The scraper meets resistance at the edge of a peeling section, slides underneath, and with one motion lifts a four-inch strip of old paint that reveals bare wood below. That bare wood tells a story. If it is grey and slightly fibrous on the surface, the wood has been exposed and weathered for some time. If it is clean and tan, the paint failed recently. If it is soft and the wood gives slightly under fingernail pressure, there is a moisture problem beneath that peeling paint that needs to be addressed before any new coating goes on.

Reading the surface while scraping is as important as the scraping itself. The mechanical work of removing loose paint is straightforward. The judgment calls about how much sanding to do, when to feather and when to strip entirely, and how to handle lead-paint concerns are where preparation quality is actually determined.

Tools for Scraping Loose and Peeling Exterior Paint

The choice of scraper determines how quickly the work goes and how well it protects the wood beneath the paint being removed.

Steel scrapers are inexpensive and available everywhere. Their blades dull quickly on exterior surfaces, especially on gritty or textured paint, and a dull scraper requires significantly more force to move the paint. More force means more risk of gouging the wood when the blade catches an edge. Steel scrapers also flex more than carbide scrapers, which reduces the cutting force that reaches the paint.

Carbide scrapers are the professional standard for exterior paint removal. The Red Devil 3002 Carbide Scraper uses a die-cast aluminum body with a two-edged carbide blade that lasts approximately 10 times longer than a comparable steel blade. Its threaded handle accepts standard extension poles, which is essential for reaching upper courses of siding from a ladder or the ground. The Bahco Ergo Carbide Scraper uses a 2.5-inch carbide blade with a two-component handle designed for two-handed operation and can accept four different blade configurations. Bahco claims blade life up to 50 times longer than steel. Both scrapers use replacement blades that are broadly compatible across brands, so running out of sharp blades mid-project is not a concern.

For curved surfaces, carved millwork, and inside corners where a flat scraper blade cannot reach, an oscillating multi-tool with a scraper attachment is the most effective option. The oscillating action reaches into concave surfaces and right angles that would require a completely different tool approach with a standard scraper. The blades on oscillating scrapers are consumable and should be replaced when they stop cutting cleanly.

For homes built before 1978, lead paint testing is mandatory before scraping begins. The 3M LeadCheck Swabs provide results in 30 seconds and are EPA-recognized for testing on wood, metal, plaster, and drywall. If lead paint is present, the scraping approach changes completely. Dry scraping of lead paint requires a HEPA-integrated scraper such as the ProScraper, which attaches directly to a HEPA vacuum. The vacuum captures dust and paint chips at the point of removal rather than allowing them to fall to the ground. Festool and Milwaukee both manufacture HEPA shop vacuums recommended for lead-safe work. EPA RRP regulations require wet scraping methods or HEPA-vacuum-integrated dry scraping for renovators working on pre-1978 homes. Homeowners working on their own occupied homes have different requirements, but wet methods remain the safest approach for personal protection.

How Much Sanding Is Needed After Scraping

Scraping removes loose paint but leaves behind a surface with height differences between areas of intact paint and areas of bare substrate. These ledges, sometimes called paint ridges, cannot be successfully bridged by primer and topcoat. Paint applied over an abrupt paint edge will eventually peel from those edges as the edge acts as a stress concentration point for adhesion failure.

Sanding eliminates these ridges by creating a gradual transition from the intact paint surface down to the bare substrate. The process is called feathering.

On flat siding boards, an orbital sander with 80 to 120 grit sandpaper is the most efficient tool for feathering paint edges. Start at 80 grit on thick paint edges where more material needs to be removed, and finish with 100 to 120 grit to smooth the surface for primer. The sanded zone should extend two to three inches in every direction beyond the scraped area. Running a hand across the transition should produce no detectable ridge between the sanded area and the intact paint.

Hand sanding with a sanding block is necessary on profiles, curved surfaces, and areas where the orbital sander cannot reach without damaging adjacent surfaces. Use 100 grit for general feathering and 120 grit for final smoothing.

Beyond feathering edges, sanding also serves a second function: roughening intact paint surfaces that have become glossy from weathering. Paint applied over a smooth, glossy surface without sanding has poor mechanical adhesion. A light pass with 100 grit sandpaper on glossy sections provides tooth for the new primer to grip.

The paint thickness question matters when deciding how much sanding is needed across the whole surface. If the existing paint system measures more than 15 to 20 mils in total film thickness, adding another coat creates a system that is too rigid and too thick to move with the substrate. Alligatoring becomes the failure mode. At this thickness, the right decision is to strip to bare substrate rather than sand and reprime.

Feathering Edges Between Bare Wood and Intact Paint

Feathering is the blending operation that makes a painted repair invisible. Without it, a repainted section stands out as a visible patch regardless of how well the color matches. The edge of the repair is visible as a slight ridge, and the primer and topcoat highlight it rather than hiding it.

The mechanical process of feathering uses sandpaper to taper the paint edge from its full thickness down to zero over a two to four inch zone. The goal is a ramp, not a step. When the sanding is done correctly, running a hand across the area from bare wood through the feathered zone into the intact paint should feel like a single surface without any detectable transition.

The feathering grit range is 80 to 120. Start with 80 grit when the paint edge is thick and the transition needs substantial material removal. Switch to 100 or 120 grit for the final pass to smooth the feathered zone before priming.

After sanding, dust the entire surface with a dry brush or a vacuum with a brush attachment. Paint and primer applied over sanding dust produce a rough finish and have reduced adhesion. On horizontal surfaces like windowsills and trim, sanding dust settles into recesses and must be blown or vacuumed out completely.

Wipe bare wood areas with a damp cloth and allow to dry completely before priming. Bare wood that is primed while still damp from sanding or from residual moisture produces a primer coat with weak adhesion.

Disposing of Exterior Paint Scrapings Safely

Paint scrapings from exterior surfaces are construction debris that require appropriate handling. The specific requirements depend on whether lead paint is involved and on local municipal regulations.

For homes built after 1978 where lead testing confirmed no lead paint, exterior paint scrapings are typically treated as household waste. Bag them and dispose of with regular trash collection in most jurisdictions. Check local regulations for confirmation.

When lead paint is present, disposal requirements are significantly more stringent. EPA RRP regulations under Title X govern the disposal of lead paint debris for contractors. Paint scrapings containing lead must be wetted before collection to prevent dust generation and placed in heavy-duty bags that are sealed before removal. Local hazardous waste programs accept lead paint debris; some municipalities have specific drop-off days or locations for this material.

For scraping operations on homes with known lead paint, lay canvas drop cloths or heavy-duty plastic sheeting against the foundation and on the ground below the working area before any scraping begins. These catch falling scrapings and chips and allow them to be collected without picking material up from soil. Paint chips embedded in soil are significantly harder to collect and may trigger additional remediation requirements in some jurisdictions.

HEPA vacuum all work surfaces at the end of each day when working with lead paint debris. HEPA filters capture particles down to 0.3 microns at 99.97 percent efficiency, which is the size range where lead dust particles are most hazardous. Standard shop vacuums without HEPA filtration capture the visible chips but exhaust fine lead particles back into the air.

Wetted scrapings must be sealed in heavy poly bags. Use the largest available bags to minimize the number of sealed bags and reduce handling. Label bags as lead paint debris if required by local regulations before transport to the disposal site.