Destabilize the Bond between Coating and Substrate
Napier Environmental Technologies RemovALL Paint removers have been a staple of the DTEPStore since Day 1. We receive countless calls from painting contractors and homeowners alike who have seen the product rerun time and time again on This Old House TV episode How to Scrape Old Paint Off a House.
We have always carried both brands, and while most folks call for the name brand we regrettably are often out of stock. On March 11, 2013 the US Importer advised us that Removall products would no longer be available. Therefore, we wanted you to be aware that an alternate choice does exist.
What is SARA Technology
The vast majority of chemical paint removers currently produced have proven harmful to both the environment and you in one fashion or another. Several forms of environmentally advantaged removers have since been developed because of tougher regulations and calls for from the industry, but few are as effective against the tough, high performance industrial coatings that are in use today.
SARA Technology is the industry difference. Products based on this technology are biodegradable, non-toxic, non-irritating and offer a cost-effective method of removing old paint systems. A substitute for traditional, hazardous removers, these products can be used where abrasive blasting or high-pressure water jetting could not be performed.
Products based on SARA Technology have a unique formulation consisting of three main components: Water, Moisture Barrier, and Active Ingredients.
How the Technology Works
Once the product has been applied to a painted surface, the active ingredients start traveling down through the paint. They open the pores of the paint, allowing the product to penetrate all the way down to the substrate. When these ingredients have reached the substrate, an internal chemical reaction takes place by which oxygen gas is released from within the chemical remover. The bond between the coating system and the substrate is destabilized and the pressure created by the oxygen breaks that bond completely and releases the paint from the surface.
In the meantime, the Moisture Barrier begins to rise to the top of the remover and forms a protective layer that prevents the remover from drying. In an indoor setting, the remover may stay wet and active for up to four days.
When the bond has been released, the paint lifts off the surface in relatively large pieces or chips and sometimes it even falls off in sheets. Pressure washing removes the lifted paint and residue from the substrate, which is left clean and ready for re-painting. Therefore, de-coating procedures are greatly simplified, and costs are dramatically lowered.
While the active ingredients are traveling through the coating, it may seem like nothing is happening. Be assured that if the SARA product is wet on the surface of the paint, the active ingredients are hard at work. Allow them time to reach the substrate. The dwell time will depend on the thickness and toughness of the coating, but while the remover is doing the work, you have time on your hands for other revenue producing jobs.
Manufacturing and Production
Napier Environmental Technologies sold to FreeWorld Environmental Technologies in 2008 thus moving the manufacturing process from Canada to Australia. In 2012 Kansai Paints purchased Freeworld Coatings and transferred the manufacturing process to South Africa. In 2012 US supply was limited to sporadic shipments arriving by ocean cargo vessel. Shortly thereafter manufacturing and production facilities were purchased by a Chinese corporation. Therefore, Removall production is currently limited to China. Since 2013 no ocean shipments have arrived in the US.
The Sum of its Parts
There are two main players in the SARA / DORADO technology paint remover field. Freeworld Environmental Technologies the makers of RemovALL and Eldorado Chemical Solutions the makers of DoradoStrip. DoradoStrip manufacturing came to exist during the split-up of the original Napier company by some of the plant workers and chemists. They began the manufacture of a similar product utilizing the existing SARA / DORADO technology. The DoradoStrip Brand continues to be manufactured in the US and is widely available. The RemovALL Brand is available in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The #1 noticeable difference in products is smell. RemovALL has little, if any odor. DoradoStrip has very noticeable smell and odor. In our tests, performance is nearly identical. However, because of its extreme odor, DoradoStrip is not recommended for indoor use without proper protective equipment.
Unfortunately, RemovALL is no longer available in the United States, and its closest competitor DoradoStrip ceased production in December 2022. Removall brand was sold to Freeworld Coating Global (Pty) Ltd in 2009, then brand ownership transferred to Kansai Plascon Africa in 2013.
In Closing
The long time US expert and technical adviser for the RemovALL Brand eventually left the company and began support of the DoradoStrip product. As technical adviser and writer a comparison of Bulletins and product labeling quickly illustrated the near word for word conformity. Beaver, the technical writer and representative now lives in Haiti and is the founding member of Much Ministries an organization designed around the interruption and dismantling of systematic poverty.
