<p>I have gutted an older home and am having a heck of a time getting way-too-much paint layers off of doors and some trim.</p>
<p>I have sanded and sanded and have even resorted to chemicals. :( </p>
<p>another issue is getting paint out of tight spots.</p>
<p>the old paint was sloppily put on...layers and layers.</p>
<p>anyone have any ideas?</p>
<p>Wear a mask in case old paint has lead in it.</p>
<p>Check for lead in the layers. If none, use a heat gun with scraper. If wood and home is fine, removing the woodwork and sending it to get dipped might be more efficient and a good investment. Love my heat gun, but use care you don’t burn flesh or house.</p>
<p>Btw, not all masks protect against lead fumes or lead dust. Study up on this.</p>
<p>Dang Autocorrect. </p>
<p>I agree with the dip method if the trim has a lot of nooks and crannies in it. A heat gun works well in many cases but there are times where it just isn’t worth it, and removing the trim and sending it off is the better option.</p>
<p>Doors are a fine candidate for dipping unless there is a window. </p>
<p>Ugh. My house is circa 1854. Layers and layers of paint on all of the trim. When we moved in we planned to strip it but the kids were babies and I didn’t want to take the chance on there being lead under there. We have made due by getting a professional painter. He always only used oil based paint on the trim (it tends to settle in and smooth out on uneven surfaces) and his prep included surface sanding and sometimes filling deep nicks with caulking or spackle before painting. It looks fine. We like to think of the imperfections as “patina”! </p>
<p>Be aware that if you use a heat gun in an older home it can ignite a fire inside the wall without you even being aware that it started. Sometimes homes burn down due to this when the owner thinks all is well and hours later the place is in flames.</p>
<p>I have one newel post at the top of my staircase that was painted by a previous owner. It looks awful and every time I go up the stairs I remind myself to do something about it. I started to strip it years ago but never finished and I really need to get back to it. Years ago an old women came to my door and told me that she had been raised in my house. She showed me pictures of herself as a baby on my front porch sitting in an old wicker baby carriage. She told me that she remembers, as a child, removing the top of that newel post and dropping some toys down it (the tops actually screw off). Ever since then I think I want to strip that thing down so that I can try to see if the toys are still there. They would be 90-100 years old at this point!</p>
<p>Back when we were researching getting the lead out of our first house, chemical stripping seemed to best way to get it off of wood trim. I like the idea of just removing it all together and getting it dipped off site.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.oldhouseonline.com/making-sense-of-paint-strippers/”>http://www.oldhouseonline.com/making-sense-of-paint-strippers/</a></p>
<p>Yes, there is lead paint underneath…ugh. i went ahead and replaced the baseboards and crown, but the doors have character so I want to keep them.</p>
<p>Paint strippers work, but not without a lot of mess and effort. And they will do serious! damage to your skin, and especially to your eyes if you are unfortunate enough to have that happen. Use a high level of caution.</p>
<p>They’re not great to be breathing a lot, either. </p>
<p>I saw this insane show once where people were using dental tools to clear the deep grooves of old paint. Leave that sort of thing to the pros.</p>
<p>I will be in your shoes soon, mom2, we are closing soon on an old house and all of the exterior and much of the interior need repainting. How do you sand down the aggressively peeling paint on each louvre of every shutter? I think you probably don’t, you probably want to take it down and dip it. I hope the cost doesn’t kill me!</p>
<p>on another note…</p>
<p>I want to put glass/crystal door handles on (not the skeleton key types), but cant find ones for regular cuts. Well, I did find some Baldwin ones that were pricey… ugh. I need ones that will have privacy locks for bedrooms and baths.</p>
<p>This is a vaca rental, so while it will be very nice, I have to watch my bottom line (already had a surprise A/C replacement). Kitchen and baths are gutted and new stuff going in starting Wed, and found hardwood floors under carpet, so refinisher is coming next week to sand and refinish. yay.</p>
<p>I have a sept 1 deadline to finish…hopefully by aug 1, but that may be hoping too much.</p>
<p>Have you tried rejuvenation? Most of their lines comes with or with or without the skeleton key option.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m a huge fan of Baldwin for exterior. Always went with rejuvenation for interior.</p>