"My 2,200-square-foot house has a horrible texture coat all over it (with vertical strips of wood throughout as part of the design). I had planned on stuccoing over it; however, the bids I've gotten so far are extremely high. So now I'm thinking about trying to have the texture coat removed (and the vertical strips of wood removed) and then painting the house. However, I can't seem to find anyone to remove the texture coat. One contractor said it couldn't be sandblasted because that would damage the underlying wood. Help!"
- Susan Wiess, Angie's List member

Joe Campbell, owner of highly rated Arizona Painting Company in Chandler, Ariz., which services the greater Phoenix area, says texture coat on the outside of homes is rare.

"Typically, when we hear about a texture coat, it's done with a drywall on the inside," he says. "If you want to strip it completely, Bix paint remover is a good option. Bix will remove just about any kind of paint.

"However, you need to be very careful with it, because it can kill grass and stain concrete. You'll want to lay out enough plastic to keep it all off the ground."

If a surface can't be removed without damaging the wood, Campbell says the only other option is to refinish over it with a new coat of paint.

Owners of homes built before 1978 also need to be aware of new EPA regulations concerning lead paint.

"When you're stripping paint on one of these older homes, there are very specific rules about sanding, dust control and cleanup," he says. "If you know for sure you've got lead paint, you'll want to leave the job to a lead removal specialist."