Garage Door Paint Stripping

[1967Chevelle]

I need to strip my Wood garage door, originally it was varnished (I think) but someone has painted over the varnish and in some areas the paint is separating from the varnish (especially top of door)

what is the best way to strip this door down to bare wood?

 

[njhoudini]

No matter what, scraping is going to be involved. Chemical strippers should work, but it is recommended you work in sections. Citrus based strippers have less fumes, but take longer and is more expensive. Sanding may be your best bet even though it is labor intensive, it would probably produce the nicest result and would leave you with bare wood to start fresh. Heat guns are also an option, but can char wood if you aren't careful.

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[4xdog]

Not for the first time has a thread popped up on GJ that is related to *exactly* what I'm doing at the moment.

I've done a LOT of refinishing around my 1937 home, and I have the original garage doors on my list -- they're in a bit worse condition than yours, with more coats of paint.

My go-to system, without doubt, is a heat gun and a carbide-tipped Bahco scraper. I have two scrapers, one flat and wide and one small with blades that do details. I can get down to near virgin wood easier this way than anything else I've tried.

Here are the two scrapers I highly recommend.
Bahco ERGO Paint scraper 665
Bahco ERGO Paint scraper 625


Here's my front storm door originally and partway through its restoration (using heat gun and carbide scraper)

 

[glentre]

Problem with sanding is the paper is going to load up pretty quickly with your multiple coats of varnish and paint. IMO, it would be better to use a strong stripper and then follow up with smoothing it all out with an electric sander. If you are able to have the door out of commission for long enough, taking the sections apart and laying them on saw horses outside would make the job much easier. Stripping wood in a vertical position is a real PIA.

Also, it looks like you have molding like quarter round holding the panels in place and they may be rotted and are always difficult to strip or sand anyway. Might consider prying off that molding before starting work and replacing it with new as an easier solution. Molding is relatively inexpensive.

Good luck. No matter how you do it, this is not going to be a fun job.

Glen

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'd use chemical stripper and/or a heat gun. If the door was varnished first, that will make it easier to get the paint off since the varnish will have sealed up the grain of the wood.

 

[1967Chevelle]

anyone tried Walnut shell Blasting or soda blasting?

 

[txvwnut]

Walnut shells might damage the wood, soda would work but will probably take as much time as stripper. I’ve seen dry ice blasting used to remove smoke staining and mold but I don’t know how it would work on paint.

 

[gnpenning]

Which ever method you choose. When you are done make sure you finish all 6 surfaces. The inside you can go with something light to make the inside of the garage lighter.

 

[doublearon98]

Citristrip stripping gel. Not to hard on the wallet and it works very well if you follow the directions

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[Hot Rod Grampa]

Careful trying to remove the quarter round. Usually only removeable on glass from inside. The detail is routed directly into the wood. Old painter showed me how to make detail scrapers out of old swazall blades. Works. I agree doing the chemical stripper first, then sand till smooth. You may not get it all off but since you are priming and painting it will be a good start.

 

[The Cobbler]

often that 1/4 round is part of the profile of the door styles & rails , and the panels are put in place as the doors is being built. much like a kitchen cabinet door is made.

 

[yeldogt]

On anything other than a flat surface I find that using the chemical stripers when all said and done ..... provide the best results. They are nasty -- gloves and eye protection a must. Metal coffee can -- cheap natural brushes from HF .. the small brass brushes as well. Take you time -- work in the shade .. thick coating. Repeat. light scraping/ rough terry towels. Use the after wash. Oil primer.

Sanding and heavy scraping will mess up the profiles -- if most of the paint is latex -- the good chemical removers will take it all off. Also -- sometimes if it was oil primed that layer will soften and everything above will come off -- you don't have to remove all of the oil primer unless compromised.