Fastest way to REMOVE Paint from Painted Clay Tiles

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

My back porch is all red clay tile. Ive tried sealing (a few times) and then tried painting them in an effort to get a better looking finish...so far nothing has worked, it all starts to chip up very quickly out here in the Az sun.

So, that being said, i'm trying to strip off ALL the paint now and get it back down to bare tile. Right now it is just a standard latex paint that is on the tiles, but it is a PAIN to get up.

Some area's will just come up in sheets with a scraper, other areas are being seriously held into place by the bond on the underside. So far ive tried the Wagner Paint Eater, a heat gun and scraper, a grinder with a heavy abrasive wheel...and its still a slow process.

The Paint Eater is just too slow and very jumpy...the grinder with the wheel worked well, but the wheel was down to almost nothing after about 4 tiles!

So that being said, any tips on something that will REALLY work?

 

[Steevo]

Have you tried Aircraft Remover?

http://www.tools2parts.com/Klean-St...k=gdfV21593_a_7c1384_a_7c4726_a_7c3620_d_4717

 

[Milton Shaw]

I think you mean aircraft paint remover. That's quite a bit different than aircraft remover. 9/11 did the best job of aircraft remover I have ever seen. It got all of them out of the air for about three days.

 

[Full Size 66]

Bad stuff, it makes airplaines disappear!

 

[Stuart in MN]

Are the tiles glazed or unglazed? If they're unglazed I would expect the paint has seeped into the surface which will make it nearly impossible to remove successfully.

 

[Steevo]

I think you mean aircraft paint remover. That's quite a bit different than aircraft remover. 9/11 did the best job of aircraft remover I have ever seen. It got all of them out of the air for about three days.

If you follow the link I provided, you would see that the product is actually called "Aircraft Remover".
I am not amused by your morbid humor about 9/11 either, having lost a relative to that act of terrorism.

 

[rburke65]

Steevo...you are correct!

 

[PRH44]

Are the tiles glazed or unglazed? If they're unglazed I would expect the paint has seeped into the surface which will make it nearly impossible to remove successfully.

Stuart is spot on. If they are glazed, paint does not stick very well. There may be areas where the glazing has eroded and the paint sticks very well.
The standard process for painting ceramic or porcelain tiles requires the painted tile to be fired in a kiln. My wife is a china painter and she removes latex/epoxy paint and the like from tiles by firing in the kiln and it actually Burns the paint off. I know thats not an option for you now sorry.
The proper paint to use on ceramic or porcelain is a mineral ground glass base. the kiln heats the glazing and melts the mineral/glass paint fusing the two together permanently. the paint then becomes part of the glazing and will not come off with out the glazing.
If you are ever interested in any custom tile painting let me know my wife can fix you up.

 

[BD1]

What about pressure washer ? Just use caution water is powerful.

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Have you tried Aircraft Remover?

http://www.tools2parts.com/Klean-St...k=gdfV21593_a_7c1384_a_7c4726_a_7c3620_d_4717

Havent tried that no, but i'll look into it...thanks

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Are the tiles glazed or unglazed? If they're unglazed I would expect the paint has seeped into the surface which will make it nearly impossible to remove successfully.

Im thinking they were glazed...but then again not sure. It doesn't seem to have seeped into the pours because on some tiles i can literally take a scraper, get under an edge and then peel 90% of the paint up in a big sheet...but on OTHERS, for whatever reason...its a pain to get off. It DOES come off...all the way off...but it will not come off in big sheets like the easier ones.

Stuart is spot on. If they are glazed, paint does not stick very well. There may be areas where the glazing has eroded and the paint sticks very well.
The standard process for painting ceramic or porcelain tiles requires the painted tile to be fired in a kiln. My wife is a china painter and she removes latex/epoxy paint and the like from tiles by firing in the kiln and it actually Burns the paint off. I know thats not an option for you now sorry.
The proper paint to use on ceramic or porcelain is a mineral ground glass base. the kiln heats the glazing and melts the mineral/glass paint fusing the two together permanently. the paint then becomes part of the glazing and will not come off with out the glazing.
If you are ever interested in any custom tile painting let me know my wife can fix you up.

Your wife does very nice work . These are clay like tiles though, not ceramic or porcelain...im pretty sure thats different isnt it?

What about pressure washer ? Just use caution water is powerful.

That PROBABLY would work if i had one that had some kick *** PSI/GPM, but the strongest one i have is only 2200 PSI...not quite enough to blast this stuff off quickly. I had thought about getting some 36 grit sheets for either my grinder or my sander and seeing if it would do the job...i'd like to avoid having to use a stripper if i can (hate using that stuff).

 

[dankicksass]

I bet dry ice blasting is the fastest way, but it's cost prohibitive.

 

[Outlawmws]

Im thinking they were glazed...but then again not sure. It doesn't seem to have seeped into the pours because on some tiles i can literally take a scraper, get under an edge and then peel 90% of the paint up in a big sheet...but on OTHERS, for whatever reason...its a pain to get off. It DOES come off...all the way off...but it will not come off in big sheets like the easier ones.


That PROBABLY would work if i had one that had some kick *** PSI/GPM, but the strongest one i have is only 2200 PSI...not quite enough to blast this stuff off quickly. I had thought about getting some 36 grit sheets for either my grinder or my sander and seeing if it would do the job...i'd like to avoid having to use a stripper if i can (hate using that stuff).

If you get a test area wet and the dry it with a towel, is it dry instantly like glass and (most) dishes, or is it still damp like a red clay pot, the first is glazed the second unglazed...

I'd give the pressure washer a try first. Mine is only 1100 PSI (small electric) on a good day, but strips paint off concrete nicely...

 

[blacksporty]

Pressure washer, sand blast, or use the type of sander they use to resurface/restore those saltillo tiles and then seal them.