Recommendations on how to remove acrylic, oil, water-based paint from concrete walls

In Soviet-built houses, the walls of bathrooms, kitchens and toilets are finished with paints and varnishes. It can be difficult to remove them when renovating premises.

To remove paints a variety of methods can be used from concrete walls.

The choice of a specific option for removing the paint and varnish composition also depends on the type of paint that was used to treat the walls. How to remove paint from concrete walls will be discussed in the article.

How do I remove the old coating?

When removing paint from walls in apartments both mechanical and thermal, chemical methods can be used... In the first case, the paint is removed with a spatula, hatchet, chisel, hammer.

Also, a drill with attachments specifically designed for working with concrete can be used to remove paintwork.

Use of hand and power tools

With this method, the following are used:

• hammers;
• hatchets;
• chisels;
• spatulas;
• electric drills.

The use of the first four tools carries less risk of injury. Less noise is generated when working with hand tools.

An electric drill is a traumatic, but more effective tool. When working with it, a loud and unpleasant noise is generated, which must be taken into account.

Hatchet and spatula

These tools are used as follows:

1. A small ax is taken, the sharp part of which sits firmly on the handle.
2. The tool is positioned at right angles to the wall with a slight turn.
3. Light but quick tapping on the wall is done. There should be a gap of 3 to 5 mm between blows.

The remaining fragments of the paint and varnish material are scraped off with a spatula.

Chisel and hammer

This method requires:

1. Beforehand, slightly tap the wall with a hammer. Not very deep dents should remain on it. The paint itself, after tapping the surface, should crack.
2. Pick up a bottle of water, put a spray on its neck. Moisten the walls with water.Wait for the water to absorb into the wall.
3. Scrape off the paint softened from water with a chisel.

A hammer is more reliable than an ax. When tapping a wall with an ax, its blade dulls faster and wears out.

Drill with a metal brush attachment

In this method, an electric drill is used with a special attachment, called a brush. It is necessary:

1. Purchase a metal stripping attachment (brush). Outwardly, it looks like a circle for a grinder.
2. Fix the brush on the drill.
3. Lean the nozzle against the wall and walk with a drill at low speeds over its entire surface.

Drill with a bit for concrete or metal chain

An electric drill with a crown is used to remove paint from the walls. It is a metal cylinder. The crown is specially designed for removing paint from concrete surfaces.

Work with a drill is carried out according to the scheme:

1. Use a hex wrench to fix the crown on the drill bit. It is important to slide the crown forward on the drill so that it is inside the crown.
2. Lean the power drill with a crown firmly against the wall. At low speeds, start driving the crown over the concrete surface.
3. Run the drill with a crown again over the areas where the paint remains.

With this method of removing paint and varnish from the wall, you must wear a mask and glasses. During the paint removal process, harmful dust is released into the air.

A drill can also be used to remove paint and varnish from concrete, with three metal chains attached to the drill.

This method requires:

1. Unscrew the drill from the drill.
2. Tighten the first nut on it. Then string three metal chains onto the drill. Three three-link chains are enough.
3. Screw the nut over the three chains strung on the drill. Be sure to tighten one more nut tightly with a wrench so that the chains do not fall off the drill during operation.
4. Bring the drill and chain to the wall so that it is parallel to it.
5. Turn on the electric drill at low speeds and walk it along the entire surface of the wall. Chains, when hitting the paint, will hit it in whole pieces.

How to remove quickly using the thermal method?

This method uses a building hair dryer. From its influence, the paint on the wall softens, after which it can be easily removed with a hand tool.

With the thermal method, the following steps are done step by step:

• The room is freed from all objects that may suffer from heating.
• The hairdryer is turned on so that the jet of hot air from it is directed directly to the wall. The surface is warmed up until the paint starts to bubble.
• With a spatula, paint that has softened from heating is quickly removed.

With the thermal method of removing paint and varnish from walls, gloves, glasses and a respirator must be used, since heated paint begins to release toxins into the air.

Removing old paint from a concrete wall using a construction hair dryer and a spatula, video instruction:

Chemical method

This method uses solvents and washes... When using a solvent or remover, the following steps must be followed:

1. In the room, spread a sheet of paper.
2. Take a container with a solvent and pour it into a paint container.
3. Take a roller, dip it in solvent and then wring it out using the perforated surface.
4. Roll the roller just once over the painted concrete wall. Take care not to get solvent on the floor.
5. Wait a while, which is fixed in the instructions for the solvent or remover.
6. Remove the softened paint from the wall with a spatula.
7. Repeat the procedure if there are several layers of paint and varnish on the wall.
8. Wipe the treated wall with soapy water to completely remove residual solvent or remover.

When handling, gloves should be worn along with a respirator... If you do not use them, then a burn of the skin and mucous membranes may occur.

In hardware and building stores, solvents and washes of the brands "COLORRIP", "Prestige" and others are sold.

Peculiarities of removal, taking into account the type of paintwork

Front removing the water-based paint from the wall it is recommended to moisturize it thoroughly. You can start working in half an hour. Under the action of the liquid, the water-based composition softens, and it is easier to scrape off with an ordinary spatula.

If varnish was applied over the water-based paint, then before removing it, it is necessary to apply a solvent to the wall.

After removing the varnish, you can moisten the walland then remove the paint with a metal spatula.

Remove water-based paint from walls mechanically with extreme caution. With such work, there is a high probability of damage to the wall plaster. The thermal method for removing water-based paint is not always advisable, since the building hair dryer has to warm up the walls longer than usual.

Acrylics are best washed off with solvents... The best option is white spirit. Acetone can be an alternative. If the acrylic coating was applied less than a day ago, then it can be easily removed with a sponge dipped in water. If the paint has been on the wall for more than a day, then it is better to use a degreasing compound to remove it. After applying it, it is necessary to remove the acrylic with a metal brush.

A special remover dissolves the oil composition well, but only if the paint on the wall is no more than two years old. Also, such paint is well cleaned off the walls, preheated with a building hairdryer.

Recommendations and prohibitions

When removing paint and varnish from concrete surfaces the following points should be considered:

• when removing paint from a wall with an ax, it is recommended to periodically change the angle of inclination of its tip;
• paint and varnish coating that is more than 2 years old, due to its durability, is not recommended to be removed by a chemical method;
• when using drills with attachments, it is impossible for them to work at full strength;
• in order to avoid scratches on the concrete from hand tools and drills, it is recommended to carry out work without undue effort and with fast movement.

It is forbidden with the thermal method to heat surfaces where there is electrical wiring.

Conclusion

The mechanical method of removing paints and varnishes from concrete walls is universal. It is applicable for all types of paints. Chemical as well as thermal methods are effective for removing acrylic based compounds. But both methods will be less effective in removing old oil paint.

The safest method of removing paints and varnishes from concrete with a hand tool... The chemical method, like the thermal one, is hazardous to health and requires taking precautions.