Stripping Door
#1
12-06-06, 08:32 PM
Stripping Door
I have a home that is about 35 years old. The interior doors are all nice pine. The problem is that they have multiple layers of paint. I have started stripping the doors, but it is a nightmare. They are raised panel doors and the crevices, gaps and corners are driving me crazy. I am using a citrus stripper. I have tried toothbrush/tooth pick/steel wool/stripping pads, etc. Nothing seems to work very well.
Is there something else that I should try? Or is it just this difficult?
Thanks...
Is there something else that I should try? Or is it just this difficult?
Thanks...
#2
12-07-06, 06:41 AM
IMO stripping is always a pain. Is it really neccesary to strip them? Are the details filled in with paint? adhesion issues? What are your plans to finish them with?
#3
12-07-06, 07:32 AM
I wish it was not necessary, but I would like to stain the doors, so I need to get down to bare wood. I guess it really is just this difficult. The details are totally filled with paint.
Thanks...
Thanks...
#4
12-07-06, 08:34 AM
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i used to hear of people taking pieces to furniture refinishers and having them "dipped" which i assumed meant they literally submerged the whole thing into a big tub of stripper & voila - it was done. does anyone still do that?
#5
12-07-06, 10:13 AM
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Yes, you can get them dipped. It can be expensive.
You could also try a product called Peel Away. It is designed for projects just like yours, and not super expensive.
Apply in VERY THICK application (like 1/4") and then step away from project for several hours if not several days. After application you cover it with a special paper that is included. It is slow going, but it can strip up to 30 layers at a time. After a few days, you strip it off in sheets with a little paddle.
Its been featured on This Old House, and other renovation shows. Check your local SW they can order if not in stock. One major step is to neutralize when you are completed. If you dont, the wood will be acidic and reject any future coatings by "burning" them chemically.
Because of its semi-solid (more on solid side) it has very little odor.
You could also try a product called Peel Away. It is designed for projects just like yours, and not super expensive.
Apply in VERY THICK application (like 1/4") and then step away from project for several hours if not several days. After application you cover it with a special paper that is included. It is slow going, but it can strip up to 30 layers at a time. After a few days, you strip it off in sheets with a little paddle.
Its been featured on This Old House, and other renovation shows. Check your local SW they can order if not in stock. One major step is to neutralize when you are completed. If you dont, the wood will be acidic and reject any future coatings by "burning" them chemically.
Because of its semi-solid (more on solid side) it has very little odor.
#6
12-07-06, 02:47 PM
Member
I'd recommend taking them to a strip shop to have them "dipped"
The effort involved in stripping is great
And in this case, so is the health risk
If there is any original paint on them at all, chances are it's lead paint
There are a few types of chemical strippers that you can't use
Also you can't use a torch or too high a heat
And no sanding or scraping that may produce lead paint dust in the air or leave lead paint chips about
Personally I wouldn't do them myself for a customer or for my own house
I'd hand them off to my stripper
The effort involved in stripping is great
And in this case, so is the health risk
If there is any original paint on them at all, chances are it's lead paint
There are a few types of chemical strippers that you can't use
Also you can't use a torch or too high a heat
And no sanding or scraping that may produce lead paint dust in the air or leave lead paint chips about
Personally I wouldn't do them myself for a customer or for my own house
I'd hand them off to my stripper
