Stripping a wooden door of paint using steam

[Russel Nash]

Hi all,

At first the door looked like this:



I had been lusting after a " silent paint remover " for years. It is a metal box with quartz/infrared tubes in it. It puts out heat, silently, hot enough to make paint bubble up. Then you just get underneath the paint with a putty knife. But they are $400.

So I started doing some googling on the silent paint removers last week. Luckily I found a few websites that suggested using steam. This especially the case with the old true divided light double hung sash windows. Guys have built their own steam boxes using foil faced rigid foam insulation and a garment steamer. It does a number on that old glazing putty.

So this morning I decided to rent a wallpaper steamer. Here is the small attachment in operation:



I am just using the weight of the putty knife to keep the attachment from popping a wheelie and letting the steam escape.

And this is how easy it is to get up after about a minute:



I have a belt sander, but it is loud and heavy and kicks up a lot of dust.

If this works well on the whole door, I might to spring for my very own wallpaper or garment steamer.

[Sweetpea]

Working smarter, not harder...

I like it!

Brandon

[dbosman]

Don't take a belt sander to a door.
Been there, done that, bought a random orbit sander to finish the job.
Half the work in a tenth of the time and no re-adjusting belts. No more belts that rip apart after being in storage for a just a couple of years.

[Maven]

"Don't take a belt sander to a door."

There may also be lead present in paint that old. A sander of any kind without a respirator may not be the better way. Steaming is an excellent idea!

[flounderman]

A heat gun should work but I haven't tried it.

[dbosman]

A heat gun should work but I haven't tried it.

Heat gun works, but the temperature is a huge question. Mine can easily vaporize paint.
Steam seems to be the way to go.

[smoked turkey]

When I took my belt sander to a door I found out how quickly they can make a divot (crater is more like it in my case). Your steamer is an excellent idea.

[Russel Nash]

My mind is already jumping ahead to the next thing. Even here in my poe dunk little town we have houses that have cylindrical fluted columns made of wood, reminiscent of the columns in front of the Supreme Court. You could bungee cord the steam "wand" to the column. And then whatever architectural column bases and decorative caps with all the intricate details.

[Bren R.]

Chemical strippers work beautifully, just wear enough protection.

http://www.recochem.com/en/products/...ture_stripper/

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/in...pph/R-I1650118

These are the ones available through hardware stores and both work well.

Strip, clean off with spirits, wash off spirits with hot water (and raise grain)... sand and refinish.

Bren R.

[uscra112]

I've done this too. Heat softens even 100-year-old linseed oil, and the moisture seems to break the bond with the wood. Used to use a dishwasher to strip old oil out of stocks. Worked like magic.

[LaPoint]

Great Idea Mr. Nash! We used a wall paper steamer to remove old cut-back asphalt glue from the floorboards after we peeled up the old linoleum. We did that because it kept the asbestos in the adhesive from becoming airborne. Once dried the stripped paint can be thrown into the garbage, no special disposal required.

[izzyjoe]

That's cool idea, i bet there's some nice wood hiding under that old paint.

[Frank46]

Quite by accident I found out that a 3500psi pressure washer will also remove old paint from a door. Hit the door accidently and since it was in rough shape finished the job. Gave it a week to dry out and slapped on a fresh coat. Frank