go for and who to consult, you should consider paint stripping services. One reliable market supplier and a leading provider of paint removal and paint stripping services in the UK is Premium Door Stripping. We specialise in removing paints from doors, fireplaces, cupboards, radiators and benches or wooden window shutters. We have the expertise in the paint stripping business and can offer you the direction that you need to get the stripping job done.

What Chemicals to Avoid and Why?

Other than methylene chloride, it’s important to be on the lookout for a number of chemicals in a paint remover, including toluene, methanol, ethanol, mineral spirit, and acetone. These solvents are flammable, and may cause serious harm to you. The organic solvents may damage your eyes, skin, respiratory tracts, and nervous system. Due to the irritant effect and toxicity potency, the chemicals needs special handling and should be kept away from children.

What Chemical Option and Form is Safer?

Research shows that caustic soda is among the safest stripping chemicals to use. Premium Door Stripping employs the use of caustic soda in the paint removal services. The paint stripping services employed considers two tank options; hot and cold caustic soda. The caustic soda can remove paint from metallic and wood finishes. In addition to this, caustic soda causes no harm to you, and is safe to handle. The form of the stripper has a role to play when considering the safety of using the chemical. When comparing the liquid and paste forms, the latter is less hazardous than the former. This means there is less danger in using the caustic soda as it is in paste form.

Conclusion

Overall, your safety is a priority when buying a paint remover or hiring a stripping service firm. The company that you consider need to guarantee the safety of using the product. The bottom line is that you should avoid toxic chemicals. You should consult Premium Door Stripping for the safest paint removers.

Best Varnish Remover for Wood

Posted on

varnish remover

Before you do a refinish of your furniture, you require an effective chemical stripping agent to help you remove the varnish. In choosing a varnish remover, the effectiveness of the stripper is an important consideration. You have to choose a chemical stripper that is quick and safe to use. It’s important to first verify if the said stripper is actually a varnish remover. This article takes you through the various options of varnish remover and how to settle on the best.

What should you consider in a Varnish Remover?

First, you have to consider the potency of the varnish remover. Strong paint strippers have an upper hand in removing thicker finishes. Secondly, you should go for a chemical stripper that is safer to use. Even though most strippers are flammable, it’s important to go for the one that has fewer dangers. Additionally, you should consider the price of the strippers. The price should coincide with the effectiveness of the stripper. Lastly, you should consider the form of the stripper. Most-effective varnish removers come in liquid and semi-paste form.

What are the Best Varnish Removers?

Before buying the varnish stripper, it’s crucial to ascertain that your furniture finish is varnish. If it’s not varnish, then there is no need for the chemical stripper as you can use ordinary caustic chemicals. To check for varnish, you should look at the finish closely. Varnish is heavy and mostly, amber colour. You can also identify brush stroke on the wood finish and these are normally absent in thin finishes. The following groups of chemical strippers are the best for varnish removal:

  1. Methylene Chloride Agents: These stripping chemicals are regarded as the strongest. The strippers are effective against heavy varnish coats. Varnish strippers of this category also contain other components such as caustic to neutralise their strong adverse effects. Methylene Chloride irritates the skin and the eyes. It’s recommended to wear safety gears such as the goggle’s and gloves when working with these varnish strippers.
  1. N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) Strippers: Due to the health concerns linked to methylene chloride strippers, some manufacturers substitute methylene chloride with NMP. NMP is considered less toxic and safer to use. Even though the chemical strippers are not as strong as Methylene chloride, the stripping effects are fair. There are situations where the chemical strippers would contain portions of potent stripping chemicals such as methanol, ketone, and toluene. The agents are known to cling finely to vertical wood surfaces, thus effective in varnish removing. Maybe the only concern is that the chemicals are flammable.
  1. Biochemical Strippers: These are the safest strippers to use mainly because they are of plant origin. Important chemicals in these strippers include citric acid (from lemon or oranges), terpene (from pine), and lactic acid (from pulp). The advantages of these strippers are:

Conclusion

  •  They are eco-friendly, thus safe
  • Odourless when using, thus flexible

Overall, the varnish removers are important if you want to do a refinish. Getting the right stripper is vital if you want to achieve the best results. With an effective stripper, you get value for your money as you also enjoy great varnish removal.

