Stripping Exterior Paint Before bidding to remove paint, use a test to tell whether mechanical, chemical, or heat techniques are right for the job Painters George Wellington and Stephen Bragg remove heavy paint buildup with heat plates and guns. If a client wants you to remove most or all of the paint from a building, you have several alternatives—mechanical removal, heat stripping, or chemical removal. The method you choose depends on the paint build-up, the building material, your budget, and safe disposal requirements. With mechanical and heat stripping, you can rely on your eyes to tell you whether you're doing a good job and not damaging the building. But with chemical stripping, you don't have any visual clues. Neutralizing
