Sand or strip?!

[Downdoneandout]

Putting on my summer jobs list to repaint the stair bannister!

1920s house. Paint on bannister a real mix, lots of chips and different paint finishes, although most are minor.

Quick option is sand back and repaint.

Long option is strip off 90+ years of paint, clean, prime, paint.

To add to the dilemma - just tested for lead paint and whilst the new stuff is fine, where there are chips this has tested positive for lead so base coat will be lead.

Any advice?

Can you use that gel stripper stuff that you lather on and cover with cling film and then 24 hrs later peel the whole lot off?

A chemical peal will be better than sanding back it you decide to go back to the wood. Whether to go back to wood or not depends on the finish you want. Obviously you will get a sharper finish if you go back to bare wood. A light sand and paint will keep the character of the wood. GL

We’re similar position and have used the stuff you paint on, cover in film and the leave min 24 hrs.

Im a bit of a DIY buff so have tried 2 brands. They both worked brilliantly, but one is loads more chemically than the other and needs to be neutralized after. Would not recommend you use that one as its really strong (enough to make your eyes water).

Wouldn’t recommend sand as could potentially pit lead into the air.

at a push I’d wash with sugar soap, rinse, dry and paint.

Thanks. Am planning on painting white satin at the end regardless. The original wood is very dark and nothing special! And it’s a very dull hallway.

If not for the lead paint would have just sanded and popped a fresh coat on. Am aware I can’t dry sand lead paint. Just not sure if the effort of fully stripping will be worth the end result (we have a young child so time is limited!!).

Was thinking of peelaway or similar for stripping if going that route. Or DH has just suggested using wood filler on worst bits then cracking on with painting 🤷‍♀️

Here is the crappy looking staircase in question…

That looks very similar to ours.We got the paint off the handrail without any problems(it was oak and there was a coat of varnish under the paint)but the spindles and newel posts were a nightmare.
Our carpenter managed to strip the newel posts (it took forever)but we gave up on the spindles and had them replaced.

Good luck with it,I was on the point of setting fire to ours.

I tend to be the 'go back to the wood and do it properly' sort, but if the cracks/flakes aren't too bad, in your case I might be tempted to fill and then use a really good undercoat- maybe even several coats of it. I definitely take WickedSerious's point about wanting to set fire to theirs. There is a LOT of work in banisters.
I have some old skirtings here. As skirtings aren't all that much seen, I have very lightly roughened the topcoat and sharpened any outer edges with sandpaper (carefully not disturbing lower layers that might be lead, but wore a mask anyway, because no dust is good) , then filled where there were flakes/dings. Then a good trade acrylic primer undercoat, because that sticks like whatsit to most things, more than one coat if necessary, and then painted with satinwood which shows irregularities less, being mattish, and flows well into any little cracks or ramifications provided you don't overdo it till it drips. Looks like new. Bannisters you see closer than skirtings, but it might be worth an experiment on a small part, as if it really would do, it could save a heck of a lot of work.
Again agreeing with WickedSerious, I think stripping the rail only would be a good idea, as it wouldn't be difficult and that really is noticeable if it isn't smooth.

How do you test for lead paint? We have uncovered an old cupboard door behind some tongue and groove stuff, and it might be lead as house is pretty old.

You can buy a test kit,I think our neighbour paid about eight quid for one.
They're quite simple to use.

Could you rub down using wet and dry paper which although messy doesn't produce dust. Having done chemical stripper on a complete staircase I'd say the end result doesn't repay the effort. We did ours as it was pitch pine and did look good at the end but it was a lot of work.And we were able to take all the spindles and spacers out

Hot air stripper to get most off. Then stuff you paint on and it burns it all off. If you can get it all off a light sand of wood then Danish oil would be nice.

Seconded on the heart gun approach. If you are painting again then the odd scorch mark didn't matter either. I stripped my stairs with a heat gun and scraper, followed by a sand and fill. No banister or spindles though.

