If you’re repainting the exterior of your home, you can’t just dive right in and start painting right away. A lot of prep work must be done before painting can actually begin. One of those steps includes stripping old paint off of your home’s exterior. If you’re trying to do this on your own, this blog will tell you what tools work best for this step of the process. However, we strongly recommend that you work with a professional painting contractor in Gilbert for all your exterior painting needs. Keep reading to learn more about removing paint and the best tools for the job.
Oscillating Tool
An oscillating tool is a multipurpose power tool that can be outfitted with a variety of heads. By swapping out the attachments, you can use it for sanding, sawing, and yes, even scraping paint. You’ll need a blade implement attached to your oscillating tool, which will allow you to get under the existing layer of paint. Turn it on, and it will scrape the paint away quickly and thoroughly. But be careful not to gouge your siding with the blade.
Heat Gun
While you can’t expect a heat gun to magically cause the paint to peel away from your home’s exterior, it’s a valuable tool to help with the paint-scraping process. The high temperatures generated by a heat gun cause the exterior paint to break down enough that it will separate from the side of the house. This makes it easier for you to get beneath the layer of paint using a separate scraping tool.
Putty Knife
While it’s a bit of a manual process, a good old-fashioned putty knife does a remarkably good job at removing paint. They’re inexpensive and easy to come by, and their dull edge means you’re unlikely to gouge or damage your home’s siding. Of course, you don’t want to scrape your entire home’s exterior by hand. However, the putty knife is great for small areas that you may not be able to reach with another tool.
8-in-1 Painter’s Tool
This Swiss army knife of painting tools may look like an oversized putty knife, but it does so much more than that. It can be used to open paint cans, clean paint rollers, remove nails, and yes, scrape paint. The blade on the end is very similar to a putty knife but a bit sharper. This makes it great for digging into cracks to remove old paint or caulk. If you’re doing any large painting job in your home, you need one of these tools.
Wire Brush
A quick disclaimer here: A wire brush isn’t actually for scraping paint. Instead, this tool should be used only after the vast majority of the paint has been scraped away. Use it over the surface of your home’s exterior to help slough off any remaining paint chips after you’re done with other scraping methods.
Again, please remember that removing existing paint is only one of many prep steps you must take before beginning to paint your home’s exterior. If you want to ensure that your exterior paint job looks beautiful and will last for years, contact Life in Color Painting Services and ask us about our home painting service in Gilbert today.
