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Thread: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    DIY SOS..
    Calling all Handy Andy wannabe's

    Have got a LOT of paint to remove off door frames, window sills, skirting boards, doors etc etc. I thought my little mouse sander (No such thing as a mouse that isn't smooth enough.. just don't use it on hamsters.. they just don't polish up nicely) would be sufficient but it's taking ages.. not to mention numbing my fingers and making my arms ache.

    I know there's other options available. Heat guns and chemical strippers but I've not had much use of these. We have a LOT of gloss painted woodwork to strip back to the wood and at my current rate of work I'll be done in about 2 months

    Any suggestions? is it just one of these things that will take time regardless and should I just bite the bullet and sand until my arms fall off??

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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Go and get a heat gun! They can be picked up very reasonably, though try and get one that has a few different heat settings.

    I sanded several doors using a not so little sander and it just too ages and ate it's way through sanding strips. I got a heat gun and wish I'd got it earlier, it just zoomed through things.

    Chemical methods can be good for the fiddly bits that are difficult to get into but they are quite over-powering, so plenty of ventilation required.

    HTH Paul

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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Check in the local paper - or google. You can have doors 'dipped' by outfits with appropriate equipment and certainly at one stage, the costs were said not to be outrageous.

    Otherwise, things like Nitromors are excellent so long as you are planning to repaint, rather than have natural wood doors. If you want them, then you have a long journey ahead.

    Just remember that softwood doors (i.e. the ones with knots in) generally were never intended to be seen au naturel; they were manufactured to be painted. Therefore there may be no end of nasty blemishes revealed by stripping them back to the wood - and that's on top of the humungous quantity of ugly knots you will find.

    Some people think that natural wood automatically looks better than painted doors. de gustibus est non disputandem, but if you want natural doors, go buy some modern wood veneer ones.

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    Registered User Battlecat's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    There is also a natural stripper product that you can use, I used it when i stripped down my staircase, couldn't use a heat gun as the paint was fire retardant. Can'r remember what it was called, but it didn't smell and was not toxic on the skin. Think I got it off QVC.

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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Burn them
    remove the doors, skirting boards, the lot
    and burn them, then go dancing
    job done

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    Check in the local paper - or google. You can have doors 'dipped' by outfits with appropriate equipment and certainly at one stage, the costs were said not to be outrageous.
    I've had this done in the past and it was well worth it.

    Also, I know it might sound a little extravagant but if the paint work is absolutely terrible and your time is precious (you have to weigh your time, as a value) I'd consider buying new 'pre-primed' skirtings and just replace the lot. It might not be as expensive as you think.

    Also, ask the strippers for advice, they might be able to do the skirting's and architraves at the same time.

    p.s. I remember when we had our first house, we spent far too long, rubbing down and filling in walls (that would never be perfect and always require lining etc) so, the next time, I realised it was actually cheaper in the long run to get the whole lot re-plastered once and for all and it made everything look shiny and new!
    MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
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    Registered User gamebird's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    I moved a few years ago and was all for the green option of stripping and re-using perfectly good existing skirtings etc...Once I'd finished I did vow never again. Skirting's especially, really take it ouf your knees!

    One of the things that stopped me removing and replacing the woodwork was that it might have removed the original plaster (circa 1950) and I would have to a) repair that or b) replace it with larger 'woodwork'

    I have stripped a number of doors with a heat gun and they are great, especially in conjunction with a triangular shavehook which has nice sharp edges for removing paint from flat surfaces and good points for getting into little fiddly areas.

    I you do decide to do lots of sanding - go to HSS or Speedy and hire a really decent sander - just remember to go to a DIY store for the sanding sheets - they're normally much cheaper, and wear a dust mask and be prepared for the dust to go all through the house.

    Good luck
    gb

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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    p.s. I remember when we had our first house, we spent far too long, rubbing down and filling in walls (that would never be perfect and always require lining etc) so, the next time, I realised it was actually cheaper in the long run to get the whole lot re-plastered once and for all and it made everything look shiny and new!
    Unless it's a labor of love and you know it's good hardwood under, spend a couple of hours ripping off old timber, getting new timber and fitting it. If you are wanting it stained/varnished, do this before fitting it.

    Doors - send to get dipped.

    This will save soooo much time and be much less hassle.

