Well, this is my first DIY-related post, and I apologise if it's a crap question.
We've just moved into a late 19th century flat, and I'm just starting on the DIY projects that are bothering me the most. My biggest problem atm is the icky old paint. All of the woodwork and doors are painted THICK with multiple layers of glossy paint. It is so thick that the detail on all of the surfaces is almost completely obscured. The paint around the doors is built up so much that the doors barely have enough clearance to open, and the hinges are almost obscured by it. It is chipping off in many places, revealing at least 8 layers of glossy white paint (and one layer of flourescent ORANGE!!!), probably 1-2mm thick, and really gloopy and uneven in appearance. Gross.
The doors are not original and we're planning on replacing these (don't get me started on the weird sizes....most are 208cmx82cm). But is there anything at all we can do about the woodwork other than having it all ripped out? I've been reading other posts, and I don't think I've found anything that would apply in this case. Would heat work well on thick built-up layers? I'm a paper conservator by trade, so I have infinite patience and a steady hand, and I don't care how long it would take! I can't see chemical strippers having any effect on it. Help, it's just gross and nasty and it's driving me crazy!
Thanks in advance. I'm glad to have found this forum, and I look forward to tackling all the other nasty bits in my flat with its assistance!
-kate
We've just moved into a late 19th century flat, and I'm just starting on the DIY projects that are bothering me the most. My biggest problem atm is the icky old paint. All of the woodwork and doors are painted THICK with multiple layers of glossy paint. It is so thick that the detail on all of the surfaces is almost completely obscured. The paint around the doors is built up so much that the doors barely have enough clearance to open, and the hinges are almost obscured by it. It is chipping off in many places, revealing at least 8 layers of glossy white paint (and one layer of flourescent ORANGE!!!), probably 1-2mm thick, and really gloopy and uneven in appearance. Gross.
The doors are not original and we're planning on replacing these (don't get me started on the weird sizes....most are 208cmx82cm). But is there anything at all we can do about the woodwork other than having it all ripped out? I've been reading other posts, and I don't think I've found anything that would apply in this case. Would heat work well on thick built-up layers? I'm a paper conservator by trade, so I have infinite patience and a steady hand, and I don't care how long it would take! I can't see chemical strippers having any effect on it. Help, it's just gross and nasty and it's driving me crazy!
Thanks in advance. I'm glad to have found this forum, and I look forward to tackling all the other nasty bits in my flat with its assistance!
-kate