The system will remove paint from many exterior and interior architectural surfaces, including stone, cement, brickwork, plaster walls and ceilings, plain and ornate fibrous plaster cornices, plain and carved or turned woodwork, plain and cast metal work. Automobile, aircraft and marine coatings are also efficiently stripped with the Peelaway^® system. Because the chemicals are doing the stripping work with minimal sanding and scraping required compared to other methods the Peelaway^® Poultice Paint Removal System can be very cost effective – substantially reducing the overall amount of labour required for the stripping project and the need for negative air and debris collection that is often very labour and equipment intensive.

Peelaway^® is architecturally specified; approved for projects by English Heritage, National Trust and many contractors working in the heritage industry. The Peelaway^® Poultice Paint Removal System has been used for many high profile restoration projects including railings and interiors at The British Museum, ornate plaster ceilings at Greenwich Palace, ironwork on the London Underground and delicate panelling at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The system is frequently specified by architects as the only appropriate solution for paint removal where damage to the surface or risk to the environment is an issue.

Peelaway^® stripping pastes are designed to be applied with the spatula supplied. Alternatively a hawk and trowel, brushes or a roller can be used. The pastes can also be sprayed with the use of the correct equipment: details are available from the company’s technical department. The method of application will depend on how thick the paste needs to be applied, for instance, a spatula or trowel will apply the paste thicker than a brush.

• Always carry out a Test patch first 
• Never presume that Peelaway^® will work because there are three types for different paints.
• The 3 types are, Peelaway^®1 (P1), Peelaway^® 7 (P7) & Peelaway^® Marine
  
• P1 is mainly for lead and oil based paints and must be neutralised after stripping (pH between 5-9, fluid supplied). Moisture containing residues of Peelaway^®1 may bleed out of the substrate at a later date thus raising the alkaline pH value once again. This could affect the appearance of the repainted surface. As a precaution if Peelaway^®1 is used and the surface is to be repainted, we would always recommend using a good quality alkaline resistant acrylic sealer/primer prior to repainting. Repaint only when the surface has dried out (below 12% moisture) and has been rubbed down. Rubber gloves must be worn.
  
• P1 may discolour some hard woods including oak; P7 should not cause this effect as it’s made differently but check first with a test patch.
  
• P1 neutralises the lead in paints so that it can be disposed of in the normal way. P7 is mainly for water based and modern oil paints indoors and out.
  
• The Peelaway^® system generally does not work as effectively without the covering of the plastic blankets. These should be cut to size and overlaid as appropriate. Green for P7 and red for P1.
  
• Peelaway^® will work slower under 5^oC and will stop working under 0^oC. You can apply Peelaway^® with a spatula, trowel or brush; you can also spray it on for bigger surface areas.
  
• As a guide coverage is approximately 1m² per kilo at 1mm thick for P7. For P1 the coverage is reduced by approximately 20 per cent.
  
• Always ensure that a sample patch is completed using the twin sample pots available. Starting from 1mm and building up the depth to 4-6mm on an area of 75mm x 75mm. If the initial tests are successful bigger test patches are advised before embarking on the whole project. This will identify the following: - which type of PEELAWAY^® to use; - how much to put on; - how long to leave it on to do the job; - it will warn you of possible damage; - it will save you time and money; - and how successfully Peelaway will strip the particular surface.

For technical assistance contact Barrettine at sales@barrettine.co.uk or telephone 0117 960 0060

ALWAYS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AND DO A TEST PATCH FIRST.

We can not state enough how important it is to carry out a test patch before general use.

The size of the test patches will depend on the subject matter, but as a guide they should be from 75 x 75mm up to 300 x 300mm. Apply Peelaway® paste graded from 1mm to 6mm thick according to the age and thickness of the coating (e.g 1mm when removing a thin layer of varnish but possibly up to 6mm where there are multiple layers of thick paint). Place the Peelaway® blanket (print side out) on to the paste. Rub gently to remove air, pierce bubbles where necessary. Allow to stand from 2 to 48 hours, again this will be determined by the paint/coating type and thickness/number of layers. When using Peelaway® 1 to remove heavy paint build up over plaster mouldings you may need to leave even longer (up to 72 hours) and this can often aid the drying out process which encourages the old paint and blanket to lift away from the substrate being treated to complete the stripping process. 

For areas involving different elevations several test patches should be applied to accommodate the possibility of different coatings and the effects of weather on exterior surfaces. To remove, the spatula should be inserted into the paste and a section gently lifted away. If the original surface is apparent, the test patch can be removed and the surface wiped with a damp sponge. If paint can still be seen, the test patch should be replaced and re-examined after a few hours. 

Once the correct paste and timing for the project has been established together with the thickness required, the designated paste should be applied, the Peelaway® blanket laid over the paste and left for the time indicated by the test patch. Full instructions are on the containers. 

Each project can potentially give different results and this is why it is imperative to carry out Test Patches. Leaving on for not long enough could mean the process has not completed. Leaving on too long could damage the substrate or you may find the Peelaway® blanket and paste becomes too hard and difficult to clean up.