Best way to strip old paint off windows

I got these two old salvage windows- each are about 6′ tall. I want to take off the old paint and let the original wood be exposed. What is the best way to do that for a newbie? Cost of doing it myself vs paying a company? Thanks for any ideas!

stickerhappy

in Painters, Strippers and Stainers 10 years ago

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ihhsitbcjyvev | 9 years and 10 months ago

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You can use paint stripper with a paintbrush.Bear in mind that if you are removing several layers of paint, it may be necessary to let the solvent sit for up to a few hours. As time elapses, test the paint intermittently to see whether it has softened to any noticeable degree.Use a paint scraper to take off as much paint as possible from the area where you applied the stripper. Be gentle as you scrape; don?t gouge it. Good luck..!!

ihhsitbcjyvev | 9 years and 10 months ago

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You can use paint stripper with a paintbrush.Bear in mind that if you are removing several layers of paint, it may be necessary to let the solvent sit for up to a few hours. As time elapses, test the paint intermittently to see whether it has softened to any noticeable degree.Use a paint scraper to take off as much paint as possible from the area where you applied the stripper. Be gentle as you scrape; don?t gouge it. Good luck..!!

well_pHed | 10 years ago

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i wouldn’t just leave the wood exposed without a careful lead test. lead paint can absorb into the wood fibers which, stripped of whatever is/was encapsulating it and left unfinished, will basically breathe lead dust all over the immediate area.

daveinbedstuy | 10 years ago

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Use a good quality respirator as there’s about a 100% probability of lead paint and the heat gun (which I find works best) will vaporize the lead paint.

c_w | 10 years ago

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In that case use the heat gun. Also buy a whetstone which can be used to sharpen or dull the chisel. If the wood is soft you may inadvertently gouge it with a fresh chisel. Dull it slightly to prevent this then sharpen again as you get used to it.

stickerhappy | 10 years ago

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Thanks for the info. I have easy access to outdoor space. I am going to just be using them for decorative purposes.

c_w | 10 years ago

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That’s a very specific window, will you use it as a decorative item? It depends on what kind of finish you want, what kind of paint is on it and how many layers. It depends on your work space and maybe even tolerance for level of chemical strength. General advice: If you can work on it outside, use a heat gun, 2″ chisel and set of profile scrapers. Once most of the paint is off start sanding with 60 grit and go up until desired smoothness. If indoors, use Peel Away 7 with flat and detail scrapers. As many passes as it takes to get most of the paint off then sand same as above. Use 3M respirator when using heat gun and particulate filters when sanding. Be mindful of how the glazing mastic reacts to the heat gun or Peel Away and good luck. DIY or have it done? Mainly depends on how much free time you have because you will need to buy supplies.