Our Speedheater™ Infrared Paint Remover products are designed by a Swedish historic restoration specialist. Speedheater™ products are manufactured in Sweden meeting their internationally-known, high-quality standards. Professionals and DIYers who invest in their old homes and in their family health, choose our products.
Pick the Speedheater™ model and scrapers which match the needs of your specific paint stripping project.
The Speedheater™ Cobra is the FASTEST infrared paint remover on the market. The Cobra is the perfect tool for DIY homeowners stripping doors, windows, spindles, tight spaces, furniture, and more. For professionals, add the Cobra to your Speedheater™Standard 1100 Kit and any painted wood surface – big or small – can be stripped with the Speedheater™Method.
With its 20-year-tested infrared technology and with INCREDIBLE SPEED the new Cobra strips paint, varnish, and adhesives.
Our Speedheater™Standard 1100 Infrared Paint Remover works great on large paint stripping jobs like siding, floors, doors, window frames, and porches. Using the right-edged blade to fit surfaces to be stripped cuts down on extra scraper strokes. Most of our customers need at least two scrapers: one with straight edges and one with curved edges. We created the Speedheater™Standard 1100 Kit including our two most common scrapers to meet this need. The size and sharpness of our metal blades and the ergonomic handles make stripping paint softened by the Speedheaters so much more thorough and easier than with traditional scrapers. One application of our larger Speedheater™Standard 1100 heats about a 3” by 11” area in 20-60 seconds. The next area can be heated while the first area is being scraped. Our hands-free accessory, the Classic Arm, can be added to double one worker’s productivity.
Tackle yourself the previously-daunting job of restoring your old windows. Bring them back to their original beauty and durability. Improve their energy-efficiency by removing old, hard glazing and paint and replacing them with new. This Window Tool Kit comes equipped with a Putty Scraper, Boomerang Scraper, and a Chisel with Roller to help you remove both paint and putty without damaging the glass. All our tools are designed to help you achieve the professional-quality look quickly and efficiently.
Eco-Strip is the exclusive distributor of Speedheater™ Infrared Paint Remover products in the US and Canada.
Our products are manufactured in Sweden and provide fast, clean, safe, and eco-friendly stripping of old, thick paint and varnish.
This blog is written by our guest, Chris Hewett, from his private Facebook Group, MyOldHouseFix. Chris’ summaries of complex home restorations topics and his links to other resources are favorites…
Read MoreNot all paint scrapers are created equal. Cost, quality, and effectiveness vary.
Our scrapers are pull type. Most people use putty and drywall knives to push paint off. Pushing is less effective than pulling heated, soft paint. Speedheater™ scrapers have ergonomic, easy-grip and long handles that allow you to use both hands and apply more even and wider pressure on resistant paint.
Our scraper blades are made of steel that is harder and thicker than most lighter, more flexible metal scrapers. The Speedheater™ blade steel is “spring steel” which resists chipping and bending when it hits hard objects like nails. Our blades have very sharp, beveled edges. These blade edges quickly, evenly and thoroughly strip away paint down to the bare wood in just a few strokes. They also prevent damage to wood which duller, uneven blades might do. Speedheater™ scrapers blades have different edge profiles: convex and concave curves; and wide and narrow straight edges. Selecting the scraper with the blade edges which match the flat or curved surfaces you are stripping is key to efficient and effective scraping.
The Speedheater™ method of using infrared to soften the coating and matching the right Speedheater™ scraper make the job of stripping paint or varnish easy. No matter if a surface is flat like exterior siding or curved like interior doors, baseboards, or intricately carved wood, this method cleanly, safely, and efficiently gets a thickly-painted surface immediately ready for new paint.
A. Area stripped: The Speedheater™ Standard 1100 heats a 3” x 10” area evenly with only one application. The specific infrared wave lengths used in the Speedheater™ heat only what is directly in front of the heat source. They do not heat the surrounding area. Heat guns blow super hot air unevenly across a strip only several inches wide. The heat gun has to be in constant motion which makes it difficult to control where and for how long the paint is heated.
B. Paint temperature required to make the paint bubble: The Speedheater™ infrared rays need only to heat the paint to 400-600℉ to separate the bottom layer of paint from the wood. Heat guns must heat paint from the top down to 1000℉ to make it bubble for scraping.
C. Risk of fire: The blowing hot air of heat guns goes between and under boards and into crevices where dust and debris can easily ignite. The high heat penetrates onto the reverse side of the wood and into the materials behind the wood. Undetected from the surface, these can catch fire later after the stripping is done. The infrared rays create heat only in the upper portion of the wood and in the paint. They are not pushing heated air. The rays do not heat the back side of the wood or behind it.
D. Operator skill: The infrared bulbs of the Speedheater™ evenly heat paint in one application to a lower temperature. It requires less operator skill to safely monitor the heating. Using the Speedheater™ pull scrapers one can quickly remove all the paint layers down to the bare wood in a few, long strokes. Heat gun operators traditionally use dull putty scrapers. Push scraping at the correct angle with each stroke is difficult. Reheating and rescraping is often necessary to remove the paint thoroughly. Without experience, it is easy to mar the wood using these common tools.
Lead in paint turns into invisible, toxic fumes at 900-1000℉. Using a very specific infrared wave length, the Speedheater™ does its job very differently and with the paint only at 400-600℉. Lead fumes are not created at this low temperature. The wave length is not harmful to the eyes; it is the same as what the embers of an open fire emit.
Wearing heat-protective gloves, eye protection, and a respirator or dust mask is recommended. Lead paint debris must be thoroughly contained and carefully disposed of. For more information about how to follow Lead-Safe Work Practices in the US, visit: https://www.epa.gov/lead. For other countries, always follow laws and regulations regarding hazardous waste.
The Speedheater™ works well on both exterior wood such as siding, window trim and porches and on interior woodwork such as baseboards, doors, windows, floors, and cabinets. Proper ventilation is needed when you work inside.
Close all doors and all but one window. Place a window fan in this open window to pull the paint (not lead!) fumes outdoors.
