# Stripping paint on front porch



## birdog (May 15, 2006)

Hey guys I have to bid a job with alot of stripping of old paint,old home may be 100 yrs old. The front porch has columns, crown with dental mold detail handrails turned pickets. The paint has multiple coats and is very thick, the paint is also failing lots of cracks looks like alligator skin,the GC wants me to bid to strip it and repaint.I have never had experince in stripping. I need advice on how to price,materials etc.
Porch is ? 10x10. 
Also front of the building is brick and GC wants to power wash to remove old paint on brick from earlier paint jobs he thinks I may need to use acid, is this the right solution to use.
Thank you guys for any advice


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

birdog said:


> the paint is also failing lots of cracks looks like alligator skin,


Prolly lead, gonna be expensive to either you or him if you strip it. Get something in writing that keeps you OK with the local govt or don't do it.




birdog said:


> he thinks I may need to use acid, is this the right solution to use.


Yup, though he needs to know it may damage the motar.


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## Joewho (Sep 20, 2006)

If you've never had experience stripping, I'd say to pass on this job.

It's tough and complicated. A real pain if you're trying to preserve the 100 yr. old wood.

This job would require a few different methods of stripping. Grinder, stripper, scrapers and maybe a heat gun. You'd have to outfit yourself with custom scrapers just for the moldings. That alligatoring is probably 100 yr old linseed oil paint or milk paint. Toughest paint you'll ever see. 

Thick or thin methlyene chloride stripper is a bad choice because it doesn't work very well in the wind and sun or cold. You'd need a more expensive stripper that requires paper or wax paper to be laid on it. 

Your builder knows it will be hard to find anyone that can even do this job. Be careful about taking this on.


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## farrellpainting (Feb 24, 2007)

birdog does he want it stripped to get rid of the old lead?if not you could pressure wash the loose paint off(low psi)clean up let it dry, then feather sand as much as you can.however the powerwasher alone aint gonna strip the paint from the brick,not very efficiently anyway. PW's are meant for cleaning.i havent had the chance to use one yet, but google torbo wet abrasive, no one round hear knows anything about them but if you research it they can be used for stipping wood and brick safely,cleanly,and seems like a brezze to work with.look into blastox also its an additive that is added to the sand that render's toxic metals (lead) non-leachable, wich allows you to dispose of the used sand/lead paint into a normal trash can no expensive toxic disposal fee's safer for you to work with too!if you cant get(rent/buy) ahold of one of these,check out pre-tox paint stripper,ive never used this either but you can airless spray on then power wash off,and it encapsulates toxic lead so that you can throw in the garbage.im sure theres other brands of strippers out there that do what this one does but its the only one that i know of.i really want to try that torbo though so if you do use one let me/us know what you think.chemical strippers of any kind are a PITATWW cause you have to clean them up as you work or the paint/chems that you scrape of dry/stick to what ever they land on!for me chem strips are more of a pain than they pay for, id walk, if this is the only opt,well i might do the wall mos def not the dental and railings,if you cant blast it or scrape/sand, demo it and start over! 

ps. not sure if pre-tox stripper require's paper/wax but it doesnt contain methylene chloride,it states that its very enviro/worker freindly.
anyone ever use it.oh yeah if your considering a heat gun as your last reserve research them,make sure it has varible temps and isnt one that just blows heat those are for HO's,they make ones that are like toaters that work alright(slow) for stripping clapboard and such but there kinda big for real intrikit(?) stuff!still messy lke chems though too!


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

Dude, don't say that. Really.. i'll go take a look at your torbo but there is no such thing in alot of states that allow for you to water strip and not reclaim the water as well as the additive, much less one you can toss in a can and be safe from fines. If it is really what you say, I will come back and recant but, don't tell people that ok? EPA will be really harsh on someone taking your advice.


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## farrellpainting (Feb 24, 2007)

there is no excess water to be cleaned up the 20% h2o is used to encapsulate each bead of sand in a pressure vessel,and ive done my homework im just wordering if anyone has ever used this stuff and how its worked out?waiting for your recant!

and id still like you to school me on pressure and diameter, and how a whip increases pressure!can you give me an explanation besides, its like putting your thumb over a garden hose?are you saying that my air comp will put out more psi if the hose decreased in dia from the comp to my DA?so my da would have more rpms?or my PW would make more psi if i put a whip on it?im not saying your wrong cause i dont know for sure,but????????????????????????????????

alright just saw your post explaining why/how the whip does what it does,that makes more sense then the garden hose theory,before you made me think that it like supercharged your sprayer.thanks for the logic!


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

I'd recommend passing

#1 The paint almost assuredly has lead in it, and most likely your state will require you be licensed to remove it if you are charging for it
You'll have to check that out locally for sure

#2 Even if the H/O show cert. of no lead, I wouldn't recommend stripping a 100 year old house for your first strip job


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## AAPaint (Apr 18, 2005)

Pass on it....that's the best advice you've been given.


