Urgent help needed on wood paint/stain

[papereyes]

Hi all

Need some help, we have a wooden staircase which was stained mahogany. Issue I have is that the decorator thought we wanted it all white so he put a white solvent based primer on.

We actually wanted to put a light oak stain on instead, we've asked the decorator if it can be sanded down and restained in the color we want. He's saying the stair case is difficult and can't be done. Instead we have to paint it a brown colour.

Is this true? Is there no way we can get the primer off back down to the bare wood and restain it.

Really could do with your advice as I'm being pushed to buy paint.


Thanks

 

[Growler]

Your post isn't too clear to me but if I understand you correctly, you wanted it light oak. Now that couldn't be done because you've already got mahogany stained woodwork so it couldn't be lightened.

The only way forward if you want the paint off is trial and error with a heat gun and shave hook first ,followed by a water washable paint stripper (nitromors) washing it off with soapy water and one of those green scoury things.

 

[papereyes]

Hi there

Thanks for the response, so hopefully this clears it up

My staircase (bannister etc) were originally wood stained with mahogany, our decorater has put down a white sovlent based primer (thinking we wanted it painted white)

We actually wanted to put down a light oak wood stain.

Decorators says its very difficult to sand down to the bare wood and we should just paint it.

I don't think thats right, I'm planning on buying some nitromors tonight so he can apply this tomorrow and hopefully strip the white primer and the mahogany stain and then he can sand down to the bare wood (to allow the new oak stain to be applied).

Will this work? I notice you mentioned i should try a heat gun as well, should i try this first before applying nitro mors or can i just apply nitro mors.

 

[Growler]

IF you were going to put light oak over mahogany to lighten it.

It wouldn't have worked.

There is no point in putting light oak stain over mahogany stain.

 

[papereyes]

Thanks growler

my plan was to use the heat gun/nitro mors to take off the primer/wood stain

then use sandpaper to take it back to the bare wood and then apply the wood stain

would that work?

 

[Growler]

Well.....yes.
Not every situation is the same so- first, try to get it off with a shave hook (dry)and sandpaper. If that doesn't work too good, try a heat gun, then the nitromors.
Things like this are always "trial and error" so whatever works best for you.

This may sound a bit stupid but I've got to make this clear..

Do not use the heat gun over paint stripper

Right....gonna catch up on Celeb Big Brother now

 

[Robbie uk]

You can always use a darker stain over a lighter one but not the other way round. As the woodwork has now been coated in an oil based primer i doubt that it would come up good enough to be stained again, unless you use an awful lot of elbow grease. Dont know how light oak stain sounds like white primer....