Does anybody know how to strip paint off louvered doors?

Gel stripper should cling adequately so that you can get it down into each louver with a paint brush. Do it over newspaper or cardboard outside or in an open protected area like a garage.

It's just like stripping paint from any other surface. The job will be more tedious than most because of the louvers, but it can be done. Citrus strippers are usually recommended because of the fumes given off by methylene chloride in traditional strippers. In my experience the citrus doesn't work as well, but it will get the job done.

Hi Anja, You can purchase paint stripper in your local home improvement store. They sell it for metal, wood, etc., so be sure to get the right one for your application. Follow instructions on the can. You may still have to sand the doors after paint is stripped off. Tedious work, but it can be done.

Why not just repaint? Unless you take it to a professional refinisher it would be too tedious. They would dip them in a tank of stripper.

Citristrip stripper. Red Scotch Brite pads, putty knife, small brass brush, rubber gloves, eye protection.

3M Safest Stripper is non-toxic, gel stripper that takes it off in minutes, use a putty knife to get the bulk and a green kitchen scrubber and water or maybe a toothbrush for the crevices to get the rest. It may take more than one coat if there are several coats of paint. That is the only one I use.

Is it lead paint before 1978? Watch that. How good is the wood? Chemicals will soak in and leach out later, popping the new paint off. Plus...so goopy. Harsh, toxic chemical dipping louvers will damage the louver glue and they'll rack eventually. The right scraper blade to get under the louvers is key.

Search for a company who does sandblasting. They can make quick work of getting the paint off and back down to bare wood so you can stain or paint on a fresh sanded door. It may coss a few extra bucks but it will bring the wood back to bare wood.

It'll be a messy, tedious task for sure but it'll be worth it. A soy based stripper like GreenEZ (that's an affiliate link just FYI) blows all the other strippers away. It doesn't smell, it's nontoxic, it's super easy to use, it's not goopy glue-y, and cleans up infinitely better. It's the best stripper I've ever used and I've used many. Not an ad, I swear, I just love the product.

Hello Anja, hope this helps you.

1. Sandpaper
2. A natural, chemical-free method, but it can be labor-intensive. Start with 150-grit sandpaper and sand the entire surface, then move on to 220-grit sandpaper. When sanding louvred doors, sand each slat horizontally, working from top to bottom, and being careful to get into the crevices.
3. Varnish stripper
4. You can use a varnish stripper like Citristrip. Some recommend soaking the stripper in for at least 30 minutes, but others have noticed the finish bubbling up after about 12 minutes.

You can also use a paint brush or soft toothbrush to clean the edges and corners of the louvre doors. To avoid staining the door, use a new, unused brush or toothbrush.