The Dangers of Paint Stripping

Posted on

Introduction

Paint stripping

When it comes to removal of old paints, paint strippers are fast acting, easy to use and versatile. Compared to sanding, paint stripping is the most readily considered method since it’s the least harmful removal process of lead-based paints. Despite this benefit, paint strippers contain chemicals that can pose serious health risks, if not properly used. Since some of this chemicals are readily absorbed via the skin and are easily inhaled, they can irritate both the skin and eyes, cause headache, nausea and loss of coordination, dizziness and even drowsiness. The hazards of paint stripping greatly vary depending on the stripping product used since different types of paint strippers contain different chemicals. Other hazards include:

Isocyanate paint strippers

Paint stripping, as a necessary part of Bathtub refinishing, has a lot of threats that it poses from the bathtub refinishing products. It has been identified that most bathtub refinishing products contain Isocyanates. Isocyanates are cancer-causing chemicals and were commonly used in the traditional bathtub refinishing process. Chemical off-gassing occurs long after the surface, i.e., the door surface, has been refinished, and poses health risks and severe illness to the end user or the applicator. The centre of diseases and control says that Isocyanates are usually irritating to the skin, the respiratory tract and the mucous membrane. This results in complications such as asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Strippers containing Toluene

Some paint strippers contain Toluene, as an active organic ingredient. Toluene is flammable and is commonly associated with epidemics such as dermatitis, narcosis, muscular weaknesses, and even heart arrhythmia at high levels. Its chronic exposure can cause brain damage, kidney and liver-related problems, due to this solvent vapour produced during the paint stripping process. They as well cause internal organs injury when absorbed via the skin.

Strippers containing Methanol

Other paint strippers contain Methanol. Methanol is known to be highly flammable and hence during paint stripping process, if the applicator is not careful, the Methyl Alcohol vapour may result in a fire breakout. The vapour also poses threats to health since, when inhaled, it enters the bloodstream and once absorbed, it acts on the central nervous system causing blurred vision, or even optic nerve damage, which may eventually lead to permanent loss of eyesight. The vapour is also dangerous if ingested.

Strippers containing Methylene Chloride

Paint strippers contain Methylene Chloride as a solvent. This solvent is non-flammable, and whose hazards include; irritation of the skin, causes pulmonary edema, irregular heartbeats, and can eventually cause a heart attack. Methylene Chloride is metabolized to carbon monoxide within the bloodstream, hence interfering with oxygen efficiency. Methylene Chloride is as well linked with cancer. Research conducted by OSHA proves that this solvent causes cancer in animals. Also, it posses characteristics of decomposition in the presence of heat and flames, or even UV lights, hence producing the highly toxic phosgene gas. OSHA has put up measures for ensuring that all paint strippers labels carry a warning against smoking while working, and the importance of keeping away vapours from hot surfaces such as metallic doors, water heaters, furnaces, and other electrical appliers.

Conclusion

Paint strippers have been observed to pose potential threats to human and animals if not properly used, under the manufacturer’s guideline. Hence, it’s advisable that before use, one should make an effort to go through the safety guidelines first and ensure that every step is observed during the stripping process.

Alternate Paint Stripping Methods

Posted on
Paint Stripping with a Scraper
A Scraper Stripping Paint of Wall

There has been an ongoing effort to spruce up newly bought home, which has involved stripping the paints from our banisters. The methods of stripping the paint depend on the surface of the material, and the type of paint that was used. Various methods are commonly known, and people select them according to preference, financial capabilities, etc.

Despite all, it is found essential to do paint stripping of old paint, because if you fail this step, the new court is likely to bubble and peel off more quickly. For best results, top coats of paint require undercoat and primer attached to the siding correctly. Paint peeling involves various methods of which some are dangerous and hard, but working to achieve their purpose. Some of the paint stripping ideas to improve your home are:

Scraping

This remains the best choice for stripping paint despite being tiresome. There is a sharp, rigid putty knife or blade that is designed just for paint scraping. They are popular, and most people prefer them. This is because you’ll minimise dust, and have better controls than if you used some other methods that will reap of dust which might contain toxins that aren’t health friendly.

This method is more suitable and easier if you’ve got very loose or alligatored paint. It will leave your home looking marvellous and splendid. All you need is to have a sharpener or even a white stone, which keeps the scraper sharpened during your activity, for best results.

Infrared heat paint removal method

This is the modern method of paint removal from wooden surfaces. This method is cheaper, neater, safer, and environmentally friendly. It makes a great alternative to techniques such as chemical and mechanical paint stripping. This technique quickly loosens all type of paint.

It works by penetrating the infrared rays, which eventually warm the substrate below the paint, thus loosening paint’s grip on the surface, and this makes it easy to scrape it off. This method eventually leaves a porous surface with a tooth to grip onto the primer and new paint for longer.

Dustless Blasting

This is an environmentally friendly method. It uses recycled glass, mixed with water to strip the paint off, leaving a natural and paint active surface behind. It is faster, greener and cleaner method of removing paints compared to the traditional soda, or even the sandblasting method. It does not cause any heat on a surface, while the water reduces friction, which helps solve the warping problem.

Use of Soy gel paint strippers.

This stripper works effectively to strip off paints from your house walls, sidings, sidewalks, gables, and patios. It is non-toxic, low in fume emission, and still, makes a great replacement to some of the harmful paint strippers. It is entirely organic and can be applied using a regular paint brush, and stays for hours without evaporating while you attend to other tasks.

All you do after working with the gel is to scrape off the paint and residue with a wet nylon brush and finally rinse with water. It leaves your house entirely looking neat as you make further arrangements to apply a new paint.