Comparisons to Other Methods.

The Silent Paint Remover™ Method. Removing multiple layers of paint from an entire house creates a prepared surface for paint and varnish to adhere to for a very long time and can not be achieved with any other method. I want to emphasize that anyone with the notion that other methods may be faster, better or easier, needs to do more research on all aspects of a paint job. This method is about removing paint and varnish without any sanding, chemical neutralizing or creating any dangerous waste products. Dry lead paint - in relatively large flakes - is the least dangerous aspect to lead paint removing that can only be achieved with The Silent Paint Remover™. This method generates significantly less fine airborne dust.

Chemicals: There are many very negative aspects to chemical paint remover. First, chemicals do end up in landfills and ultimately spread into our environment increasing the exposure to toxic material. If you have been subject to the promotion of “natural paint remover”. It is important to understand that removing paint in a liquid method can not possibly be safe to the person working with it or to the environment. You expose yourself to this substance at the same time it is saturating the wood surface and penetrating deep into the wood. "Natural" paint remover (Soya based as an example) is claimed to be neutralized with water. This is an insane claim. Lead paint in the liquid paint stripper is then flushed into your garden at the same time you are soaking the wood you intend to paint on. Depending on where you live and the humidity, wood may take an entire summer to dry after it has been power washed with water. Most likely, you will be painting on a liquid saturated surface. Paint will not last very long on this surface. Citrus based chemical paint stripers have been found to cause unusual allergies. Citric acid in concentrated form is deadly. Paint lasts the best on a surface that has not been exposed to any liquid substance at all. The absolute best surface to paint on should be dry and have an open wood-grain only achieved with infrared heat. Infrared heat will heat the substrate from the inside, pushing the moisture and oils in the wood out. Heating the surface to approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit will break the bond between the first layer of the paint/varnish and the wood surface. Multiple layers are more sensitive to heat and infrared heat will be even more effective on very thick old paint.

Sanders. Many counties/cities have now banned open air sanding all together in accordance with EPA regulations. In the past, very few painters have collected any paint waist. The sander will break the paint into very fine dust that will be spread into the neighborhood and into residential homes. This is how people get lead poisoning. Some areas allow sanders with vacuum attachments collecting at best 50% of the dust. There again, the environment and the neighborhood will still receive lots of paint dust. We also believe that any paint is unhealthy, not only lead paint. Acrylic paint contains some 45 chemical ingredients and should not be inhaled by anyone. A sander will not only gouge the wood, it will also close the grain preventing the paint from getting a good tooth.

Shavers. This type of paint remover may appear to be fast but creates a lot of work afterward. The biggest problem with shavers is that you damage wood and create a very uneven surface that has to be sanded afterward... simply not a good idea.

Heat-Guns/Hot plates. A Heat-Gun or a Hotplate (Coils) operated at approximately 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. Lead paint will be released into the air at approximately 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Wood burns at approximately 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat-guns and hotplates contribute to more than 3000 fires in the United States every year according to many sources. Lead is very likely being released into the air using a Heat-Gun or a Hot-Plate. You will also burn the wood and unless this is scraped off the paint will not stick to this charred surface.

The Power Washers. This method is often perceived as easy and effective, however, it is very damaging to wood. The main problem with high power water sprayer is that it will soak the wood behind the siding. This moisture will remain for quite sometime and will not evaporate within a few weeks like some painter claims. A moisture meter will tell what the moisture reading is in the clapboard but will most likely not give you an accurate reading in the wood behind the clapboard. The moisture moves out during seasonal changes and if the ventilation is not adequate you will end up with a variety of paint failure issues, therefore choose a dry method.

Blasting wood. Blasting away old paint or thick layers (with sand, baking soda, or water) cannot be done without causing substantial damage to the wood. The reason is that old oil-based paint is harder than the wood and thick layers of acrylic paint are more tenacious than wood. Therefore, it requires more force than can be tolerated by the underlying material, resulting in the softer parts of the wood being pulled away with the paint, leaving a surface reminiscent of an alpine landscape. Paint applied to such a surface is liable to crack within a short space of time. The underlying wooden surface has a greater propensity to absorb moisture causing the paint to peel.

Steam Paint Remover. Removing paint with steam has been tried in Europe during the 1970's but was abandoned early because steam raises the grain of the wood and requires sanding. Sanding old paint that most likely will contain lead is very dangerous. It is the small particles from the lead that has made so many individuals very ill. When small children are exposed to lead dust it causes serious brain damage. The best way to bind the lead dust is to apply a coat of the organic raw linseed oil on the surface and then heat and scrape with the Silent Paint Remover™. The Silent Paint Remover™ and the organic raw linseed oil method will reduce the lead exposure to the lowest level possible. Steam boxes have also been used to remove paint from window sashes. This presents another problem; heating an entire sash and only being able to scrape part of the sash before the paint cools off require that you have to reheat many times. This can cause warping of the wood and may not be noticed until much later when you can not open the window. Not a good idea.

Never choose a paint removing method that can not be reversed: What does this mean?

1. If a shaving tool damages wood (and possibly removes some nails holding your siding)... this can not be reversed.
2. If a chemical paint remover saturates the wood making it impossible for the paint to adhere…. this can not be reversed.
3. If a sanding disc leaves deep gouges in the wood…. this can not be reversed.
4. If you contract unusual allergies from a citrus paint remover…. this can not be reversed.
5. If chemical paint removers kill the landscaping around your foundation…. this can not be reversed.

Basically it comes down to this. If you choose a method that will not alter the integrity of the wood, you have chosen the correct method.

Conclusion: In the end, you must do your own research about this very important issue. We strongly insist that chemicals and sanders/grinders are extremely damaging to the wood surface and the environment. Any fancy equipment is counterproductive if it is trying to resolve one issue and at the same time creates an even larger issue. When it comes to paint dust, the best method is to generate as little dust a possible. The Silent Paint Remover™ is most likely equivalent to one truck load of chemical strippers at a cost of $50 a can. Remember that with infrared heat and a set of high quality scrapers sanding is completely unnecessary. Heat-Guns have very high risk of fire and create lead fumes.

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