Help removing paint from grooved deck boards — what actually works?

Hey folks, looking for advice from anyone who’s successfully stripped paint from grooved decking boards. I’ve got an older painted deck that I want to restore back to bare wood. So far, I’ve tried a few things with mixed success: Used Paint Panther stripper — it softened some of the paint but didn’t do much in the grooves. Pressure washed the entire deck — helped a lot with loose paint; about 1/3 of the deck is now down to wood. Sanded the flat areas — worked really well, but obviously useless in the grooves between each ridge. Used a heat gun and wire brush wheels, which were slow and sometimes damaged the grooves. The problem is the remaining 2/3 has paint that’s stuck fast, especially in the grooves. It feels impossible to fully clear it out. I’ve tried wire brushing manually, but it’s super slow and not getting everything. I’d love to hear from anyone who has actually done this: Did you find a particular stripper or method that worked in grooves? Are there specific tools (like a wire wheel or grooved deck scraper) that made a big difference? Is it realistic to fully strip grooved boards or should I just sand what I can and stain over the rest? Any help would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/dazziola [link] [comments]

May 25, 2025 - 02:48

Help removing paint from grooved deck boards — what actually works?

Hey folks, looking for advice from anyone who’s successfully stripped paint from grooved decking boards.

I’ve got an older painted deck that I want to restore back to bare wood. So far, I’ve tried a few things with mixed success:

Used Paint Panther stripper — it softened some of the paint but didn’t do much in the grooves.

Pressure washed the entire deck — helped a lot with loose paint; about 1/3 of the deck is now down to wood.

Sanded the flat areas — worked really well, but obviously useless in the grooves between each ridge.

Used a heat gun and wire brush wheels, which were slow and sometimes damaged the grooves.

The problem is the remaining 2/3 has paint that’s stuck fast, especially in the grooves. It feels impossible to fully clear it out. I’ve tried wire brushing manually, but it’s super slow and not getting everything.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has actually done this:

Did you find a particular stripper or method that worked in grooves?

Are there specific tools (like a wire wheel or grooved deck scraper) that made a big difference?

Is it realistic to fully strip grooved boards or should I just sand what I can and stain over the rest?

Any help would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance!

submitted by /u/dazziola
[link] [comments]