ᐅ Removing paint without damaging the galvanization

Hello everyone,

Our window lintels are made of galvanized metal on the outside and are painted white. The paint is peeling, and we want to remove it completely.

I was thinking of using a heat gun to soften the paint and then scraping it off with a putty knife. Should I use a plastic putty knife to protect the galvanization? Or is galvanized metal not that easy to damage?

Regards,
Volkmann

Zinc is quite soft, so it's better to use a plastic putty knife.
But whether it will withstand high temperatures...
I would try a paint stripper that is suitable for zinc.

Perhaps one option would be to use a burner like the one used for weed control.

You are building a new house, right?
This is a defect – I would report it so that the benches have to be replaced.

Happy Easter!

I would avoid using a torch on zinc because it melts faster than you can imagine.

If anything, use colored solvent.

But only after the warranty has expired.

So if it’s for outdoor use, it basically has to be hot-dip galvanized. You won’t get that coating off again. If you paint over it, the zinc layer becomes less important anyway. If the zinc layer just flakes off, that’s very poor quality. Maybe tomorrow at work I can take a photo of a hot-dip galvanized part. It can last 5000 years in pouring rain without any rust or similar issues.