Stripping

When I was pregnant with my second child, I started a project I just couldn’t finish…stripping… paint, that is. I had pretty much stripped everything off the baseboards, window trims and closet doors of one room upstairs when it just became too much. So, we hired someone else to do it…big mistake.

I realize, and fully accept, that I am somewhat obsessive compulsive but when you look at my work and “his” work, you will see what I am talking about.

"his" door my door

The whole process was really quite a nightmare. First off, he used a paint thinner without using drop cloths or anything else for that matter to protect my newly refinished hardwood floors(needless to say, they no longer look that great). Next he asked if he could remove the baseboards to finish "scraping" them outdoors. Even after I told him no, for fear of the boards splitting, he did it anyway (luckily, none of them did split - good thing or I might of pulled my heat gun out on him). And even after all of that and the amount of money we shelled out to him, I was and am still happier with my work.

I am writing all of this because once again I am getting ready to start stripping paint…this time from my original front doors.

I really liked using the heat gun. I found that it stripped the paint somewhat easily while leaving the original stain in tact. The woodwork I did upstairs really came out quite beautifully, if I do say so myself. My biggest complaint is that it does leave some nooks and crannies left with paint.

So, I am left with the dilemma of what to do with said nooks and crannies. I can’t even begin to express my dislike for what the paint thinner did to the wood in my other upstairs room so I am hesitant to use it again. Does anyone have any other suggestions?