    {I've (literally) just taken off all the upstairs skirting, removed the carpet and gripper rods and cut back the door frames so that I can fit laminate to the hall... and found that the stairs have been painted mustard yellow under the carpet... nitromorse and some sanding if I want it taken back to wood; I may just paint it before putting down the stringer carpet.}

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    Commercial Operator StokeBloke's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    When I saw the topic for this thread I thought you were looking for advice about arranging a stag weekend in Holland

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    Senior Member rubyred's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Quote Originally Posted by pmjd View Post
    Go and get a heat gun! They can be picked up very reasonably, though try and get one that has a few different heat settings.
    In another life I used to do the painting and decorating in the house, and found that the heat gun was really good. If you are going to add varnish be carefull not to over heat the wood because it can leave a mark.
    I had a dresser 'pine stripped' and it worked really well to get the layers of yuk off it. If you are going to add varnish or wax afterwards then this method is pricey but ok.

    Have to say Philsmove's comment raised a smile!!
    if you love the life you live then you'll get a lot more done

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    well apparently I've been misinformed or more likely been properly informed and I've taken the wrong end of the stick !

    Twirly tells me she doesn't actually need the paintwork taken back to the wood only enough to allow a fresh coat of new lighter paint to be applied (I'm no DIY expert.. unless DIY stands for Damage and Injure Yourself!) So I just need to take the top glossy layer off (apparently) and prime the wood for taking new paint.

    I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that that meant taking ALL the paint off. Anyway Twirly tells me we have a heat gun somewhere.. although a thorough search of the flat has so far failed to turn it up but I'll give that a go. Have got some heavily glossed window frames with a dark gloss paint and quite intricate detailing which I doubt the sander will deal with. I think a combination of burning the paint off with a heat gun and perhaps a chemical stripper such as Nitromors will be better than trying to sand it off.

    Thanks for all advice so far anyway.

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Quote Originally Posted by pmjd View Post
    Go and get a heat gun!l
    Pwnage !!!

    (sorry to use a WOWism there )

    The Heatgun seems to be making a great difference. Although being the sad sorry geek I am.. I can't help making "OOOOOooooohhh laaaaaaaaa!!!" noises and impersonating Richard Burton whenever I wield this "Savage, unearthly heat ray"


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    Commercial Operator StokeBloke's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Why not just lightly sand the door to provide a key, then paint it with something like Dulux Once. You can paint light colours straight onto dark ones in one coat

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    Registered User Beowulf's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Quote Originally Posted by StokeBloke View Post
    Why not just lightly sand the door to provide a key, then paint it with something like Dulux Once. You can paint light colours straight onto dark ones in one coat
    AH! you can? Cool.. I may be knowledgeable about many things.. mathematics, physics , electronics, and computing but I'll be the first to admit I'm a right numptie when it comes to anything practical !

    Here was me thinking you had to take the old paint off before applying new.

    Even easier than stripping ! ( the woodwork that is!)

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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    You only have to do that if you've been painting over stuff for years and the layers of paint are thicker than the wood it's self

    That's me now put down the underlay and laminate floor with trims between rooms. The stairs are now painted "light coffee" (an off white) with a runner down the middle. Pity someone put the runner on squint

    Two things I dislike about intensive DIY - sore back from sawing and bending, and sore lips from concentrating too much >-p {Beo does it too! }

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    Thanks for all the advice folks.

    Learnt a useful lesson this weekend. When Beo says he knows how to do something, check that his methodology/terminology is the same as mine!

    Anyway, good progress has been made on one doorframe (which now has to be stripped back to the wood all over since the over-zealous sanding commenced). The rest of the woodwork can just be keyed. This is with the exception of the living room window frames which could do with proper stripping back this time and are painted dark green but being Victorian have lots of beading which is disappearing into the paintwork as they've been overpained several times. Think I'll be getting busy with the Nitromors at the weekend.

    Does anyone have any experience with "restoring" Victorian plasterwork? My nice plasterwork ceiling is looking like lumpy porridge since it's been overpainted so many times. I've read about some stuff that you can paint on, then put a cloth over and it peels the paint off (bit like leg waxing but for a ceiling). Am tempted to have a go. I know from experience that Nitromors does not work as it's just emulsion, and it tends to dribble down your arms/gloves as you put it on...

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    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: Sanding, Stripping or Burning?

    btw - some of the skirtings are original Victorian, so won't get removed and chucked out

    Doors we don't need to do as they'll be replaced with new ones soon (Beo - take note and DO NOT bother to strip the doors!)

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