Planning for Summer Paint Stripping Projects on Your Old Home

Now that it’s warm, it’s time to get outside and begin those home improvement projects you’ve been putting off all winter. Most of us need entertainment and activity during this time of social distancing and quarantine.  Working on your to-do list of outdoor home improvement projects will give you a sense of accomplishment and make your living space more enjoyable. Let’s talk about your painting projects to give a new look to your outside doors, porch, windows, shutters, and siding.

 Thanks to Ty McBride of Wood Window Rescue, Oklahoma City

Your front door is often the first thing you see when you come home. You want the entrance to your home to give you a good feeling. Maybe the varnish looks weathered or the paint color is outdated. Stripping and recoating an old paneled door can give it new life. Both the Speedheater^TM 1100 or the Speedheater^TM Cobra work well for the flat surfaces of doors. If there are panels, glass or intricate carvings, the Speedheater^TM  tools are just what your need.

All of us need a place to escape in our homes, especially in these times of lockdown. Porches can be the perfect place for relaxing. Homeowners often forget that the ceiling of their porches can also impact their feelings of comfort. But what color is best? Light blue porch ceilings have been gaining popularity across the United States. This calming color brightens the space and makes it feel like the daylight hours are lasting just a little bit longer. Some believe that the light blue even repels pesky insects like mosquitos.

If the paint on the ceiling is in bad shape, it’s important to remove all of it before repainting. For stripping overhead, the Speedheater^TM Cobra is perfect. With its extra fast heating speed of 3-5 seconds and its light weight of 22 oz., the Speedheater^TM Cobra makes removing paint on a wood ceiling a breeze. Homeowners can easily hold the lightweight unit upside down from a ladder.

How are your porch floor and railing looking? Do they need some TLC? Floors are easy to strip with the Speedheater^TM 1100’s side plates resting directly on the floor or holding the super fast Cobra above the floor. Many folks think railing spindles cannot be stripped because they are so tightly spaced. They think they must replace them with new wood. This isn’t true with the Speedheater^TM Cobra and the proper edged scraper. If the spindles are curved or turned wood, the Boomerang Scraper works best. If the spindles are flat surfaces, the Clapboard Scraper works well. The infrared rays of the Speedheater^TM go directly where they are pointed and heat only that area. The surrounding areas stay untouched.

During the summer, homeowners can restore their historic, old, and leaky windows without having to worry about the cold, winter air getting inside. With the Speedheater^TM Cobra and the Speedheater^TM Window Tools the sometimes daunting project of restoring window is much easier and safer. These specially designed products make removing old glazing and paint fast and safe without breaking the delicate window glass.

Shutters from a historic building in Chestertown, MD

Without proper care and maintenance, old shutters can badly peel, absorb water and  fall apart. When this occurs, homeowners must decide between repair or total replacement. With a little work, homeowners can restore old shutters to their original beauty. The compact size of the Speedheater^TM Cobra and the special curves of the Boomerang Scraper allow for paint removal in even hard-to-reach places between tight louvers. Surprisingly, the infrared heat also can soften the failed wood glue which was holding the louvers together and then make the repairs go faster.

 Speedheater 1100 held handsfree by Classic Arm on wood siding

Repainting the siding of your home can have a profound effect on its overall image in the neighborhood. Many homeowners procrastinate on this large project. Most qualified contractors quote $20,000 – $30,000. However, it’s important to know that homeowners can tackle this home improvement project themselves.

Much of the time involves proper preparation of the wood for the new paint. The paint on the siding of your home may seem fine with only some areas cracking (alligatoring) or peeling. There is a danger of only dry scraping these patches and painting over them. Eventually, the original, bottom layer will fail and pull off all the top with it. To get a long-lasting and attractive new paint look, you need to strip away all the old paint layers down to the bare wood.

Homeowners can do this efficiently with the Speedheater^TM System. The Speedheater^TM 1100 heats and softens the thick paint.  The straight-edged Clapboard Scraper thoroughly scrapes off the soft paint. To double productivity, use the hands-free Classic Arm attached to the Speedheater^TM 1100. It moves the The Speedheater^TM 1100 ahead to heat the next area while you scrape the first area.

The Speedheater^TM  System of tools are safe and gentle on wood with a low risk of fire and minimal dust. Using the Speedheater^TM System, stripping paint from doors, porches, windows, shutters, siding, garages and sheds requires less set up time and less cleanup time than any other paint removal method.

Let Speedheater^TM tools help with your summer paint stripping projects! Please contact us for more information about Speedheater^TM products.