Stripping! (paint) - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

kulrblind · 08-13-2004, 07:27 AM

Ever wanted to strip back a painted stairwell?

OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T! And this is why...

A little background might be in order. We purchased a house last summer, and peeled back the hideous green carpet to find a painted stairwell (shown below). I had always planned to strip the paint and stain the stairs, but it took a while to get the project underway as my wife was pregnant, and now we've got a five month old in the house (not exactly a stripper-fume friendly house, if you know what I mean).

I thought I would share with you the joys of stripping a stairwell. For the most part, I've used a combination of a regular paint scraper, and two types of liquid/gel strippers: Supa-Stripper, and another brand which is eco-friendly, but whose name escapes me.

I'm only partially finished so far (it's August 13th, 2004), but I'll update it when I make more progress.

Picture 1 - the painted stairwell. Obviously someone put a vinyl runner down at one point and just painted around it. Oh, how I miss the 70's.

Picture 2 - blurry, but blame the crappy digital camera. You may be able to see that most of the treads are done, but the risers are yet to come. That pile of goop you see on the second stair is actually the melted away paint. The treads are by far the easiest, since you don't have to worry about toxic stripper running all over the place.

Picture 3 - The top stairs and the new hardwood installed upstairs. I'm starting to think I should have just replaced the whole stairwell at this point. Anyway, here you get a closeup of the treads and a start on the risers. Note: There were FIVE layers of paint to strip away. FIVE!

Picture 4 - About mid-way down the stairwell, each riser is about three quarters completed, but will need at least one more application of stripper before I even dare take a sander to them (friction + paint = gummed-up orbital sander)

Well, that's about it for now. Like I said, I'll report back when I make better progress. At least when it was painted, we could live with them. Now that they're in mid-renovation stages, they're even uglier -- which is probably going to serve as the impetus to finish.

If anyone knows of a REALLY good paint stripper, feel free to post it here or PM me.

basmoq · 08-13-2004, 01:15 PM

wow man, I've done some restoration of wood tables, but I've never found that many layers of paint on a item... Good luck to you, looks like you know what your doing (or you do by now at least).

fhqwhgads · 08-14-2004, 05:03 PM

Looking good kulrblind.

Did think about using a heat gun? I had to strip some paint off a tabletop not too long ago, and I used a heat gun. I put on some gloves, heat the paint until it blistered, and then used a putty knife to ease it off. It worked like a charm.

As for the clogged sandpaper, I bought a rubber eraser that is specifically made for cleaning sandpaper. It helps unclog debris from the paper, making it last longer. If you need help finding one, lemme know and I'll post some links.

Keep up the good work...I'd love to see how it turns out.

kulrblind · 08-16-2004, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhqwhgads

Looking good kulrblind.

Did think about using a heat gun? I had to strip some paint off a tabletop not too long ago, and I used a heat gun. I put on some gloves, heat the paint until it blistered, and then used a putty knife to ease it off. It worked like a charm.

As for the clogged sandpaper, I bought a rubber eraser that is specifically made for cleaning sandpaper. It helps unclog debris from the paper, making it last longer. If you need help finding one, lemme know and I'll post some links.

Keep up the good work...I'd love to see how it turns out.

Interesting ... I'd thought about a heat gun. If it's really going to do the trick, I'll consider it even more. I've got one more litre of this Circa 1850 (environmentally not-so-vicious, it tells me) stripper, so I'll give that a whirl and see how far it takes me. I doubt it'll finish it all off completely, so I'll be trying a little more.

The other thing I read is that for many coats of paint, some have tried using a hand plane. Seems a bit harsh, but the stairs are a bit trashed anyway, so a little gouge here and there probably wouldn't be noticeable. I'll have to do a fair bit of sanding as it is. Anyway, if i try that, I'll report back! Thanks for the tips, fhqwhgads, I may try the sanding option soon enough.

fhqwhgads · 08-16-2004, 08:03 AM

If you're going to use an hand plane, I'd be very cautious about any nail heads sitting right below the surface. It only takes one exposed nail head to seriously screw up your plane. Best of luck bro...

Charlatan · 08-16-2004, 09:15 AM

Geez... have you been taking pictures in my house?

I have almost the exact same issue. A few years ago, I bought our house, ripped up the dreadful carpet and discovered horrible brown paint (in many layers). I used some sort of nasty chemical stripper and peeled off layer after layer of paint.

In the end, my stairs only look maginally better than yours... no amout of stripper would release the remaining... paint? Stain?... whatever it is that's still left on the stairs.

