Stripping gloss from wood.

[Lucypop]

Hi

I am about to have a go at stripping my staircase and back door back to the wood and have never done it before (or much diy at all!)

I have a heat gun, is there a set distance to have it away from the wood to prevent scorching?
Also I realise the paint coming off is going to be hot, whats the best thing to put on the floor to prevent burns on the carpet, is an old sheet ok or will the paint be dangerously hot and burn through it?

There is glass in the back door and I realise I will have to use stripper close to the glass, any advice? And same question really, what can I safely use to protect the floor?

Thanks in advance, I am really eager but scared of making some hideous disaster!

Luxxx

 

[braychurchmouse]

Hi Lucypop, no doubt the professionals on this forum will give you expert advice...but here's my two penneyworth...from an amateur.
I have found the best technique is to use newspaper (several thicknesses) over a proper dustsheet. Then when you have a load of paint strippings on the newspaper you can just crumple it up with all the paint to bin it and it keeps the dust sheet clean. That should also be enough insulation. ....remember although the paint is hot for a moment or two there is not much of it, so it cools pretty quickly.
As far as distance is concerned, you can only learn from experience. try and find some bits of wood in a skip that have some paint on them and practice. It always amazes me the way sometimes you can get the distance, speed of movement of the heatgun and scraper just right and the paint comes off quickly and easily. but on other occasions nothing seems to work and you finish up with a glorious mess!!!
I can't comment on use on glass as I've always been too scared to try it

 

[confidentincompetent]

Hi lucypop. I myself would take up carpet, I use plywood sheets which I have cut down for this purpose. There is always a chance that the hot paint strippings will ignite while your up the steps/stairs and by the time you get down it will be tooo late. Are you going for the natural bare wood finish or intending to paint again? You will probably get scorch marks if, using heat is new to you, so have you concidered chemicals? this may help (courtesy of masona)http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/I_want_to_remove.htm#top
Does it really need stripping? if your just looking to improve the surface have you tried a sander?
Keep a bucket of water handy and a garden killerspray filled with water for any nooks and crannys that may start to smoulder.

As Bray says you'l have to find the distance from practice.
Hpoe this helps, bit late for anymore as work am t/c

Be carefull.

 

[braychurchmouse]

There is always a chance that the hot paint strippings will ignite ...

Yes, good point confident...I have only used an electric heat gun, which I don't think gets hot enough to actually ignite the paint. But I guess if you're using a blow-torch then that is a big risk.

If you have fited carpets right to the edge of the stair treads then I would say definitely take up the carpet if you are stripping. Otherwise you wont be able to get down to the base of the woodwork. If you are just sanding and painting I notice the pros seem to be able to do it with masking tape on the edge of the carpet, but whenever I have tried that it hasn't worked successfully for me.

 

[Lucypop]

Thanks for your help guys, I feel a bit more scared now!

I am planning to use an electric gun not blow torch, and want to take it back to wood and not repaint if hopefully the wood is good enough.

I had a look on the link you posted and it recommends a product you smear on (Kling strip) has anyone used this? It sounds good as it is non toxic, but I can kind of imagine it might be fairly time consuming. It has got me tempted though...Something I could just smear on and wipe away with the paint coming off too.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has tried it.

Luxxx

 

[braychurchmouse]

If you are planning to just have bare wood finish I would be very careful with a heatgun, because any scorching will be difficult to remove by sanding.

I'm not familiar with the product you mention but I had disastrous results with a product called Peel Away by Langlow (mail order from Screwfix). It achieved a very patchy removal and then the alkaline residue had to be neutralised with acetic acid and tested with litmus strips until it was neutral. I must have failed to do this adequately because lots of the subsequently applied varnish just flaked away after a few months. I notice Screwfix are no longer selling it so I was probably not alone in experiencing problems.

After many year's of struggling to remove paint from skirting boards, doors etc I have come to the conclusion that if you correctly cost your time it may be better to get a carpenter to install brand new woodwork. Or in the case of skirting boards, it is actually quite easy to remove old ones completely and install new ones in beautiful virgin wood, ready to be waxed or varnished. I guess a staircase would be more expensive, but i bet when you are half way through the stripping, you will wonder whether it might have been best to get new woodwork installed! (that is unless you have some wonderful victorian woodwork that can't be replicated)

 

[Lucypop]

That peelaway stuff sounds like a right hastle, the one I mentioned says you literally slap it on cover with film, leave then wash off with water.


I know what you are saying about just paying somebody to do it and there is nothing I would like better than to sit back and watch somebody else if we could afford it! On the other hand I am a full time mum and so don't get to experience the same job satisfaction of finishing a job like you do at work, so it would be really nice to look and say...I did that! (and it looks totally crap and bodged!)