Paint removal is one of the least enjoyable aspects to being a paint contractor. We previously discussed chemical strippers. My favorite being Peel Away. Heat guns are another option and as long as you remain below 1100 degrees you are safe from lead base paint fumes, if there is any lead based paint. The biggest drag to using a heat gun is holding it for long periods of time.

With that in mind, there is another option. Infrared heat technology! There are units called “silent paint removers” that are large heating elements that soften multiple paint layers for removal. These heat a much larger area at a time and the best part is they have several hands free attachments to hold and move these units as you go.

Paint removal with these is much easier then using a heat gun and safer then most chemical strippers. Two tricks to keep in mind is definitely use a holder attachment and you want several high quality pull scrappers on hand before you start the job. We normally start with 4 different sized scrappers with about 15 blades for each if we will be making a full day of it.

These Paint removal tools heat up to about 500 degrees so lead fumes are not an issue.