Removing old shade paint

[maverick451]

I picked up a 2nd hand greenhouse for the allotment, I washed the glass with washing up liquid and gave it a real good scrub but on the some panels the shade paint is really baked on, must have been there for years, does anyone know of an easier way to remove it? thinking maybe paint thinner or something?

[ESBkevin]

Is it shade paint or has someone put gloss on it. you might try one of those razor scrapers, catch the bits with some plastic/old curtains etc. At least that way it will be off, chemicals might lead to a smeer that is there forever.

just my £0.02

[burnie]

This should be water based, so I wouldn't use thinners, may be a bit of sugar soap, be careful with the likes of brillo pads or wire wool as the glass will scratch.

[Jungle Jane]

I don't know if this would help but I used liquid sandpaper to remove some grout on a few tile surfaces,it was there for years & wouldn't come off with a scourer etc. The tiles showed no scratchy affect,I thought it would but it was still nice & shiny.

[vixylix]

Jungle Jane I'd never heard of liquid sandpaper - you may have just shaved years of hard labour out of my life (and saved me from concerns over possible lead based paint!!)

[maverick451]

Thanks guys for the suggestions, ill look into every one

[Snadger]

I took over a plot once where the previous numpty had painted the glass with Woolies white gloss.

It cost me a fortune in paint stripper to get rid of it.

[HoneyChild]

I was just wondering if anyone has been able to successfully get rid of the greenhouse shading paint? The previous owners of my greenhouse used it and didn't properly remove it. I have done my best but it still looks very milky. In Scotland we need all the sun we can get so I really don't understand the need for this paint in the first place.

Thanks

[nickdub]

I was just wondering if anyone has been able to successfully get rid of the greenhouse shading paint? The previous owners of my greenhouse used it and didn't properly remove it. I have done my best but it still looks very milky. In Scotland we need all the sun we can get so I really don't understand the need for this paint in the first place.

Thanks

If its lime-wash that was used, then acid would strip it off pretty sharpish. You can buy it from builders merchants as its used for cleaning up unwanted mortar from brick walls. You can (and I have) dilute it with water to make it a bit safer to use. If you go this route, have a hose pipe ready near by for a wash down after - you don't want all the metal fixings being eaten away.

(Obviously be careful - acid and skin don't go together well, particularly if using it higher up as getting it in your eyes is a bad move).

[Madasafish]

Microfibre cloth (damp) does it. I now use shading mats - much easier.

[bikermike]

If it's paint, then I'd start with a scraper, less likely to damage the glass than abrasives and less chemicals.

It shouldn't be hard work as you are just easing it off, not battering it. (I recently re-painted interior woodwork, and re-scraping the windows with a razor-blade scraper was probably the most therapeutic bit)

If you do use brick acid, I'd say goggles and gloves as a minimum. Most things grow back, but not eyeballs...