Hi,

I have recently bought a terraced house (approx 100yrs old) and I want
to strip the doors and frames etc of the gloss paint.  The doors I have
sent to a local door stripping company.

This leave the frames and some built in cupboards.

I am fairly certain that the doors and hence the frames and these
built-in cupboards are fairly old or are even the original ones from
when the house was built.

I also think that layer upon layer of gloss paint has been applied to
these over time. I can see older colours in the hidden parts of the
wooden frames etc.

So what is best way to get the paint off.

I have read that older gloss paint can contain lead.  I have to assume
the paint used has lead in it as the decor is quite old anyway and has
layers of paint under it.

with this in mind what is the safest way to strip the frames.  The two
options I guess are heat gun or chemical based stripper.  I have a heat
gun.

Note the cupboard doos have gone to the stripping company as well.
This leaves the fixed parts of the cupboards, so I cant even do it
outside.

Many Thanks

Bhupesh

On 12 Sep 2005 07:11:47 -0700, "bp"  wrote:


>
>Hi,
>
>I have recently bought a terraced house (approx 100yrs old) and I want
>to strip the doors and frames etc of the gloss paint.  The doors I have
>sent to a local door stripping company.
>
>This leave the frames and some built in cupboards.
>
>I am fairly certain that the doors and hence the frames and these
>built-in cupboards are fairly old or are even the original ones from
>when the house was built.
>
>I also think that layer upon layer of gloss paint has been applied to
>these over time. I can see older colours in the hidden parts of the
>wooden frames etc.
>
>So what is best way to get the paint off.
>
>I have read that older gloss paint can contain lead.  I have to assume
>the paint used has lead in it as the decor is quite old anyway and has
>layers of paint under it.
>
>with this in mind what is the safest way to strip the frames.  The two
>options I guess are heat gun or chemical based stripper.  I have a heat
>gun.
>
>Note the cupboard doos have gone to the stripping company as well.
>This leaves the fixed parts of the cupboards, so I cant even do it
>outside.


I'd suggest using a chemical stripper. A heat gun could produce fumes
containing lead.

Also, when sanding the stripped wood down take precautions not to
breathe any of the potentially lead containing dust.

sponix

In article , 
bp_soni@yahoo.com says...

> I have recently bought a terraced house (approx 100yrs old) and I want
> to strip the doors and frames etc of the gloss paint.  The doors I have
> sent to a local door stripping company.


Fingers crossed that they don't wreck them then.

> 
> This leave the frames and some built in cupboards.
> 
> I am fairly certain that the doors and hence the frames and these
> built-in cupboards are fairly old or are even the original ones from
> when the house was built.
> 
> I also think that layer upon layer of gloss paint has been applied to
> these over time. I can see older colours in the hidden parts of the
> wooden frames etc.
> 
> So what is best way to get the paint off.
> 
> I have read that older gloss paint can contain lead.  I have to assume
> the paint used has lead in it as the decor is quite old anyway and has
> layers of paint under it.
> 
> with this in mind what is the safest way to strip the frames.  The two
> options I guess are heat gun or chemical based stripper.  I have a heat
> gun.
> 
> Note the cupboard doos have gone to the stripping company as well.
> This leaves the fixed parts of the cupboards, so I cant even do it
> outside.
> 

I'd use a heat gun - wear a dust mask and gloves, keep the work area 
well ventilated and clean up well afterwards.  When it comes down to it 
there probably isn't *that* much risk anyway, as long as you don't chew 
the paint off.

bp wrote:

> I have read that older gloss paint can contain lead.  I have to assume
> the paint used has lead in it as the decor is quite old anyway and has
> layers of paint under it.
> 
> with this in mind what is the safest way to strip the frames.


Put down a dust sheet. Use your hot air gun, and shave hooks. Keep
your shave hooks sharp and clean. A triangular and a combination
one will be useful. You can file a combination hook to suit, if
need be. Take care not to drag a shave hook across the grain, or
it will leave a scar (extra work to fill). Use a dust mask. Take
up the dust sheet carefully and bin the scrapings.

In message , bp 
 writes

>
>
>I have read that older gloss paint can contain lead.  I have to assume
>the paint used has lead in it as the decor is quite old anyway and has
>layers of paint under it.
>


There is  bit in the FAQ on this, and people like Dulux publish info.

<http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/decorating.html#lead>
-- 
Chris French