How To Remove Paint From Wood

I am so torn when it comes to painting over stained wood. I absolutely love the look of painted wood, especially on dingy furniture…but I struggle so much with painting over old, still in good condition wood. In our new house, an  1886 Victorian in Wisconsin, the upstairs woodwork has all been painted. Because of it’s age, it’s been painted many many many times over.

Before we actually even closed on the home, I watched a video by This Old House showing a product that they used to remove up to 15 layers of paint in one shot. Honestly, the video made it look so fun that when we closed on the home, I had the products shipped and waiting for me until I got there to give it a try (side note: we are not living in the home yet, we are staying in NC to wait out winter, haha!)

I flew up to WI with the plan to clean and meet with contractors for a few things we are looking to have done prior to moving in and well…lets just say, I was too excited and accomplished not much cleaning but rather, I tackled a whole bedroom with paint! After testing the paint to see if it had lead, I got to work with stripping!

Why I Chose Dumond Smart Strip Advanced Paint Removal System

• Smart Strip has zero VOC’s, is odor free, user friendly, 100% biodegradable and PH neutral (this was important to me especially because I began my project during the winter – and of course, the coldest week in 30 years: the high was -25 (yes, that is a negative!)
• Removes up to 15 layers of coatings
• Ideal for use for intricate, carved or molded surfaces
• Smart Strip is a revolutionary paint remover that is safe for the user, any substrate and the environment
• It is formulated without methylene chloride and is non-carcinogenic, non-toxic and non-caustic
• Easily applied by brush, roller or conventional airless spray
• Formulated to remain wet and effective over extended periods of time and can be removed with a sponge and water or a power washer

How To Use Dumond Smart Strip Advanced Paint Removal System

1. Apply a generous coat (as if you were icing a cake) of the paint stripper on your wood using a cheap paint brush.
2. Cover with laminated paper
3. Wait up to 24 hours to remove paper
4. Peel paper off of wood
5. Use a scraper to remove excess paint
6. Repeat process or use a heat gun and scraper to remove excess paint
7. Use a paint thinner of your choice to remove any extra paint residue