Peel Away 7

Peel Away 7 is a non-toxic paint remover which is supposed to remove paint after applying, covering with butcher paper to keep it wet and active and waiting for an indeterminate amount of time before magically peeling away multiple layers of paint.

Hmm.  Your mileage may vary.  Our first test of this consisted of applying a thin layer (1/8" or so–more just drips down the wall) and waiting 48+ hours.  It peeled away down to a yellow layer that may be of a different type (I should explain that our house is a hundred years old and could have lead paint or whatever those folks in the caves at Lascaux used, and might require the high-octane solution known as Peel Away 1 . Or a jackhammer).  In any case, we are now on our second 48-hour test with thicker application and hope for the best.

Things to note for future victims users: put on as much as does not drip off.  Use butcher paper to cover.  Wait 48 hours, since it does not seem to destroy the wood.  Pray that the house burns down before you have to actually work.

I promise to update this exciting chemistry experiment as results become available.

Exciting update:

This is with the thicker coat and full coverage of the paper.  And it’s the second try on the same spot.