# getting paint off of baseboards



## J187 (May 19, 2006)

I would need more info to make a recommendation, like, is there anything on or around the enclosure you might harm? paint thinner would take off the paint, but would also take off paint if the register was painted too. Some paint will come off with warm water if its fallen on a surface that was not prepped for paint...


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

they are original baseboards (1955). they are recessed into the wall a bit. and they hook into a metal strip above the inside parts on the wall. i've taken all of these covers off so that i can get the paint off so i can paint/spraypaint a fresh, smooth, clean coat of white. i'll have to take a photo of a close up shot on saturday because it's kind of hard to explain it. here is a shot i have from when we first started to work on the house with them on the baseboard:










and a shot where you can see the covers in the garage (dont mind the garbage bags... long story, check my blog from my sig for an explaination haha!) where you can see how they are shaped from the side:


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

Wow, I must have been tired yesterday. I for SOME strange reason thought you were saying that you got a little bit of paint on the baseboards from painting a wall. You are looking to repaint the metal bases though. 

IN that case, the big question is - How is the paint that's on them now? Is it flaking and peeling or is it smooth, uniform, but ugly?

If the paint is not flaking and there is no sign of rust or corrosion, you should be able to paint right over the old without priming. I on the other hand, am a proponent of priming regardless. 

STill, to get back to the original question, you probably don't have to remove all the paint that's on there, but if there are problem areas - peeling, rust, bubbles, etc. You will want to sand those off and sand the area as smooth as you can. Other than that, a scuff pad could be used to rough the surface enough for a good bite for the new paint. Choose a strong paint, these are areas you'll want to prevent damage as much as you can. If you are gonna go spray paint, perhaps an enamel with a clear coat will be your best option.


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

haha i WISH it were just a spot i wanted to remove! the paint on there now is not smooth. i think from so many layers, it's very bumpy and wavy, like all the paint layers were just globbed on. they look very ugly, especially when we have fresh paint on the walls, the imperfections will really show. that's why i was considering the option of removing the paint down to the bare metal so i could start fresh and have a nice clear coat of white paint.


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

I Beleive you will get the same results from simply sanding them smooth and not obsessing over getting ALL of the old paint off. Just getting it down to a level surface, scuffed slightly to give a good tooth for the primer, a quality primer and paint and you should be rolling.


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

i think i'll try doing that on one piece and see how i like it. i dont think i'll ever like the way they look (the holes look like dogbones to me), but i dont think it's something worthwhile to replace (i dont really see replacing the baseboards as something to add value to this house). i'll let you know how they come out.


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

Cool. you may be surprised. Its a really, really strange phenomenon how a fresh coat of paint can bring things to life. Sometimes even things that are kind of ugly in design can look much better painted.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: 

Do not sand, scrape, media blast, use methylene chloride, propane torch or heat gun that operates over 700* F

Chances are extremely high those things are loaded with lead


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

oh man, good call -- the thought of lead never crossed my mind!! the heat gun method is my only method then (since i want to avoid chemicals). when you do this, what happens to the paint, does it just melt and run off the metal?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Are you removing paint from the part you removed, the part still on the wall, or both?


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## justtired (Jun 18, 2006)

slickshift could be right about the lead part. i was told back in the days that there are lead in the paint. 1955 is pretty old to me so there is a possibility of lead. I never tried to remove paint with a heat gun, but paint remover works like a charm but the smell is horrible. use a respriator/mask for extra protection. lead can cause brian damage and etc. but i hope theres no lead in the paint you have. good luck on ur project.


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

i just want to paint the part you see -- the part i removed. 

i think they stopped using lead paint in the 70s. like i said, there are quite a few layers of paint on them. from a first glance, i can see a white layer, a mint-green layer, a pink layer, and another white layer (so at least 4 layers of paint). 

if i were to use chemicals, i would work outside and definitly use a ventilator. now i'm pretty paranoid about lead...! so i guess i need to use whatever method that will minimize my exposure.

ideally i would love to just replace the covers all together, but i can't find the right product. since our baseboards are recessed into the wall, i think if i were to just replace them, i'd have to replace the whole baseboard system, including hiring someone to move the pipes forward, etc. right now, we dont have the $ in our budget for a project like that. maybe down the road.


