My door handles have been painted?

Hi! You may be able to use a heat gun to loosen up some paint, specifically the paint on the screws. If you are able to loosen that paint up, I would take a razor around the base of knob and then unscrew it. You can then take an old crockpot filled with water to soak the hardware and remove the rest of the paint. I hope this helps!

You could use a paint stripper (Citristrip) on the screws, just enough to expose them and then unscrew. To loosed the paint around the base of the knob, you could a single edge razor blade to cut through the dried on layers.

Hello Desiree,

Use a Craft Knife to score around the fixing to the door. Use a heavy(hand) screwdriver to release the handles from the doors. Hope that's helpful!

Hi Mike, I like the idea of softening it up with heat, but you still need a precision cutter to trace out the paint where it meets the handle, that way when you pull them off they won't grab huge chunks of paint with them. The cutter will also assist you in digging out the screw heads.

Protect the door with some tape, then use some citri-strip to remove the paint. Once all the paint is loose you can remove the handle and clean it and and repaint it.

A small dot of Citripstrip on the screws will remove the paint, then I would use some WD-40 to back them out and remove the handles. Then strip the paint off them.

Yes you will need to strip the paint off. Wear a mask that stuff stinks!

Hello. This link could be helpful.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/painting/21016353/how-to-strip-paint-from-hardware

You can start with scraping if there are multiple layers. Citristrip is fairly safe and will help to get it off as well. Just be careful and don't get it on the door. You could try taping off and papering around the handles.

Hi! With some patience and Citristrip you should be able to get it off to the point you can remove them. I would concentrate on the screws. You can wrap the knob with foil or saran wrap to keep it from drying too quickly. Why remove them? Soaking them will soften the old paint layers and make them easier to remove the buildup. Good luck!

Hi Mike, hope this information helps you remove paint from your door handles. How to Strip Paint from Hardware - This Old House

www.thisoldhouse.com › painting › how-to-strip-paint-...

Scrub. Remove hardware from the crockpot (or chemical soak) with tongs and push off any remaining paint with a toothbrush or nylon bristle brush. (A wire brush can scratch the surface.) The paint hardens quickly once it's out of the pot; dip the pieces back in the hot water to help loosen any stubborn spots.

Oh boy, been there. We were lucky enough that when we scored around the hardware, the paint just chipped away from the rest of the handles and we were able to get to the screws.

Have you tried mineral spirits or paint thinner to get the paint off the handle?

Hiya again Holly, I meant to say it didn't do a thing

Regards

Mike

If you don't want to save the door handle itself, you could take a utility knife and score all the way around where the handle meets the door. Do the same where the door plate is. Hopefully that will break the seal between handle and door