Method Advantages Disadvantages Wet scraping/ inexpensive takes a lot of time and effort Wet sanding useful for dealing with flaking paint can damage underlying wood if not done carefully need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Chemical stripping produces little dust cannot be done in a sealed room relatively efficient the paint stripper can be absorbed into some surfaces paint stripper is flammable and caustic need to neutralise wood with acetic acid before repainting paint residue can be sticky and difficult to clean up need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Dry power sanding fast if done by a fully trained and not safe for the home handy-person with a HEPA experienced operator can produce large amounts of dust if vacuum attachment not operated properly not suitable for removing paint from unevenly shaped surfaces, like cornices need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Low-temperature useful to soften very thick paint on flat potentially very dangerous heat process surfaces can burn the paint and produce lead fumes need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly
Method Advantages Disadvantages Wet scraping/ Wet sanding inexpensive useful for dealing with flaking paint takes a lot of time and effort can damage underlying wood if not done carefully need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Chemical stripping produces little dust relatively efficient cannot be done in a sealed room the paint stripper can be absorbed into some surfaces paint stripper is flammable and caustic need to neutralise wood with acetic acid before repainting paint residue can be sticky and difficult to clean up need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Dry power sanding with a HEPA vacuum attachment fast if done by a fully trained and experienced operator not safe for the home handy-person can produce large amounts of dust if not operated properly not suitable for removing paint from unevenly shaped surfaces, like cornices need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly Low-temperature heat process useful to soften very thick paint on flat surfaces potentially very dangerous can burn the paint and produce lead fumes need to clean up and dispose of waste materials properly