We recently bought a 1904 Builder’s Queen Anne. The last owner recently painted all the beautiful dark stained trim white (I know it was recent because she blogged the unfortunate process :))
My kids decided to help with caulking in the house and went a little overboard. While picking off caulk, I easily peeled off the white paint on the trim. I took a little hand sanitizer and let it sit for 5 minutes and was able to take off more. The original finish was unharmed. Goodness! It is beautiful. I just dont think I could get it quite right if I strip it and re-stain.
I had planned on chemically stripping the trim and refinishing it (as we hope to do a historical restoration) but am wondering if it is possible or a waste of time to try to take the white paint off using less severe methods so I can preserve the beautiful original finish. I took pics of what I had completed (a corner of the trim) but cant find the pics now. Will keep looking but we are currently in another state selling our old home. Any thoughts and thank you in advance!
Replies
This is not what I had done either is pics on the internet of how the trim looked when the previous owner first did repainting and renovations (one of which was removing the fireplace :() and how it looks now with the white trim.
Interestingly, the section I removed with alcohol actually looks even better. Probably because it was dusty due to renovation in the included pic
Here is a pic I found when I first started taking it off. Now, most of that corner is off
I would ,where possible, remove the baseboard and casings and take it and have it dipped. Getting paint out of all the cracks and corners while on your hands and knees......! The doors can easily be removed. If you decide to remove the paint yourself I'd still think it would be easier to remove the trim and strip it. If your lucky the new paint was poorly done as far as preparation and didn't properly adhere to whatever is underneath. People often waxed their woodwork then after 100 years of waxing someone wants to paint or refinish. They think a scuffing will work. It seems to for a while.
To figure out, what you can do after the paint is removed you'll need to find out what you have underneath. The trim could be mahogany or it could be poplar or...and what you decide to do will depend on what you have.
Try one of the citrus strippers, in place. I think the chance of saving the original finish is close to zero. Getting every last bit of white off is not going to be easy.
If you decide to pull the trim and have it dipped, it's a big job. Big chunks of the original plaster will come off with it, and there will be tons of patching. And the chances of splitting trim is very high. And, there could be a lead hazard. Better varnish from that era had lead added to it.
You have a very big job ahead.
Thank you both! Yes, it prob would be nearly impossible to get the white paint out of every little nook with the alcohol. I'll probably humor myself and try it for a day and then switch to the citrus stripper :)
Did the paint come off in strips? How about trying a heat gun?
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled