# Forum Home Renovation Painting  How to remove paint from rendered wall

## AIRMAN

I am current getting ready to tile one of the bathrooms at my own house. The current tiles only go to half height and the rest is painted cement render with no thin/white set. I want to tile full height but am mindful that there is a number of layers of paint on the walls, being a wet environment I want to ensure good adhesion.  
What will be the best way to remove the paint, there is prob only about 5sqm, I was thinking a cup shaped wire brush on the angle grinder? 
Any suggestions?

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## fubar

heat gun and scraper probably best to get the majority off then wire brush by hand unless you are very steady hand with angle grinder

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## Batpig

Dear Airman, 
I don't think the wire brushes are a good way to go on an Angle Grinder. They're not too bad on a Drill, but they spin too fast on an Angle Grinder, and the wires end up breaking and you get "Wired" by the little throw-offs. Imagine one in the eye...  :No:  
I've attached a photo below of three other disk types that might do the job for you: 
The one in the top right corner is a Poly-Strip disk. They're not cheap ($15 or more), and I'm not sure whether it's got the sheer grittiness to start lifting the paint, but that would be my first choice because it wont damage the substrate of the wall. They last surprisingly well, and work great on rust and certain types of adhesive, but there are some things that will clog them up - acrylic paint could be one of them. 
The one on the bottom is a Flap disk. At about the same price as the Poly disks, they're not cheap either, but they would have a higher chance of lifting the paint, but also a slightly higher risk of marring the substrate and making a bit of dust. 
Finally, the disk in the top left corner is a 36grit Zec disk. It's also sells at about the same price as the others. It will definitely get the paint off, though, but it will also definitely grind into the substrate. If you are getting a Tiler in, this shouldn't present a problem, though, because he will probably do a thin screed-coat on the first day to get things level again. Because the thing will grind a bit into your cement render, be prepared for a lot of dust. 
You may not find all of these at Bunnings, so I'd go to a more serious Tool Shop (Trade Tools definitely carry the Zec's), and buy one of each and ask them whether you can bring back the one(s) that you don't use. Start using them in the order I have listed them above, until you find one that works. Then take back your unused samples, and buy more of the one that has worked for you. If you just want to try one, I'd go for a Flap-disk. 
Make sure that whatever you use, you're wearing Safety Goggles, and a Dust Mask - End Of Story... 
Best Wishes and Good Luck,
Batpig. 
(P.S. It's cold here in Bris at the moment, hey?)

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## insp. clouseau

Hi Airman 
I think using a wire brush on render is your best way to go. It may leave grooves in the render, but that will allow the tiles to stick better, and as for getting anything in your eye, you should be wearing safety glasses anyway. As for heatgun and scrapper....it would take way too long.

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## jags

batpigs right  
i have use all the discs shown and they will  work a lot better that a wire cup brush and are alot safer to use the wire brush is to hard  and will rip into the wall and they only do a small surface while the discs will remove the paint ...but i would have a go with the one on the bottom left first .........and wear a mask it is going to get dusty .. 
Rob

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## jags

sorry ment the top one ...........

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## AIRMAN

Thanks for the suggestions guys, especially Batpig - Champion!

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