Stripping Gas Station

[Jon Samson]

I need some advice. I was contacted to give a bid to wash this Gas station. The owner wants me to first strip off the paint on the underside of the canopy. I was told it is made of aluminum. I have never stripped paint off metal before. I would like to your thoughts:
2500 square feet, take off paint underside only.

1) Best method to use?
2) Turbo nozzle?
3) Can I get it from the ground or need a man lift?
4) Chemicals to use to strip it?
5) Suggestions for outdoor lighting to get (I don't own any yet)
6) How long do you think it will take?

Any other ideas or cautions appreciated.

I have a 5.5 gpm, hot water machine, sureflow pump and tank. Water and electricity will be provided.

I thought already about blocking off the area, covering the tanks, having a ground person. We would wear PPE, have the lights off during the process. Screen for the drains (on site with their own water drainage).

 

[snagtooth]

That looks like a huge pain....Man boom (so water isn't going directly down into the lift electrical), Gel style stripper for clinging to underside (hand brushed or rolled), Definitely bring the turbo tip, rent a self powered construction style light, A one man show...I bet it will take you a few nights (gotta clean and re-set up every day/night). Looks like a huge liability, canopy is close to the building and other painted surfaces (stripper might get on them, removing paint you didn't want to remove), lots of electrical to worry about, gonna blow stripper and paint flakes everywhere.....I would pass unless its great money and the owner understands the hazards/challenges, seems like a job for a bridge restoration/paint company, where they would fully contain the canopy with a recovery enclosure system.

 

[HighTide]

I will agree on the huge pain. In my first year or two, I would have seriously considered doing that job. Maybe that's the Superman complex in me. Now in my 6th year I have come to realize that I am a pressure washer and roof cleaner and to run away from a job that is better handled by someone who is specialized in stripping paint.

 

[Jon Samson]

Thanks for the input I would agree. I didn't think it was as easy and a turbo nozzle and high pressure. Given the type of paint I think would be on the galvanized steel or Aluminum I figure it would powder coated, or baked on enamel and would require some very nasty and expensive stripper to get it off where it isn't peeling, and I sure wasn't going to sand it off overhead, and I had concerns about recovery of all water since I was using so much stripper, dripping down etc. I am not at all set up for this type of thing.