Expert: Eileen Cronk - 8/9/2006

Question
Good morning....
I have taken carpet off of a staircase, and am now in the process of wanting to refinish the stairs....they are wood....painted brown....not sure of what kind of wood is under paint.....can I purchase paint remover that is brushed on, to get the paint off....I have been told this wood work....if the wood is pine and  not oak, will this matter?
Thanks for any help....
Kathy

Answer
Hi Kathy Lee
Nice to hear from you.
It will make absolutely no difference the type of wood you have as far as the stripper goes, but I hope for your sake the stairs are oak and not pine.
If the stairs are pine and have had just paint applied to them you have little hope of removing the brown paint.
The paint will have penetrated the soft pine and be impossible to remove.
So I would be sure before you start what kind of wood you have.
On the other hand, if a stain and a varnish finish was the original way the stairs were finished (if they are pine), and someone painted over that, then the paint will come off fine because it will not have penetrated the wood.
As far as the oak goes, the paint will come off in all cases.
Hope this is clear LOL
Kindest Regards
Eileen