Out with paint stripper
I decided to take on the task of repainting all the burglar bars and security gates at home. While I started off with paint stripper - I soon gave this up and took a faster and less messy route.
21/04/2018
Many people are under the impression that using paint stripper will save them time and mess, me included. While there are some projects where paint stripper is ideal, this was not one of them. Starting with my security gates I decided that paint stripper would be the easiest method for removing layers of paint. After applying paint stripper to one door, and as recommended, I ended up with a gooey mess all over me and the floor (including layered newspaper) and still had to apply more to strip the remaining paint off.
At this point it was time to say quit. It is just too messy to use paint stripper and I recommend that anyone planning to undertake this task either get out their sander or invest in a Bosch PRR 250 ES sanding roller. I recently featured this new product and asked Bosch if I could put it to the test by using it on my security gates and burglar bars.
For sanding the remaining paint - all layers - I tried both the sanding flap wheel and the sanding ring, as well as the smaller flap wheel for the areas between the burglar bars.
After already wasting two days on one gate, with the sanding roller I finished both gates in under an hour - outdoors without any mess or fuss. If you can't remove your gates and need to do this project indoors you shouldn't experience too much dust since you are sanding paint. However, put down a drop cloth to make clean up quick and easy.
The Bosch PRR 250 ES is lightweight and comfortable to hold and sands away paint easily. Even if you have to go over some items more because of built up layers of paint, it's still faster and less mess than using paint stripper.
ABOVE: While the gates were off I decided to use my Dremel MultiTool and sanding disk to remove small welding burrs. You can also use this tool to get into hard to reach areas that you can reach with the sanding roller.
Treat Burglar Bars and Security Gates to Rust-Oleum Universal in Hammered hues. Find the full range of Rust-Oleum products at your nearest Builders Store.
After wiping clean the gates were sprayed with two coats of Rust-Oleum 2X UltraCover satin espresso. It is important to apply light coats of spray paint and let this dry before applying a second light coat. In this way you won't have to worry about drips or runs and will have a professional looking finish.
Layers or old paint have been removed, sharp burrs sanded down and the gates look brand new.
When you buy the Bosch PRR 250 ES it comes complete with 3 attachments that allow you to sand a variety of projects.
