Let’s loop back to the issue of paint stripping.

Cathy told the story about cleaning up the window and door trims and removing layers of paint from the oak window sills. The Silent Paint Remover and SOY Gel were great tools to use in the paint removing process. We have in some cases, however, just a hint of paint residue left. Just enough to be really annoying.

Cathy, who has turned into a paint removal specialist, quickly figured out how to grind up and remove this annoyance. She dug up a palm sander her sister sent us when we started the project. Some 120 grit sand paper did a great job of restoring the final glory of the oak around the windows and doors with only a couple of passes.

For the window sills, Cathy used a coarser sand paper first followed by a final pass with the 120 grit. This helped not only to remove some of the more persistent paint residue, but also eliminate or fade some of the stains on the sills.

Although, what I really like about the trim and the sills is that they have their little imperfections. They tell a great story of age, of good times and bad times … They add character.