Beautiful Woodwork is Worth the Work

Stripping woodwork is a big job. And if you use solvent-based strippers, you’ll have a lot of toxic fumes, too. Water-based strippers are a good alternative to get the job done.

Here’s how to strip varnished or polyurethaned woodwork using water-based strippers. Even though they take longer to work, they’re non-flammable and have no harmful vapors, so you can strip indoors any time of the year.

It takes more water-based stripper to get the same results you would get from a solvent-based stripper. Plan to strip between 400 and 600 square feet for every gallon of stripper.

Before you get the stripper, though, inspect the varnish. If it’s dull and dark-looking, but not damaged, you can save yourself a lot of work by reviving it with mineral spirits. If the finish is polyurethane or the varnish is cracked or damaged, it will have to be stripped to restore the wood’s appearance.

To prepare the room, duct tape plastic drop cloths along the base molding, and cover with a few layers of newspaper. To protect the wall from spatters, tape newspapers to it. And remember to protect yourself with rubber gloves and safety glasses.

Apply the stripper with a nylon or natural bristle paint brush, working in one direction. After five or 10 minutes, add another coat until the stripper is at least an eighth of an inch thick. Let it stay on for about three hours. Then, following the grain of the wood, scrape off the stripper and dissolved finish. For areas where you have to work against the grain, use a plastic scraper so you don’t scratch the wood.

Add another coat of stripper and wait five or 10 minutes. Then scrub with a nylon or brass-bristle brush. You’ll find a dental tool or special stripping tool can remove finish and stripper from cracks and crevices. Whisk away excess water and the remaining residue with a brass-bristle brush. Let the woodwork dry, sand it with sandpaper or fine grit sanding sponge. And you’re ready to re-stain!