This Weekend? All About Trim
Getting things done at the end of a major project like our second floor seems to eventually devolve into a thousand tiny things that have to get done. Painting touch-ups, installing pieces skipped here and there. Hanging doors. It's hard to feel things are moving fast enough, because each new thing is switching gears entirely.
That said, there is one big thing remaining on our plate: refinishing the original trim. The biggest part of it is actually stripping off the layers of paint and gunk. There's so much to get done, I'm even taking the next few days off from work to keep rolling on this. Not sure if we'll write much about it--not the most glamorous work.
The stack on the right hand side is what has been done so far. Everything over on the left hand side still remains to be stripped, and my goal is to finish it this week.
It's repetitive, blister-inducing work. Luckily, it's the type of thing you can easily do while wearing an iPod and enjoying the beautiful weather... :-)
Looking for More?
| Search for more on 'stripping wood trim' on this site. |
| Search for 'stripping wood trim' on on other houseblogs like this one. |
| Search for 'stripping wood trim' on Google. |
| Search for 'stripping wood trim' on Amazon.com. |
Cabinet Refacing:
Face Your Kitchen | Your Guide to Kitchen Cabinet Refacing |
Comments
Yes, it's truly unglamorous dull work -having done a ton of it myself. Are you planning to paint or stain it? (just curious)Heat gun or stripper? I am about to do the same with our entry trim and we are going to build a tray in which I can safely place the trim wrapped in plastic tarps with stripper where the chemicals can do their thing... We'll see how it goes- haven't tried this method before...
Posted by: Jocelyn | July 4, 2005 2:33 PM
Well, based on the picture with the Silent Paint Remover on the bench, I'd say the method is heat. I love the SPR, bought one based on a review here while researching it and I've used it for stripping all of our woodwork in the living room and foyer. I'm averse to chemicals, so this worked out well.
Posted by: Steve | July 4, 2005 2:47 PM
Forget about the ipod. Be concerned about the bald spot on the big man's head...POPS -30-
Posted by: POPS | July 4, 2005 4:09 PM
Jocelyn - SPR gets most of it off, then we'll go over it with denatured alcohol.
Steve - Yep, we're huge SPR fans, too. With lots of trim to do it can certainly pay for itself in avoiding all thoes chemicals.
POPS - Watch it about the hair, ok... ;-)
Posted by: aaron | July 4, 2005 9:04 PM
My head has a very close resemblance to a billiard ball!!!POPS -30-
Posted by: POPS | July 5, 2005 8:26 AM
In our 1890, more or less, Queen Anne in Oak Park, Illinois, all of the elaborate oak woodwork in the dining room -- bay window, inside of all three doors, fake ceiling beams -- were painted black, presumably for an "ebony" finish, as the first treatment of the wood. No varnish that was later painted. Has anyone else ever encountered this? I did my renovations 30 years ago (don't even ask about stripping), and still haven't run into any other old-house owner who has encountered this.
Posted by: Tony | July 5, 2005 8:28 PM
The SPR is the best thing since sliced bread. I have been stripping all of my bungalow woodwork also and have found it to be great tool. I also invested in a good carbide blade. Some of the other scrapers tended to smear the paint across the wood, but the carbide scrapers pulled nicely and took off both the paint and shelac cleanly. I tried denatured alcohol but it didn't seem to work as well as I had hoped. I found a product called Takeoff liquid and that has been cleaning the wood really well as well as lightening it just a little bit.
Posted by: Jacki | July 11, 2005 8:09 AM
Hello, did I complete this correctly?
Posted by: ebony | July 17, 2005 11:28 PM