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## Kennedy (Jan 1, 2006)

Try a stripper called Peel Away. Brush the stripper on, cover with the supplied paper, wait, then peel off paper and the paint comes up also (usually). We have used this product on detailed trim moldings with pretty good results. I would think that using this on a flat (no detail), metal (no absorbtion), baseplates would be a breeze. After you pull the paper there should be minimal scraping and wash well. As with any stripper wear gloves and let the chemical do the work. The longer you can leave it on without drying the better. Good luck.


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## bill123 (Sep 2, 2006)

Use a chemical paint stripper, There is a possibility that the exsisting paint is lead based ( Not sure cos i'm in UK and lead has been baned in paint since the late 60's early 70's. don't forget you're gloves. :thumbup:


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## J187 (May 19, 2006)

If its lead based, you would have recieved a disclosure with the house. Did you? 

Connecticut has lead paint disclosure laws as of 1992. When the house was purchased, there had to be documents provided to you stating the house possibly contained lead based paints whereas it was built before 1978. If lead paint was known, it MUST have been disclosed. If the sellers did not know the status of the paint, they needed to provide you with a lead paint disclosure notice, and you would have had to have either declined to know and signed or order the testing of the property. Other than that, the property had been tested and cleared. The only way there is lead in that paint is if you actually declined the knowledge when the house was purchased. IF you did that, its crazy. In a house built in 55', you should most definitely have the paint tested if you are still unsure of the status. 


Another note on lead based paint. IF there is lead based paint on the baseboards, then absolutely do not use a heat gun or a torch to remove the paint, whereas lead enters the adult body easier through fumes than it does through dust inhalation. Regardless, worst case scenario, if you do have lead in the paint and you take the same precautions as you should with ANY dust-producing or fume producing material, whereing a respirator-type face mask and gloves, using ventialtion and removing pourous items from the area, you would be fine anyway. Also, lead paint is not NEARLY as harmful to adults as it is to children and you if have children and are unaware of the lead status of your home - you have a problem you need ot fix.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

As the parts are able to be removed from the house, if you don't want to use chemicals, I can send you some instructions on safe paint removal if you'd like, Jan
Let me know


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## tribe_fan (May 18, 2006)

Since they can be removed, can you find someone to "dip" these. Sorry I don't know who would do this, but I had a relative send out their registers - and they came came out great. Maybe an auto body place ?


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

great advice. have others used this product or are there any other suggestions for products?


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

><(((jan(((D> said:


> have others used this product


Dipping?
Call Bob Mittlehauser at the Saybrook Strip Shop


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## ><(((jan(((D> (Aug 28, 2006)

what is dipping? how expensive is the process (just to have an idea)? 

lead always has to complicate things, doesn't it. haha. since we do not have children, and since the home's trim was stained, not painted, we declined having a lead test done. we were disclosed that the seller was unaware of lead in the house. if we were to use a heat gun and if we were to use proper PPE and worked outside of the home, would our exposure to the lead fumes be minimalized?

slick-- i'd appreciate some information on safe paint removal. thank you! you can just pm me, since i dont have enough posts to pm you yet haha.


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## Kennedy (Jan 1, 2006)

Peel Away and lead abatement. Safe, easy, no toxic dust, water neutralization.

"PEEL AWAY I has been used on numerous lead paint abatement projects for HUD, Capitol Buildings, military installations and other high profile restoration projects. PEEL AWAY I , an alkaline paste, will remove thirty (30) coats of paint or more in a single application and there are NO TOXIC FUMES OR FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS. PEEL AWAY I is a thick paste that is either trawled or sprayed (specialized equipment) onto the surface being stripped and is covered with a fibrous laminated cover that accompanies our product. This allows the paste to work in a completely sealed environment without any evaporation. When the stripping action is complete (usually an overnight dwell time) in the removal process, the bulk of the paste/paint adheres to the fiber side of the cover for easy collection of the waste and the surface is cleaned with water and neutralized. PEEL AWAY I is the SAFEST method of removing lead paint since the process is always keeping the paint in a wet or damp state so there is no airborne lead dust. In addition, the lime in PEEL AWAY I, will in most cases, stabilize the lead being removed taking it out of a hazardous waste category in terms of disposal. "

http://www.dumondchemicals.com/html/appsolutions.htm#lead


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