Hi,
I'm moving into an old cottage with lots of oak beams... these are covered in a combination of black paint and varnish. I'd like to bring these back to wood, partly for esthetics but also so they can breathe properly. But need to do so with as little damage to the wood beneath as possible which in places looks fragile (wrong word but certainly not flat/solid).
I've been researching but am finding it very hard to get a straight answer as a lot of the blogs that give the advice are the same ones trying to sell their own services - moistly soda blasting firms. So;
I'm assuming this is not going to be a short job so keeping that aside what is the least damaging: Soda Blasting (bicarbonate of soda, nothing harsher) or chemical (something like non-caustic Easypeel 7) given that even with chemical stripper we'd need to scrape/wire wool it off afterwards. Is there anything that would sway a decision one way or the other?
Thanks in advance.... PS if this should be in the woodworking section I'll move it....
I'm moving into an old cottage with lots of oak beams... these are covered in a combination of black paint and varnish. I'd like to bring these back to wood, partly for esthetics but also so they can breathe properly. But need to do so with as little damage to the wood beneath as possible which in places looks fragile (wrong word but certainly not flat/solid).
I've been researching but am finding it very hard to get a straight answer as a lot of the blogs that give the advice are the same ones trying to sell their own services - moistly soda blasting firms. So;
I'm assuming this is not going to be a short job so keeping that aside what is the least damaging: Soda Blasting (bicarbonate of soda, nothing harsher) or chemical (something like non-caustic Easypeel 7) given that even with chemical stripper we'd need to scrape/wire wool it off afterwards. Is there anything that would sway a decision one way or the other?
Thanks in advance.... PS if this should be in the woodworking section I'll move it....
