How to Remove Elastameric Paint
- 1). Clean the surface with dish soap, water and a clean rag. Elastomeric paint surfaces are very slick, and they are easy to wipe down. A quick clean-up ensures the paint remover reacts directly with the paint rather than any layers of stuck-on grime.
- 2). Rinse the surface clean using a garden hose and towel it dry.
- 3). Put on rubber gloves and protective eye goggles.
- 4). Saturate a rag with any chemical paint remover containing dichloromethane. Dichloromethane is the active ingredient in most chemical paint removers, but you should check the label to make sure your specific brand contains this ingredient. Chemical removers without dichloromethane are not as effective on elastomeric paint.
- 5). Apply paint remover to the elastomeric paint using the rag. Fully saturate the surface, moistening the rag periodically as necessary. Let the painter remover sit and react with the surface. Consult the paint remover's container to see how long it takes for the chemical paint remover to finish reacting. In most cases, you'll know the paint is ready for removal after the painted surface stops.
- 6). Peel up the paint using your gloved hands or a putty knife. With the chemical remover in place, elastomeric paint will usually come up in long, thick, rubbery strips. You can peel off over a foot of paint with one pull or gouge from a putty knife. It will be loose enough to remove by hand, but the putty knife helps break up pieces for easier gripping.
- 7). Apply more chemical paint remover if any patches of paint are still stuck to the surface. Let the chemical remover sit and react, then pull and chip the paint again, until it is all gone.
- 8). Clean the surface with soap and water to remove any residue left behind by the dichloromethane remover.