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## 4thGeneration (Nov 23, 2006)

If you want the job you should just sub out the lead abatement part. Leave that stuff to someone geared to do that type of work because if someone walks by your project and gets a whif of it into their lungs there can be some stiff penalties as well as someone getting seriously sick from it. Now be advised that the company will not be cheap by a long run, but to be done right it is the best way. Then you can get to the part you are geared to.

Also do not ever sand down lead based paint. If you want a reason for this please refer to my Grandpa who worked the shipyards back in the late 30's and just turned 89 finding out on his birthday that the asbestosis is in final stages. Alot of that came from grinding tanks with the dust being breathed in.


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## farrellpainting (Feb 24, 2007)

sub it, thats a great idea!

as for sanding lead paint,not healthy at all i know,but in my area its on 90% of the repaints,this is why im always askin about that damn torbo,wet scrapin just doesnt cut it, for mine and most HO's standards!i shave then backsand with a makita and vacum shroud all while wearing a HEPA respirator,lead cant be adsorbed through pore's.and for anyone reading this as far as health effects and lead dust go asbestosis is only one of them, if thats caused directly from lead?my old foreman,we didnt even use vacs or proper respirators,well he's all @#$%ed up from lead, crazy and moody as hell!he's only 30 only been at it 10yrs,cool @#$ guy otherwise.


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

farrell, sounds like your respirator might have leaked a bit.


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## farrellpainting (Feb 24, 2007)

hah! nah,ive been out there since birth!i just dont want to be totally retarded by the time im 40!if i make it,ill take 89 with asbestosis that aint bad,we all gotta go sometime or another!


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

farrellpainting said:


> waiting for your recant!


Sorry, can't. After reading through the lit, there is nothing about capturing excess nor "tossing" the waste in a standard trash can... it did say "Normal clean up means" however. If I tried to walk on a site around here and toss old lead sand in a can i'd walk out with a 50k fine. Does sound like a good product but, again... water blasters have been around for years.


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## farrellpainting (Feb 24, 2007)

its there,im not just talkin out my @#$.i wouldnt to that at all ever!if i was more computer literate id post what ive found,but i dont know how!i googled torbo wet abrasive and i found a site that had a study with supporting #'s from studies done in buffalo and kentucky,not associated with the mfg that said all of this.also research blastox and pretox.chime back in id like to lead you to what ive read, or are you just that guy?

i think we might just have clashing irish personalities?

it originated in europe in 84 (and they use it alot from what i read), and introduced to the states in 92.it seems awesome, why does no one know about it?its still in production to this day!maybe other guys are to busy banking with it, and dont want others to catch on!anyway have you heard of soda blasting?


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## birdog (May 15, 2006)

Thanks guys Let me clarifiy the paint on the brick is just small areas were painters were sloppy and the brush just touched the brick, looks like 1-4inch areas random just below the soffits, thinking about lead and never stripped before I just might pass on this job but the Project super. said I he likes my work they have other projects to bid.I might just be another painter that has come to look at this job and has said thanks but no thanks. If I sub the work the GC may just go around me and talk to the sub. I'll have to think about this awhile.


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

farrellpainting said:


> its there,im not just talkin out my @#$.i wouldnt to that at all ever!if i was more computer literate id post what ive found,but i dont know how!i googled torbo wet abrasive and i found a site that had a study with supporting #'s from studies done in buffalo and kentucky,not associated with the mfg that said all of this.also research blastox and pretox.chime back in id like to lead you to what ive read, or are you just that guy?
> 
> i think we might just have clashing irish personalities?
> 
> it originated in europe in 84 (and they use it alot from what i read), and introduced to the states in 92.it seems awesome, why does no one know about it?its still in production to this day!maybe other guys are to busy banking with it, and dont want others to catch on!anyway have you heard of soda blasting?


Cause the EPA doesn't say "You can use this instead". Personally I wouldn't put my name, rep or anything else on the line to an independant study bubba, if you want to... hey, free world. Yes, soda blasting has also been in use for years.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Teetorbilt said:


> farrell, sounds like your respirator might have leaked a bit.


:laughing: No offense farrell, but that was funny right there.


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## Squrtgun (Aug 27, 2006)

For the porch go to a box store and get a lead testing kit.If there is lead present pass on the job.
If there is no lead present look for a paste stripper.You will have to cover it and likely do several applications.
Do not use acid to remove paint from old brick.Wet sand blasting isn't a good alternative either as it will scar the brick face.Check out the chemicals available through http://www.eacochem.com/ 

Do it right or don't do it at all.


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## BMAN (Aug 21, 2006)

So, here ya go, I have done this exact porch stripping job before. We used the SILENT PAINT REMOVER as it is the perfect tool for this. By a molding set and have some various pics and even invent some of your own tools to get in all the little areas. Make sure to wear a purple (lead rated) resperator and catch all the chips in 6mil plastic. do not let the chips get into the soil. When the main stripping is done you may need to do some chemical/wet stripping to get at some problem areas. We also found it easier to disassemble all of the railings to get at the spindles on a bench easier. Good luck. it will take a while to do.


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## Danahy (Oct 17, 2006)

Pass.


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