Best Brownstone Woodwork Stripper
Following on to the Brownstoner post today, wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a company that will come in and strip layers of varnish and paint off of the much of the woodwork on our parlor floor in advance of a major renovation (I understand that it is preferable to do the stripping before anything else). Prefer a company that will use a low VOC option if possible. We are obtaining a lead paint report and there is some small possibility that some small amount of the paint to be stripped will be lead based, so whomever we hire will need to be able to handle appropriately. Based on my review of comments here and elsewhere, I dont think I need full lead abatement. Thanks! p.s. incidentally I already spoke to Park Slope Paint Strippers and got a pretty condescending mini lecture from whomever answered the phone there so we wont be hiring them.
cliftongirl
in Wood Restoration 12 years and 5 months ago
11
Please log in, in order to post replies!
11 replies
metalwork | 11 years and 4 months ago
Please call in an expert, and DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF FIRE ON THE PAINT. you have to be very careful with these conmments. feel fee to contact the business card below for Ref
crownheights12 | 11 years and 11 months ago
hi Cliftongirl, did you ever fnd anyone to do the paint stripping? I’d be interested to hear a recommendation. I’m looking for someone now. I can send you my email address if you prefer? thanks!
brokelin | 12 years and 5 months ago
Ok, I don’t have a dog in this fight, and lord knows sometimes people can sound condescending even if they don’t intend to all the time. BUT … my reaction to first reading this post, even before it turned into a dogfight was … If your house is old enough to have a “parlor,” then unless you know for sure that NO ONE ever painted the woodwork before whatever year lead paint was banned, and that whoever thereafter painted did not use any old paint that someone had sitting around, then there is absolutely no way that “there is some small possibility that some small amount of the paint to be stripped will be lead based.” And if you said that to me, even though I’m not in any trade related to home renovation, I would sound condescending in my answer to to you, too. Because that comment in your initial post shows you do need to be educated about lead paint, whatever decision you make as to lead safe stripping or abatement, and your daughter’s health, as I very much doubt the conditions that would lead there to be a “small possibility that some small amount” of the paint contains lead are present in your house. If I was going to strip paint for somebody in an old house, I wouldn’t want to work for someone that misguided about what they were doing – leads to finger-pointing and problems down the line.
ParkSlopePS | 12 years and 5 months ago
Really sorry to learn that’s how you feel. If I came off that way, it was not my intent. I think when I hear that someone wants to remove lead and there’s a small child involved, I’m naturally concerned. I often get calls from prospective clients who think that our process of removing paint from wood is the equivalent of lead abatement, and I know enough about the issue to know it’s not the same. Following lead safe practices is supposed to minimize the generation of lead dust, but it is not designed or expected to eliminate lead entirely. There are reasons why lead abatement costs 3 to 4 times what we charge. If someone tells me they want their woodwork restored, and do we follow lead safe practices, I’m all on board. However,if someone tells me they want to strip the wood to get rid of the lead because of a young child, then I sincerely believe our process is not what’s called for. Ultimately, the homeowner needs to make his or her own decision regarding the issue. There are many regulatory and legal concerns that arise, and I think it’s prudent to err on the side of caution, even if it ends up offending someone. Sorry for the lecture. You’ve obviously tried to inform yourself about the pros and cons regarding lead in the home; hopefully you will have researched the issue fully. Cheers!
JMT | 12 years and 5 months ago
I too talked to Park Slope Paint Strippers on the phone and decided not to use them because of how the man spoke to me. But I will say the “nice” guy I did use didn’t do such a great job.
cliftongirl | 12 years and 5 months ago
The problem was the tone, not the content, paint stripper guy. As I said on the phone, I understand the difference between abatement and EPA compliant renovation and also the difference in cost between the two. I just wanted to know, without the “nice girly, let me interrupt you in order to explain these veeerrry complicated things to you” lecture, whether you were interested in doing the work. As I also said on the phone, I am sorry that we won’t be working together. You certainly made it clear that you didn’t want my business. Users of this forum can make up their minds about you (although they might want to look up the other posts referencing you. It’s obviously not just me that has a problem with your attitude) For everyone else, I would be very grateful for a recommendation. I’ve heard that the guy at Brooklyn Modern? is possibly good?
ParkSlopePS | 12 years and 5 months ago
Wow, talk about how people can interpet- or misinterpet- what someone says. This person said she wanted to get rid of the lead on her woodwork because she has a small child. So, while I told her that a contractor must follow lead-safe rules when they do their work, that does not mean that that constitutes a lead abatement, which is the only way to be sure the wood is lead free. I think she made reference to how much more money that can cost, so my sense is that she’s rather try to get by on a cheaper method; certainly one that does not insure lead-free woodwork. We don’t perform lead abatements, but strip as part of an historic restoration. And we are a EPA certified firm. But i still thought it best to suggest an abatement, since her initially voiced concern was about lead and her child. So, I guess that’s not what she wanted to hear,. But I don’t see how what I said was condesending. Our family company was founded in 1959, and I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’m both a certified lead abatement supervisor, and a certified lead safe remodeler. My firm has followed lead safe practices for over 20 years- way before the regs came into place. I always make a clear distinction between what we do, and lead abatements, especially when there are young ones involved. And to Cate’s point, much of what you say is true, though I think you oversimplified abit. And there is a difference between not creating lead dust while working- which is what lead safe is about – and actually removing lead from the home environment.
berniceshola | 12 years and 5 months ago
Sorry, 1978 was the year lead paint was banned.
berniceshola | 12 years and 5 months ago
If any of the layers of paint are from 1972 or before, they almost certainly contain lead.
cliftongirl | 12 years and 5 months ago
Thanks Cate for the additional info. Yes, we have a toddler but the idea is to get it all taken care of before we move in and actually before we start the principle renovation, which will involve a lot of plastering/painting of the walls and refinishing of the original floors. I hadn’t realized that the ZipStrip and other products were so messy. I was also told by another contractor that I should be sure to cover all radiators, so the products don’t get on or into the heating system — good advice I thought.
cate | 12 years and 5 months ago
If you do this before you move in, there shouldn’t really be a problem, even if the strippers use a heat gun on the lead and high VOC chemicals such as denatured alcohol and Zip Strip. It all goes away after a day or two or three. (Open the windows.) They should not sand lead paint, but they won’t need to. Do you have young children? Then you need to take a few extra precautions, such as asking the wood strippers to vacuum up detritus produced from the lead stripping using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. You can read all about safe lead handling practices on government web sites.