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August 24, 2009
Stripping Moldings
I'm trying to strip my moldings of many years of paint. I've read through the blogs here on the subject and have a few follow up questions.
From what I read the two top (safe) contenders for interior paint removal seem to be Peelaway or the Silent Paint Remover. The top professional paint stripper seems to be Joe Salem. Does anyone know what Joe uses to strip moldings?
How do you know if you're dealing with lead paint? I assume the base layer is lead b/c of age but is there another way? If dealing with lead paint, is a gel type paint remover, like Peelaway, safe? Should I use a respirator if I'm using a non-toxic paint remover? I'm currently using a product called Citris Strip stripping gel - it's supposedly non-toxic. I'm using a respirator nonetheless b/c I'm paranoid - but I'm sweating my ass off with the thing on. Am I being overcautious?
Any other advise for a person doing their own stripping work that will save me time and energy?
Peace
Comments
You being overly cautious. For at almost ten years, ending 25 years ago I used Rock Miracle on an almost daily basis with little ventilation, and have suffered no ill effects. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best product out there. Working with it for a few weeks with ventitation will not be a problem.
Posted by: yaakovdoe at August 23, 2009 3:42 PM
Wearing the mask sucks in this heat, but it's not overly cautious. Assume there is lead paint if the house is older than 1978....you don't need to test.
I had some minor health issues after stripping 4 floors and that was with a mask most of the time. I detoxed and then I was fine.
I used Rock Miracle, but only found out about the SPR towards the end. It is much faster for certain things!
Here, read some posts..... :)
http://reclaimedhome.com/2008/02/12/stripping-paint-heat-gunspr-or-chemicals/
http://reclaimedhome.com/2007/09/14/silent-paint-remover/
http://reclaimedhome.com/2007/09/14/safety-first/
http://reclaimedhome.com/2008/02/11/your-restoration-your-health/
Posted by: rh at August 23, 2009 4:17 PM
any moldings in an old house that are over 30 years old have lead paint on them.. Im doing some stripping on my own house and am going to try rock miracle.. The guy across the street from me had professional strippers in ( for the woodwork ) and they used that rock miracle stuff and the place came out beautiful
Posted by: RustyBob at August 23, 2009 11:11 PM
The biggest danger from lead is if you sand it and raise a dust and breathe that. The fumes from the stripper are a different story and the light paper masks will not be effective against that. You need a respirator.
Keeping the lead paint "contained" in the stripping muck is the best way as opposed to sanding.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 24, 2009 7:23 AM
i used joe salem for some detailed architectural stuff in my house and a door or two. i recommend him for that. when i asked him about my doorway moldings, which are nice, but nothing remarkable, he said 'save yourself some time and aggravation and just buy new moldings.'
a decent wood shop has zillions of designs--some quite beautiful--preprimed and ready to paint.
cheaper, easier and safer.
your results may vary.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 24, 2009 12:34 PM
I don't really worry to much about lead exposure for myself. I am very careful around children though
Also, if you chemically strip, that lead will not become airborne which is one of the ways it is ingested. Be aware that it is illegal to sand paint of unknown makeup in this city; test kits are available at the paint stores and HD.
Steve
www.thetinkerswagon.com
Posted by: thetinkerswagon at August 24, 2009 10:03 PM
Thanks for all of the comments. A friend came by and said that the moldings were a combination of mahogony and walnut, so they're worth saving. I'm gonna pick up the Peelaway and give it a try...i got nothing but time.
Posted by: djd007nyc at August 24, 2009 10:14 PM
do not use Peel a Way ONE on mahogany/walnut. PA1 is essentially lye, and will chemically discolor your wood, and change its PH, so finishing or painting could be a problem. Peel a Way SEVEN, is a different chemical (NMP) and does not have those issues. PA7 does have a long dwell time, so you might want to try it- but do compare it to Rock Miracle, which works much faster. And remember, anything strong enough to take paint off of wood is not harmless, don't be fooled by "non-toxic" claims.treat paint removers with care.
Posted by: ParkSlopePS at August 25, 2009 6:58 AM
thanks for the comment on Peelaway. I actually just picked up Smart Srip which is made by the makers of Peelaway and is supposed to work well on wood moldings. I'll let you know how it does.
Posted by: djd007nyc at August 29, 2009 7:28 PM
There is a place in Hackensack, NJ that will strip just about anything. I used them for all my doors and molding and they did a great job. No mess and smell and no worry about your health. Ask for Lou.
DIP & STRIP
106 Frederick St
Hackensack, NJ 07601-5231
(201) 487-1115
Posted by: brau at September 1, 2009 1:40 PM
There is a place in Hackensack, NJ that will strip just about anything. I used them for all my doors and molding and they did a great job. No mess and smell and no worry about your health. Ask for Lou.
DIP & STRIP
106 Frederick St
Hackensack, NJ 07601-5231
(201) 487-1115
Posted by: brau at September 1, 2009 1:40 PM
dgeamba stripping in parkslope did some stipping work for me in my house. I have to say he did a gerat job on my moldings and doors. then we had him do the shutters. I was very happy with all the work to date! give john a call 917 299 6960.
chech them out at Degambastripping.com
Posted by: gsxr1 at September 2, 2009 11:09 AM
1) which rock miracle product?
2) what is difference between peel away 6 and smart strip?
Posted by: renojl at September 7, 2009 12:00 PM
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