Question for professional painters

We just had our house painted, the paint that they used was a latex paint. We have a garage door that has a baked on, dark brown paint. Here is what happened: The painters used the latex paint on the garage door, they were NOT suppose to paint it. There is only one coat of latex on it, because we stopped them from putting on the second coat…they screwed up by painting it in the first place. The latex coat can be scraped off using your thumbnail, and putting another coat on it will only compound the problem. Is there a way of taking off the latex without doing damage to the original baked on finish?? The paint contractor is not being very cooperative and keeps ignoring all of our questions. Needless to say, I am a little peeved!!!!! Can anyone help??

Do not pay them and let them take care of it. They did it they can take it off, if they want to get paid.

I am not a painter, but, I would guess that if you can scrape the latex off with your fingernail, “they” could use a pressure washer to get it off. I would not pay them until it’s right either way!

I am a Union Painter with 15 years exp. I would say power wash is your best bet. lite pressure. Also denatured alcohol will also work. If you havnt paid them that is a thought not to pay until the work is corected. Although they did paint the rest of the house if that is right then they should get paid just not everything. hold back 50% if they are a respectable company and want the money and not bad press they will take care of the matter.

paul

brother paints for a living and i did a little bit myself…power wash it. like said before, light pressure to start until you find the amount that takes it off without digging into the bottom coat.

There is a product out there that is made to remove latex and only latex paint and leave the existing finish unharmed. But, it sounds like it’ll come off by pressure washing. Wish I could remember the name of the product..Starts with a (M), something, something #5. If that helps.

If the paint is coming off as easy as it sounds, they didn’t properly prep the surface, if they had used a chalk penetrating primer first (should’ve) it wouldn’t come off that easy! Good luck!

BIRDDOG

We are members of a coop association of homes. The association contracted this company, and like idiots, have paid the company. Now we are stuck with this mess.

Well;
Simple answer is to turn it over to your coop association. It is their problem, not yours.

However;
My question is this: Was there instructions for them NOT to paint the garage door? Was it only your door or all the garage doors in the association?

Do you have proof of this instruction?

lighty power wash it and mess is gone, be careful where the run off goes to thoo

This will sound strange but…go down and buy some shaving cream. Wet the door down with the shaving cream and let it sit for just a few minutes before pressure washing it off. Sounds strange but for some reason it does take off latex paint that has not been on overly long.

as was said before a preasure washer will be your best bet but if there is any designs or texture to the door that paint will be a little harder to remove, use a soft bristle brush with hot water.

Vinegar and a weed sprayer.
Step back, and watch it buble up and peel off.
I would let them do it though.
Might smell like a salad for a while though.

easy off oven cleaner works to

that will take the back layer off, it takes 30 years of grease build up of a motor it will strip off 3-4 layers of paint im sure

Easy Off will work if the paint on the dooris baked on. Use it all the time to take graphics off of vehicles and never touches the paint. So yes it works great. But would still use pressure washer quicker and easier.

Could it be Motsenbockers #5???

TBO,

If they were painting over an existing finish, they should have hand sanded the area to give the new paint something to “bite” on. Make sure they did not do this before you remove it all, or you will be repainting it anyways. As you problably know, the paint job is only as good as the preparation.

Good Luck

TBO, heres what to do, it takes two weeks for latex to harden good, after that pressure washing won’t do it. First if its been painted in the last few days the latex is still fairly soft. First soak it down with 50/50 bleach and water and let it set for 15 minutes then pressure wash with a high powered pressure washer, if you can only get a light duty thats all you can get but if you can rent a highpowered one at 3500 pounds that would be better. If it doesen’t take the paint off then let it dry and use denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol disolves the fresh latex fairly fast, you might be able to do the door in a couple of hours with it laying on benches. Denatured alcohol is a good solvet for latex paints, no need to go with a stripper. I don’t know what the door was painted with at the factory but you should match that paint if your going to repaint it of have to repaint it. When you rub it down with denatured alcohol and it only takes off the paint that was applied by the contractor then the paint on the door is DTM, oil based, or a new water born paint, the paint companies are developing new water born paints every year. Almost all new doors are painted with DTM, (direct to metal) at the factory. Thier coming out with new paints every year so a quick call to the place that sold it to you to find out what kind of paint they used at the factory would be my first step. They do use new water born paints at the factory and denatured alcohol might lift some of these new paints so try a test spot on the hinge end of the door to see if it lifts the factory paint too, if not remove the new paint with denatured alcohol befor it sets up hard. It will still remove it after it hardens but it takes more work. Message me after making a small test spot and i’ll help you out, if you have to repaint the door because the denatured alcohol lifts the factory paint then use eighter dtm or oil based with a good name, sherwinn-williams dtm is know for being able to throw a rock at it fairly hard and it won’t chip, message me if you need help. There is a certain way you have to do this to try not to damage the factory paint if possible.

I want to thank all of the responders…I am now waiting for the association and contractor to come to an agreement. If I don’t like what they propose, I will deal with it. I have gotten many good things to try, and will give them a shot if I have to. Let’s hope the contractor ends up doing it and not me..

Yep Hooks, That’s the stuff. Like I said, something something #5

BIRDDOG

Lots of painters on here. Obviously there are several methods to do this. I would contact the mfgs of both paints and stick to their recomendations but first I would go to the limit to get the contractor to take care of it.