skip to main content

Stripping versus sanding for repainting old trim

10 years ago

This is the first house I've ever owned in that had painted trim. From the looks of things, it's had quite a few coats, but I've tested peeled pieces for lead and they are clean. It's obvious that the house used to have dark, stained wood trim but that the previous owners' DIY projects resulted in mismatched trim and the solution was thick applications of white enamel. Which is now the lumpy, hideous disaster you might expect.

I'm going to hire someone to remediate this after our kitchen remodel is complete, and I'm here to fish around for advice on stripping versus sanding. The paint is peeling and bubbling in many spots, and my gut instinct is to use something like SoyGel to remove all the paint and start over. Will a paint contractor prefer to scrape and sand, and will I have trouble finding someone to strip the trim? Or am I just daft for asking? Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

snoonyb
10 years ago
From your description, it sounds as though they missed the "transitional primer" when they went from stained to paint.

So, if the profile is the same throughout, and you are happy with it, them obtain bids for stripping, because sanding will not address the priming issue.

Also, obtain bids for replacement, in kind. You may be surprised.
0
byzantine
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, snoonyb! I hadn't considered replacement, though there are numerous places where we obviously have to replace or repair things, anyway. There are places where the white is stained pink from something leeching up underneath the paint, so you're likely dead on about the failure to prime.
0
Related Discussions
Exterior shutters - strip and repaint
Q
Comments (10)
Before you do anything, I'd check out the page I've linked here--it gives every sort of information about shutters, their history and how to do it right. A big mistake would be to replace your shutters with aluminum ones, or to get just anyone to put them up--they must be placed right to look good, and most people today believe they should be mounted outside the window casing, exposing all of the trim--historically and aesthetically wrong, and it will make even real shutters look like cheap imitations. The site I linked to has pages on windows, restoration and all sorts of great information on old houses in general. Here is a link that might be useful: Old House Guy Shutters
...See More
repainting old dresser with lots of paint on it
Q
Comments (6)
I have had really good results with Ready Strip by Back to Nature Products. It's a non toxic paste you slap on with a cheap chip brush. It goes on green and turns white when it's ready. Then just strip with metal tools. My local hardware store carries it, but in the past I've purchased it online. You can get a starter kit with the tools, or not. I used it to strip a 50 year old front door. I don't know how many layers were on it, but it came out great. Good luck. Kathe Here is a link that might be useful: Ready Strip
...See More
Sorting out 84 y.o. poorly-painted trim for repainting nicely
Q
Comments (5)
Okay okay, you're forcing me to tell the other kitchen story. Love that one about the Mercedes---best not to touch the leather or something?? Sometimes I feel like Indiana Jones in this house, making archeological discoveries and not so much un-remuddling. Thought I had a very very ugly wall and base cabinet combo with a cheapy formica countertop, so I decided to tear out the wall cab and have this new window installed there instead. South exposure is very important in Mpls. Was tearing out the cabinet prior to window guy arriving and realized, to my horror, that this was a built in that had been bastardized by someone's application of wood-grain plastic laminate. They'd removed the doors (sob), stuck dark wood laminate on all the surfaces, and installed MDF doors. No wonder it was so difficult to remove? Had I known, I probably would have kept it, but as it was chewed up by my removal efforts, I kept the base and am painfully taking down the glue goo and tossed the ugly doors, etc etc. These people apparently liked the *look* of wood, but preferred it in its plastic form. *sigh* Thanks again lads, appreciate it. Will be trying SoyGel first. We'll get her back to her full glory, poor thing.
...See More
Repainting old trim, doors and some new
Q
Comments (1)
Get some denatured alcohol, put some on a rag and try to rub the paint off...if it comes off fairly easily that means it's latex paint. Then you want to sand that finish to dull it pretty well so that your bonding primer will adhere the best. If the previous finish is latex you may be able to just sand and then use your latex topcoat. The factory primed doors you buy are generally primed with really low quality primer that you can rub off with your thumb. It is better to reprime with a high quality primer because your topcoat is going to adhere and hold up longer over a good primer then a bad one, but repriming is certainly not imperative.
...See More
vedazu
10 years ago
I'd vote for replacement unless it is something very old and special. Some years ago, thinking that things like moldings and casings were very expensive, I stripped a couple of large windows. Gave myself a case of carpel tunnel syndrome scraping, and God knows what happened to my lungs as I inhaled quarts of the stripper. Now, I'd just find some new casings, prime them and paint one coat off the wall, and put second coat on after installation. LOTS faster and easier.
0
User
10 years ago
I have a 40 year old home... nothing special about the molding. Home Depot fare.

