# Stripping/Finishing old gumwood molding



## cheese9988 (Jan 4, 2010)

I have an old house, built in the early 20's. One of the rooms is going to be refinished into a den. The molding was painted white in the room.

I'd like to strip the molding and stain it a darker color. I do not want to remove the molding, I fear it would just get damaged or damage the cement & lathe. I don't want to use a chemical stripper either, but I do have some citrus stripper. I don't want to damage the oak floors either, there were just refinished a few years ago. What would you suggest for stripping and cleaning everything as-is?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

cheese9988 said:


> I have an old house, built in the early 20's. One of the rooms is going to be refinished into a den. The molding was painted white in the room.
> 
> I'd like to strip the molding and stain it a darker color. I do not want to remove the molding, I fear it would just get damaged or damage the cement & lathe. I don't want to use a chemical stripper either, but I do have some citrus stripper. I don't want to damage the oak floors either, there were just refinished a few years ago. What would you suggest for stripping and cleaning everything as-is?


To do that would be a PITA. I've done it both ways, and I would carefully remove the moulding, strip/refinish and re-install. I would mark them for where they go.












 







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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

your damned if you do and damned if you dont. there are good arguments to both methods. on lathe and plaster i would prob do in place and use a chem stripper. just cover and protect the floors.


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## monty1975 (Apr 6, 2009)

My house was also built in the 20s and the trim has quite a few layers. 


leaving it on makes paint removal difficult and sanding even harder if you have any banding or detail. If you were going to stip and repaint to fix flaking paint I'd recommend leaving it on.

Since you want to stain and stain dark you run a risk of having blotchy results due to uneven sanding. 

I stripped and stained the banded window casing in a room + stool + stops (sash windows). The first one I tried keeping it on and even though I ended up taking off the banding the results were not good - very blotchy.

The second set of windows I remoevd everything leaving the sashes and the jamb. It took a lot longer to get everything off (you won't break anything if you take your time and get the right tools) and the results were great.

The plaster and lathe was not damaged because I spread out any pry load. Reassembly is easy if you mark everything.

Note I stopped trying to remove nails by pounding them out from the backside. As they come out the heads splintered the wood on the good face. Now I just bring the trim down to a handheld grinder and zip the nails off rapidly. 

Brian


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## jack warner (Oct 15, 2010)

oak is not blotchy prone, the only "blotching" will come from stain left in the wood. 
ive worked on a ton of old homes, and i have learned you dont want to mess with lathe n plaster unless you absolutly half to.


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