I'm gonna strip

[Ellen Forradalom]

...the woodwork in my house. Any advice?

[XNASA]

1. Is it painted?

Or is it varnished?

[Ellen Forradalom]

3. Paint, more layers than the dig at ancient Jericho.

The whole place is drenched in white paint.

[Fenris]

7. Strip-Ease

It will take the paint right off. But wear chemical gloves and a mask, and open up all the windows. All can be purchased via Home Depot.

[larryepke]

2. No, but...

you sure have a flair for headlines! :D

[TXlib]

4. You are SUCH a tease

Do you and my wife compare notes, or something?

[chenGOD]

5. get an electric sander....

you'll love yourself for the time saved, and your hands and wrists will you for the wear saved.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

6. start with Strip-ease or a similar product

it's a mess, but in the longrun you'll save time over just sanding...

p.s. how much woodwork are you talking about, are you planning on going down to bare wood, and are you sure that the wordwork is worth stripping?

[chenGOD]

10. Yeah i meant for after....

Definitely want to start with some sort of paint-removal product, but he's still gonna need to sand afterward.

[pansypoo53219]

8. i recommend

Back to Nature-Ready-strip. non toxic and changes color when its done. It worked on exterior paint 3 layers and varnish on an exterior door. If you can't find it in hardware stores, QVC sold it. you can get it on your hands without a problem and no need for masks. THEN you sand. Good for the environment and water cleanup. and i would recommend a marine varnish for sills. I have to do that this year.

[XNASA]

9. Tear out the old woodwork.....

...and install new.

Stripping layers and layers of paint is a pain. Even if you want to strip it off, I still recommend removing it, and doing it in the garage or somewhere else. The fumes will make you and your loved ones dizzy and/or sick.

If you consider that "time is money", then just rip it out and put in new stuff.

If you have lot's of time, then you'll need the to use chemicals and an electric sander.