I decided on a whim to refinish the inside of my front door as the previous owner did a very poor paint job...

J S
by J S
hair and drips included. I managed to strip pretty much all of the paint (and I did test for lead) with citristrip. I *think* the door is oak, if that makes a difference, give the grain. There seems to be a layer of stain remaining that's not too thick, but the citristrip doesn't seem to be that effective in removing it. I would prefer not to remove the door from its hinges, and hence sand, until I absolutely have to. Is there a product I could use indoors that will remove the stain? Not sure what the stain is but I assume it's oil-based. I'd like to stain with Gen. Finishes water based espresso if I can.
  4 answers
  • Peace Painting Co., Inc. Peace Painting Co., Inc. on Apr 04, 2012
    J S, there is no way to remove the stain except a harsh stripper or a major sand job. If you can get most of the stain out, the gel stain will mask the remainder. When using Gel stain, I recommend coating first with a sanding sealer then lightly sand. This will give you more working time to get the gel stain even. Best, Charles
  • J S J S on Apr 04, 2012
    Thanks! I've heard of sanding sealer but don't know much about it. Is it similar to wood conditioner?
  • Peace Painting Co., Inc. Peace Painting Co., Inc. on Apr 05, 2012
    It is similar to pre-stain wood conditioner, just thicker. It's in between the wood conditioner and varnish in consistency. It is a varnish primer that sands easily and dries quickly. It is also available in water base now if you like. Chas.
  • Christine Christine on Nov 09, 2013
    B.S. I have removed more stain than one could imagine with just that: Citristrip. 100 year old doors right down to gorgeous, raw oak, maple and mahogony with just a coating to remove up to 7 layers of old paint, and another coat to suck the stain right out of the wood. I know the magahony had 11 coats of stain/poly/stain/etc on them because I did it. Ignorance. Put the Citristrip on thick, cover it with plastic to keep it against the wood (I use cut up grocery bags) and wait. It'll turn the stain to BBQ sauce at which point you scrape off the gunk. Take a scrubbie and WATER and wash down the remaining stain. (Mineral spirits just reliquifies the stain back into the grain and requires yet another Citristrip application.) I have to tell you this almost makes this stripping fun. While my first, 100 year old door was in progress I stripped 7 different wood kitchen cabinets -- again to bare wood -- right in the kitchen where they sit. Love the stuff. BTW. Gel stain is pretty much paint. IMHO. I hope you had decent luck with whatever you chose.