In the end I've decided to paint the stairs again and get a carpet runner (the centre of my stairs is a bit more worn and pitted than yours appear to be. Oddly, my wife really likes the beat up look... I hate it. If I had 3 to 4000 to spare I'd buy a new staircase.

An interesting anecdote: When using that nasty stripper it creates piles of stinky paint scrapeings... I had disposed of all of this in my garbage can outside as it was especially noxious. The next morning my wife went outside to put out the garbage and came in saying there was a raccoon in our trash... and it wasn't running away (we have a lot of raccoons in our neighbourhood and if you catch them in the act they ususally just scamper away). A raccoon that doesn't run usually means it is sick... most likely with rabies.

So I, in the role of the brave husband, go out to see what's up. I inch up to the can and can see a furry something nestled in the can... I gently kick over the can and out rolls a very fat and very dopey raccoon. The raccoon stumbles to his (her?) feet and promptly falls off the porch and continues to stumble/stagger away...

It is only when I go to pick up the can that I realize that all of my paint scrapeings are at the top of the can... the racoon was completely high on stripper fumes.

kulrblind · 08-17-2004, 05:00 AM

Hahah.... great story, Charlatan. At the moment, the paint scrapings are sitting on my front porch, probably burning through the double-walled cardboard box I was flicking them into.

No further work has been done on the stairwell. Possibly on the weekend if I can convince the 'fam to take an extended walk, or something. Stay tuned, though.

Charlatan · 08-19-2004, 04:11 AM

I just spent the last two weeks building railings (short walls actually) around my staircase... I am just about ready to sand all the drywall... I hate drywall dust. I will upload some pictures soon... Where are you in Canada by the way?

kulrblind · 08-19-2004, 04:58 AM

Oooh, have fun with the sanding. Do it wet... it'll keep the dust down. And put a bag in your shopvac, or you'll regret it evermore

I'm in Halifax...but like so many others, used to be in T.O., though.

kazoo · 08-19-2004, 05:23 PM

I'll make the assumption that the property was built prior to 1978. If so, what you are creating via removal is likely a lead-based hazardous waste. You mention a child, a wife of child-bearing years, and you're removing likely lead-based paint products in a fashion not endorsed by the EPA-a very bad plan. Do your family a favor-stop now and learn about lead before going further. www.epa.gov/lead

kulrblind · 08-20-2004, 07:32 AM

Thanks for the warning, and the link. I'm not doing much dry-scraping, and the house is always empty while the work is going on -- and until it's cleaned up. All the scrapings are outdoors as well. I'll invest in a respirator for the rest of the job, now. Cheers

basmoq · 08-20-2004, 08:07 PM

good idea with the respirator, I have one I use when working in the attic or with drywall, works well for both jobs and saves me from mornings of hacking and coughing...

08-13-2004, 07:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
kulrblind plays well with others Location: Canada	Stripping! (paint) Ever wanted to strip back a painted stairwell? OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T! And this is why... A little background might be in order. We purchased a house last summer, and peeled back the hideous green carpet to find a painted stairwell (shown below). I had always planned to strip the paint and stain the stairs, but it took a while to get the project underway as my wife was pregnant, and now we've got a five month old in the house (not exactly a stripper-fume friendly house, if you know what I mean). I thought I would share with you the joys of stripping a stairwell. For the most part, I've used a combination of a regular paint scraper, and two types of liquid/gel strippers: Supa-Stripper, and another brand which is eco-friendly, but whose name escapes me. I'm only partially finished so far (it's August 13th, 2004), but I'll update it when I make more progress. Picture 1 - the painted stairwell. Obviously someone put a vinyl runner down at one point and just painted around it. Oh, how I miss the 70's. Picture 2 - blurry, but blame the crappy digital camera. You may be able to see that most of the treads are done, but the risers are yet to come. That pile of goop you see on the second stair is actually the melted away paint. The treads are by far the easiest, since you don't have to worry about toxic stripper running all over the place. Picture 3 - The top stairs and the new hardwood installed upstairs. I'm starting to think I should have just replaced the whole stairwell at this point. Anyway, here you get a closeup of the treads and a start on the risers. Note: There were FIVE layers of paint to strip away. FIVE! Picture 4 - About mid-way down the stairwell, each riser is about three quarters completed, but will need at least one more application of stripper before I even dare take a sander to them (friction + paint = gummed-up orbital sander) Well, that's about it for now. Like I said, I'll report back when I make better progress. At least when it was painted, we could live with them. Now that they're in mid-renovation stages, they're even uglier -- which is probably going to serve as the impetus to finish. If anyone knows of a REALLY good paint stripper, feel free to post it here or PM me.