I got a lead test kit from Amazon. It definitely worked as on the newer paint, nothing happened, but within seconds of touching the older stuff the swabs turned pink!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lead-Test-Kit-Instant-Testing/dp/B0BG35J46R?pd_rd_w=l4EGZ&content-id=amzn1.sym.99287ee2-be7b-47ac-a6c0-0ecc40c5b32b&pf_rd_p=99287ee2-be7b-47ac-a6c0-0ecc40c5b32b&pf_rd_r=M1YCD03YFK1VRE56Q0CH&pd_rd_wg=iAF4U&pd_rd_r=433806e0-46a1-4b9b-8eef-cfcffe3afc66&pd_rd_i=B0BG35J46R&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_34_t

Can anyone recommend a particular gel paint stripper that they’ve used?

Think I would be careful using heat on lead based paint

In fact the advice ( from a quick google) is to use chemical stripper and NOT heat.
How to identify lead paint and how to remove it safely | Your Home Style

I’m think of leaning towards the life of (relative) ease and making tidy and cracking on with painting. I have little patience with DIY and a small person underfoot, so thinking I will lose the plot if I bite off more than I can chew (and will absolutely want to set fire to it if it’s a pain to strip!).

DH reckoned any dodgy bits we'll see for about a week and then not notice, which is probably true. Can’t look much worse than it does 🤷‍♀️

I'm a perfectionisy decorator as a rule, but I agree with your DH. I go crackers making things like coving joints and mitres absolutely perfect and smooth, and then realise a few weeks later that I don't even look at the things most of the time, and even when I do, it's from about 10' away. You get so close when you're doing a job you get carried away (or at least I do) and forget that you don't spend your life up ladders peering at coving from a foot away.
If a bit of the job still catches your eye because it looks cranky after a few weeks, I'd just have another go at that bit.

Yep- definitely no sanding or heat with lead. You don't want to breathe in dust or fumes of the stuff. And you really don't want the dust on your skin either, for preference. Pure lead pigment powder you can even absorb the lead through the skin- used paint sandings probably not so much of a problem, as it's likely to be bound in linseed oil, but nevertheless best avoided- and you definitely don't want to run the risk of ingesting any.
I used to use lead white powder a lot - Though I took all necessary precautions because as a professional I knew 'flake' meant 'lead', back then even the powder could be sold to anyone, including amateur painters, as 'flake white' with no warnings on it, or it even saying it contained lead.😬Last time I bought some, even though it was bound in oil, it was covered in warnings with actual skull and crossbones on them, my supplier had to give his supplier a copy of his passport and a declaration saying he knew who he was selling to, and who was to be using it and that I'd take all precautions necessary! Times change. And in my opinion, for the better in terms of safety, despite the complications for those of us who need to use it.

I'd use ESP and then paint with undercoat before the satinwood.
You can't sand it if there's lead paint under there so you either need to strip the lot or disturb as little as possible. ESP is the latter.

Just googled that ESP paint prep stuff and it looks amazing, so in addition to my prev answer, if you can’t be arsed, have limited time, small children etc I would try ESP which looks similar to liquid sand.

then see what the surface and chips looks like. It might actually look ok just painted over the top. If you’re going basic white I use one of the Zinsser paints which I’ve found work really well.

I stripped the paint off a floor to ceiling cupboard using Kling strip, and had lost the will to live after spending 3 weeks of stripping, washing, filling, sanding etc, so just washed the inside walls and shelves with sugar soap and then painted with Zinsser. I cover the shelves with peal and stick stuff on a roll and it looks a millions times better now (than the old yellowing oil based gloss used before)

Klingstrip is the one @moggiek - order online, make sure you neutralise after. Buy their cling film stuff too.

Just popping on here to second your change of heart @Downdoneandout!

I stripped stairs, handrail and spindles as well as coving in our house (Edwardian). It’s a properly grotty job, not least of all because the Edwardian’s had used a maroon varnish/stain on the wood which turned the Klingstrip into a gooey puddle (this was then covered in layers and layers of poorly applied white gloss with drip runs throughout). After that joy, washing it all off and letting it dry thoroughly, I then heat gunned the patches where I’d obviously not been generous enough with the Klingstrip. Wouldn’t attempt this with carpets I intended to keep!

The stairs look ruddy fantastic now but good lord - never again. I now understand why the builder refused to quote us to do it…

@LondonNQT following your recommendation have ordered klingstrip- but can’t find a neutraliser or the cling film of it- does any brand do or could you tell me where you bought the other stuff? (Found klingstrip on Amazon)

I order from them directly - the neutraliser is definitely on there. I bought the clingfilm from them too but reckon any old one of that will do.