Did hardwood floors last year - replaced all of the baseboard and door trim with PVC moldings. super easy, cuts like wood. Mar resistant, and paints easily without sanding.

This post was edited by saltidawg on Sat, May 3, 14 at 10:38
0
byzantine
Original Author
10 years ago
I should have mentioned in my first post that my house was built in 1920. Having said that, not all of the trims and moldings are original. I used to have a source in Chicago for older style woodwork, but they went out of business before we had enough money to start remodeling. Go figure. I'll ask my GC if he knows of other similar places.
0
snoonyb
10 years ago
If not, if the knives are still available you can have them made.
0
detroit_burb
10 years ago
these are chemically stripped, not sanded.
0
User
10 years ago
Huh?
0
geoffrey_b
10 years ago
Stripping paint takes time / product / muscle.

In the summer you can use Zip Strip (methlychloride) which is effective.

Another is Peel-Away.

But it takes time and more than one application.
0
klem1
10 years ago
snoonyb on
Sat, May 3, 14 at 14:06

"If not, if the knives are still available you can have them made."

That is true. And a real woodworker can make duplicate knives available.
0
jmc01
10 years ago
We had some new replacement trim cut at Janik Millwork in LaGrange. We're super pleased with the service and quality. No, I don't work there.
0

Related Stories

BUDGET DECORATING Budget Decorator: 8 Ways to Make Old Furniture Look Brand New

By Laura Gaskill

Learn stripping, staining, painting and reupholstering basics to make bargain-basement furniture worthy of center stage at home

REMODELING GUIDES The Hidden Problems in Old Houses

By Matt Clawson

Before snatching up an old home, get to know what you’re in for by understanding the potential horrors that lurk below the surface

MOST POPULAR How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Find out what’s involved in updating your cabinets by refinishing or replacing doors and drawers

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Bold Wallpaper Kicks Up a Century-Old Craftsman

By Sarah Greenman

Design risks pay off in a Seattle bungalow that combines fearless patterns with subtler colors and a sophisticated practicality

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Mixing It Up in a Century-Old Edwardian

By Becky Harris

Different eras, patterns and textures mingle beautifully in a Canadian interior designer's home and 'design lab'

DIY PROJECTS Dining Set Makeover: Paint and Tea-Tinted Fabric Make Old Chairs New

By Sarah Greenman

Reclaim dated dining chairs for far less than buying new, using spray paint, modern fabric and a handful of tea bags

UPHOLSTERY The Perks and Perils of Reupholstering Old Furniture

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Secondhand upholstered pieces can add character to a room, but beware of bugs, snakes and hidden costs

TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE Houzz Tour: Taking ‘Ye Olde’ Out of a Nantucket Shingle-Style Home

By Becky Harris

Vintage and modern pieces mix it up in a vacation house reconfigured to host casual gatherings of family and friends

FURNITURE Color Glams Up the Old-Fashioned Secretary

By Laura Gaskill

Before you write off a vintage secretary desk as ho-hum, give it a colorful new note

DECORATING GUIDES No Neutral Ground? Why the Color Camps Are So Opinionated

By Vanessa Brunner

Can't we all just get along when it comes to color versus neutrals?

Sponsored

1 Review

Industry Leading General Contractors in Columbus

More Discussions

Any idea which shingle this is?

7

Self-leveling left "ridges" - how to fix?

3

Help regarding a leaking roof

10

keystone windmill dotted back tile change middle color on your own?

6

What's the easiest cost effective way to fix these kitchen cabinets?

15