We just bought a house that was built in 1876. Our wood work is ornate with lots of detail, however, someone painted it all white : ( I have begun the task of stripping it and restoring it to its original beauty. I have been doing this for 2 weeks and have not even got the one wall done.
I am using strippers and a sander. I keep thinking there has to be an easier way. Any suggestions?
2007-11-07 02:23:27 · 8 answers · asked by mis_astro 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
i've used a heatgun to remove old paint from old wood it works really well on large flat areas but stripper and a small wire brush work much better on small and ornate areas.its a long tough job but the finished results will be so worth it -hang in there
2007-11-07 02:48:28 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the paint is very thick then yes, it really needs to come off. Use a hot air gun (available for around 20 pounds) and a good stripping knife. Once you get the hang of it, you will find the heat-softened paint comes of in big strips and will not take anywhere near as long as it might seem. Once the bulk of the paint is off, allow the wood to cool fully and the small bits left will become brittle. At this stage, go over it with medium sand paper and you will get a good hard flat surface ready for painting. Use an undercoat, spirit based ones are best, let it harden for a full day and lightly sand the surface before applying a gloss coat. It will look good as new and will be well worth the effort. Good luck!
2016-04-02 22:20:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a heat torch like product you can buy.. It looks like an industrial strengh hair dryer.. .It will literally take the paint off in bigger sections, down to the wood ! It's fairly easy to use just point it in the direction you want to strip and let the paint bubble and scrape off with a scraper.... That will be a little easier than a sander.. Good luck
2007-11-07 02:41:09 · answer #3 · answered by pebblespro 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nitromorse is an option,(not sure if thats correct spelling for it)you coat it on & leave for a certain amount of time & it takes all the old paint off the wood.You have to have plenty of ventilation & gloves when using as is very strong stuff & gives off vapours.So care is needed.Best to check details with store if buying but will strip out paint from the ornate parts.
2007-11-07 02:35:06 · answer #4 · answered by anna 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be careful as that paint may well contain harmful lead in a house of that era. a sander or even blowtorch will just release the particles too much so you will probably need a suitable paste or something i think, just read the instructions! good luck
2007-11-07 08:33:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are doing it the right way but are you using a respirator. Most likely you are dealing with lead paint in a house of that age! See the link for details.
2007-11-07 05:13:56 · answer #6 · answered by DIYpro 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your doing it right. Now you know why companies charge so much to do restoration work. If you have the patience and constitution to continue (or can afford to hire someone to do it) it will be well worth the effort.
It will definately increase your home value as well.
2007-11-07 02:33:49 · answer #7 · answered by dedgrimm 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
blow torch, dont hold the heat on the wood/paint too long, just untill the paint starts smoking or turns brown then wire brush the paint away..
2007-11-07 02:30:56 · answer #8 · answered by 101 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