Hi, i am in the process of painting a house we bought...the previous owners apparently painted while drunk...paint is all over wood trim and even on a ceiling fan...my question is how can i remove the paint from the wood trim without sanding, as my father in law says...or do i just paint over
thanks,
dave

If you plan to paint the trim then you can paint over it. I do recommend a light sanding (just a quick hand sand) so the paint will adhere better. As for the ceiling fan - try to scrape it of with your finger nail or a putty knife - very lightly. If you want to stain your trim and not paint it - well father in law is right. You have to sand it off. Its not so bad though. If you sand it, try either hand sanding or using a Mouse detail sander. Those little guys get almost everywhere.

Good luck!

Lee

My first question would be what type of paint did they use? Oil base or water based? If you are not sure and you are painting the trim, I'd recommend a coat of primer before you paint. My favorite is Zinzer 123 because it works in all applications.

If the trim is natural or stained, it's tougher. Sanding is probably the best option. Chemical paint removers will lift the grain and you're faced with sanding anyway. And then you have the problem of blending stain into the existing and that's no fun either.

Is the paint on the metal trim on the ceiling fan or the blades? If it's on the metal, I'd try taking the fan down and disassembling it. Bar Keepers Friend powdered polish/cleaner works well on metal and just might lift it off if you dampen the area slightly, sprinkle and let it set for 10-30 minutes and then scrub gently. I have also had full strenght Simple Green lift paint from metal trim. Saturate, let sit and gently scrub with a nylon scrubber. On the blades, sanding or repaint them.

Good luck and sending a lot of patience your way!

If the paint to be remaved is latex, you can remove it with a product called goof off. Denatured alcohol or lighter fluid will also work. Be careful if the trim is also finished with a latex paint or sealer. Any of these products should be safe to use on the fan blades. For the trim, test a spot in an inconspicous area. If it is painted with an oil based paint or varnish, or polyurethane, any of these should work. If the trim is finished with shellac it is soluable with the alcohol based products. Heavy build-ups on the tops of the baseboards and the sides of door and window frames may be gently scraped with a pocket knife or pain srraper. Be careful! When using the solvents, you may find it useful to wrap a rag over the end of a putty knife to get into the corners. Good luck!