To scrape small areas of peeling paint, a paint scraper, putty knife, or moulding scraper is sufficient. Use these tools, too, where a sander is needed to remove an entire finish; you will need to scrape areas that the sanding wheel cannot reach, such as corners and other tight spots.

To be sure you loosen as much paint as possible, scrape areas of loose paint from every direction; sometimes old paint that's scraped from left to right seems solid but comes off easily when scraped from the opposite direction.

Place two hands on the scraper, and keep it flat to avoid gouging the wood. If you do happen to create gouge marks, sand them down or fill them with a vinyl exterior spackling compound so they will not show through the new paint job.

If the paint that remains after scraping has high or rough edges, sand, or --feather-- them with coarse sandpaper to make them less noticeable.