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I have a house in the Powderhorn neighborhood that was built in 1900. I've had it for some time now, and I've always intended to strip the paint off of the woodwork, but I'm not sure how. I've always loved the woodwork in these old houses, but our house was one where they painted over and over and over all the woodwork, multiple layers of paint.
I know there is chemical strippers that I could use. I have heard of a paint stripping attachment for an electric drill, but would that seems like it could do some serious damage to the woodwork. I'm not sure the quality of the woodwork under all that paint, although where some has chipped off, it's a very nice dark brown color.
You have a few choices: old school toxic chemical paint strippers, newer "green" chemicals which work slower, and heat strippers (which can cause fires). Check with a home refurb or paint company. I'm moving into a lap sided painted house on the North side soon, and have seen plenty of info on the Interwebs about this subject
It depends how much you are going to strip. You can remove what you can have it dipped somewhere (the guy I used for a door has closed so I don't have a recommendation) or I've used Citristrip.
If the house was built in the 1900's you surely will have a lead paint issue.
So, regardless of the method you would use (chemical or mechanical) you will need an abatement license to do the job. Or hire someone who is certified in lead paint abatement.
Bad news I know- but it is the law now.
I'm doing it on the interior woodwork. I'm not sure how old the paint is, but I can guarantee that the paint was not original. It became trendy some decades back to paint over all the woodwork in the house. Still, it's not new, and there are multiple layers. This won't be a project that I can get done in a couple weeks, it might be something that takes me years to get finished, one window at a time.
One problem is that there is a lot of curves and fine details in the woodwork, it might get pretty difficult to remove the paint from all of those details. One website recommended a putty knife with rounded corners.
One thing we liked about the old houses was the built-in buffets. Our house didn't have one, but we bought one that was pulled out of an older house, built in 1885. It's painted black. There are some parts where you can see the wood, it's a fantastic rich reddish brown. People painting over really fine woodwork drives me up the wall. It reminds me of some of these redecorating shows, where they do really cheesy stuff that is going to haunt them later. On Trading Spaces, one family had a wooden staircase that they insisted not be touched. The other family nailed metal onto it to give it a "industrial" look. I wonder if this buffet was painted by a renter or someone who owned the house. Some renters can be really reckless with paint.
If the house was built in the 1900's you surely will have a lead paint issue.
So, regardless of the method you would use (chemical or mechanical) you will need an abatement license to do the job. Or hire someone who is certified in lead paint abatement.
Bad news I know- but it is the law now.
Homeowners are not required to have a lead license only contractors need one. Also,the new lead law has been delayed until Oct. in order for contractors to take the course. FWIW if you have a lot of stripping to do I would hire a certified contractor.
We do have a lot of stripping to do, not on the walls, but on the door moldings. It would be a lot more practical for me to work on one at a time, rather than getting the whole house cleared out for a contractor. I'm willing for it to take a long time, since I plan on being in this house for decades.
Homeowners are not required to have a lead license.
Technically, yes you are correct.
But, this exception only applies to a dwelling unit that the homeowner owns and lives in.
Some states may have created a fund for low, deferred interest loans to owners of single- and multi-family dwellings who use trained and licensed lead abatement contractors to abate or eliminate hazardous lead-based paint.
If the homeowner still wants to remove lead from the home themselves, they will more than likely have to get a construction permit before beginning. They will also have to follow the same rules and use the same special tools as certified professionals. Most experts think that it is not safe for untrained homeowners to try to remove or cover lead in their homes. Be sure to read your state’s Lead Hazard Evaluation and Abatement Code first.
For these reasons; and correct disposal of, I say get the certification- or hired certified person(s).
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