Stripping Paint from a detailed wooden surround

[iturner1]

I'm just doing some research into some renovation work.

My property is about 1920's - not particularly old. The original door and surround is still in place. The door and surround have a number of stained glass windows and i'd like to get them encapsulated and make the door a feature - rather than rip it out and replace it with a modern uPVC style door.

The key issue I have is I'm not sure how to remove the paint?

Removing the door and getting it dipped would be straightforward but removing the surround wouldn't be, and would probably result in damage to the surround and worse the original plaster coving above.

I don't think it would be easy to clean the door using sand paper as there are two many bevels and features. I'm concerned that in removing the paint I'd make a mess of the underlying details.

I've tried using chemicals before on some skirting board elsewhere in the house and didn't find that particularly successful... you still need to sand the boards down afterwards.... I ended up going back to using a heat gun, and sand paper.

Is there another way of removing paint without damaging the underlying wood?

any help appreciated

Ian

 

[RigidRaider]

I guess you want to have bare wood, right?

Have you considered the drying effect that will happen once you remove the protective paint layer? I once dipped some panel doors and left them bare, within a few weeks they had cracked and the panels had become loose. You are inviting a whole lot of effort in stripping the wood when a nice satin finish in a complimentary colour would look lovely. If you prepare the wood well by rubbing down thoroughly, satin paint will hide the marks and blemishes of all the old coats and will give a pleasingly solid, low-key effect .

 

[iturner1]

I don't want bare wood, I'd expect to have to put something back on...

options I'd considered are:
a) a fairly neutral colour, a soft white perhaps - in line with your suggestion i think
or b) Perhaps a varnish to match the internal doors which are light oak,

for the later to work I think I'd have to get very clean bare wood, hence the dipping suggestion for the door... but that isn't practical for the frame/surround.

The problem is the current features are gunked up with 90 years of paint, some of which has been applied a little too liberally. I was assuming (perhaps wrongly) that the best bet was:

• to get the windows taken out
  get the frame and door down to bare wood
  get the windows put back
  get the door locks modernised
  paint or varnish the door and frame/surround

I suppose the question is how much paint has to come off to allow the features to stand out, I was assuming all of it?

If I go with a) perhaps all I really need to do is have a good go at it with sand paper and a sharp chisel where they've applied too much paint.

 

[RigidRaider]

How much time have you got? Once you start removing paint you're committed, I'd be inclined to spend a few quid on a small orbital sander and spend a day tidying up all the drips and mess before undercoating then finishing with a nice satin paint.

 

[iturner1]

I've got a small sander already so I'll give it a go...