08-13-2004, 01:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
basmoq It's a girly girl! Location: OH, USA	wow man, I've done some restoration of wood tables, but I've never found that many layers of paint on a item... Good luck to you, looks like you know what your doing (or you do by now at least). __________________ "There's someone out there for everyone - even if you need a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find them."

08-16-2004, 09:15 AM	#6 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Geez... have you been taking pictures in my house? I have almost the exact same issue. A few years ago, I bought our house, ripped up the dreadful carpet and discovered horrible brown paint (in many layers). I used some sort of nasty chemical stripper and peeled off layer after layer of paint. In the end, my stairs only look maginally better than yours... no amout of stripper would release the remaining... paint? Stain?... whatever it is that's still left on the stairs. In the end I've decided to paint the stairs again and get a carpet runner (the centre of my stairs is a bit more worn and pitted than yours appear to be. Oddly, my wife really likes the beat up look... I hate it. If I had 3 to 4000 to spare I'd buy a new staircase. An interesting anecdote: When using that nasty stripper it creates piles of stinky paint scrapeings... I had disposed of all of this in my garbage can outside as it was especially noxious. The next morning my wife went outside to put out the garbage and came in saying there was a raccoon in our trash... and it wasn't running away (we have a lot of raccoons in our neighbourhood and if you catch them in the act they ususally just scamper away). A raccoon that doesn't run usually means it is sick... most likely with rabies. So I, in the role of the brave husband, go out to see what's up. I inch up to the can and can see a furry something nestled in the can... I gently kick over the can and out rolls a very fat and very dopey raccoon. The raccoon stumbles to his (her?) feet and promptly falls off the porch and continues to stumble/stagger away... It is only when I go to pick up the can that I realize that all of my paint scrapeings are at the top of the can... the racoon was completely high on stripper fumes. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

08-19-2004, 04:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I just spent the last two weeks building railings (short walls actually) around my staircase... I am just about ready to sand all the drywall... I hate drywall dust. I will upload some pictures soon... Where are you in Canada by the way? __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

08-19-2004, 05:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
kazoo Psycho Location: Where the night things are	I'll make the assumption that the property was built prior to 1978. If so, what you are creating via removal is likely a lead-based hazardous waste. You mention a child, a wife of child-bearing years, and you're removing likely lead-based paint products in a fashion not endorsed by the EPA-a very bad plan. Do your family a favor-stop now and learn about lead before going further. www.epa.gov/lead __________________ There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

08-14-2004, 05:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
fhqwhgads Junkie	Looking good kulrblind. Did think about using a heat gun? I had to strip some paint off a tabletop not too long ago, and I used a heat gun. I put on some gloves, heat the paint until it blistered, and then used a putty knife to ease it off. It worked like a charm. As for the clogged sandpaper, I bought a rubber eraser that is specifically made for cleaning sandpaper. It helps unclog debris from the paper, making it last longer. If you need help finding one, lemme know and I'll post some links. Keep up the good work...I'd love to see how it turns out.

08-16-2004, 08:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
fhqwhgads Junkie	If you're going to use an hand plane, I'd be very cautious about any nail heads sitting right below the surface. It only takes one exposed nail head to seriously screw up your plane. Best of luck bro...

08-17-2004, 05:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
kulrblind plays well with others Location: Canada	Hahah.... great story, Charlatan. At the moment, the paint scrapings are sitting on my front porch, probably burning through the double-walled cardboard box I was flicking them into. No further work has been done on the stairwell. Possibly on the weekend if I can convince the 'fam to take an extended walk, or something. Stay tuned, though.

08-19-2004, 04:58 AM	#9 (permalink)
kulrblind plays well with others Location: Canada	Oooh, have fun with the sanding. Do it wet... it'll keep the dust down. And put a bag in your shopvac, or you'll regret it evermore I'm in Halifax...but like so many others, used to be in T.O., though.

08-20-2004, 07:32 AM	#11 (permalink)
kulrblind plays well with others Location: Canada	Thanks for the warning, and the link. I'm not doing much dry-scraping, and the house is always empty while the work is going on -- and until it's cleaned up. All the scrapings are outdoors as well. I'll invest in a respirator for the rest of the job, now. Cheers

08-20-2004, 08:07 PM	#12 (permalink)
basmoq It's a girly girl! Location: OH, USA	good idea with the respirator, I have one I use when working in the attic or with drywall, works well for both jobs and saves me from mornings of hacking and coughing... __________________ "There's someone out there for everyone - even if you need a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find them."