Wood Stripping
Has anyone ever stripped the wood in their brownstone. I was going to hire as someone to do it but was told it was very expensive and that, with patience, I could probably do it myself. Any suggestions??
Has anyone ever stripped the wood in their brownstone. I was going to hire as someone to do it but was told it was very expensive and that, with patience, I could probably do it myself.
Any suggestions??
I am removing paint from wainscoting in my bathroom. the house is 125 years old. Therefore, there are a few layers of paint to remove. I have remove mostly all the paint except for what appears to be the last layer. This last layer is whitish, filmy looking, not thick. This was probably from the original painting of the bathroom in 1880. What kind of paint do you think it might be? A milk paint possibly? It’s so translucent, it could be mistaken for stain of some sort?
I’m looking for a handyman to do a few jobs in my brownstone. Framing out a shower; replacing rotted out boards in a windowsill; and repairing a botched plaster molding job. I saw Bob Garvey and Gibson Mitchell recommended on http://www.parkslopeparents.com — has anyone used either of them for jobs like this? Any referrals would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Just an added extra. Unless you’re very careful, a heat gun can be very dangerous. You can easily scorce the wood (my wife did) and the melting paint fumes are sickening. (Yes, and it’s en easy way to start a fire.) Peel-Away 6 or 7 is still the best. As far as finishing goes, seal the wood first with amber (color) shellac, then mix a small amount of stain with VARNISH (not polyurethane) for you top coat. If you want extra protection, an extra coat of clear varnish on top. Try a satin or semi-gloss instead of gloss.
Ahh yes, the 5-in-one. Don’t get one with sharp edges unless whoever is using it has a ton of control. The duller one was better for this purpose . . .
I used to hate paint stripping…and I’ve tried most of the ways. Here’s my method. First, clear the area. Don’t try to climb around things. Then, start small. Try a door frame, small piece of wainscote, etc. Now, buy a small container of Peel-Away 6 or Peel-Away 7 and use the “cloth” (it’s a paper that they sell for use with their product, but DON’T use regular paper). Then, follow their instructions. Apply the paste with a 2″, or so, cheap, bristle brush. Don’t use a synthetic bristle. Apply about 1/8″ thick, cover with the paper, and let it sit for about 2 to 3 days. Remove the paper, gently, using a small paint scraper (but don’t dig into the wood). After you have removed the paper/paste and as much as possible of the residue, try cleaning the surface with denatured alcohol and steel wool. (Use rubber or vinyl gloves) Most woodwork was sealed with shellac, and all the varnish, paint, etc., is just sitting on top of the shellac.
I’ve done a lot of paint stripping on my home, and this is the easiest and best method I know of. Forget M/C (Methelyene Chloride)strippers, heat guns, sanders, etc.
If you’d like, I can dig out some before and after pictures. Let me know.
I disagree that obsessive-compulsive behavior is needed to get this job done, but it sure would make it easy!
Me, I hate doing the chores. I’d rather be at the beach. But I love my house and I don’t have a million to sink into it so I managed to work up the discipline to work on it for a few months. Go with that new homeowner energy for as long as you can!
I was working on a little more than one window a day for stripping, then several a day for staining etc. But I was taking a less vigorous route than could be possible.
And if you can work out a little work exchange with friends or family (think barn-raising), it can make all the difference. I kept in mind that I was cut out to do this for a limited time period and not a career…
If you an obsessive compulsive personality than paint stripping is for you. If you get bored fast with menial tasks and find no pleasure in such activities as raking leaves, sweeping your front sidewalk or getting your windows really clean than paint stripping is best hired out. If you try it yourself start out on a section with little detail and clean up as you go, so you don’t track the junk all over the place.
I am with you LG. Paint stripping is tedious but rewarding. There is however another heat gun you might want to try which is a little more expensive, but great. Go to this link
http://www.silentpaintremover.com/
I really recommend it. I have done quite a bit myself with it and a 5 in one scraper. Doors dip…yes…definately.
I am loathe to answer, for fear of hearing another sh*t storm from anonymous writers . . . yet here I go. I’ll assume you are a responsible adult. For info on lead paint and health effects please read other threads on this site.
I stripped the window/door frames of my place with a heat gun. 2 of them actually — many many of my friends were enlisted. It is time consuming, but not terrible work. It’s pretty easy to get the hang of — and I feel qualified to say that, having taught more than a dozen friends and set them loose on my antique wood. You strip, then you sand, then you stain, then you steel wool, then you seal. Anything that can be removed and sent out to be dipped, do (like doors.) It’s a very cost effective solution.
I tried zip strip and peel-off or whatever that’s called, and I like heat gunning the best. I found the chemical strippers made the molding take stain unevenly, and were stinky and messy.
A heat gun is like a really hot hairdryer. You train it on a short strip of paint (6″ or so), run it back and forth, and turn it to goo. You scrap it off right away, with a “5 in one” tool which has versatile scrapping edges. It’s all about patience, and getting the right point where the paint is liguid enough to remove but before you scorch the wood. You shouldn’t have to muscle the paint off.
Then it drops to the floor and quickly cools into a brittle piece of trash.