I guess it's been written often what an avid test New York is for all sorts of endeavors. To this list we can add paint removal. The 'pre-war' building, (we're talking about WWII though we have buildings from the revolution) is preferred for its thick plaster walls, high ceilings and oak moldings, also sixty years paint accumulation. When a New Yorker says 'I have ten coats of paint,' it's an understatement. In addition, all but the last three of four layers contain lead so that scraping and heat guns are for professionals only. In fact, during renovations, it's common to see beautiful oak moldings and doors in dumpsters with the other construction debris because of the expense and time required to remove the paint. This is why most people simply paint over one more time.
On a visit home to Iowa, my wife saw a demonstration of your products at the State Fair. She was impressed and brought back the brochure. I ordered a quart each of the liquid and paste since I had some furniture to strip, one piece being quite similar in construction and over-painting to our moldings. I began on one piece (a kitchen shelf unit with glass doors and crown moldings) with the much bally-hooed Peel-Away. I used two 1-1/4 gallon buckets - about sixty dollars worth. It was extremely messy and difficult in the removal phase, discolored the wood and missed large areas. At this point I remembered the Star 10 in the closet and was pleasantly surprised by its effectiveness. When the bulk of the paint is removed by the paste, the detail really cleans up well with the liquid. As per your instructions, I put the scraped off paste onto another piece and it removed the paint easily.
The efficiency of the stripper prompted me to take on all the apartment moldings and most importantly (let's call it the Tom Sawyer effect) got my wife involved so that she has virtually taken over this part of our renovation.
We soon ran out of Star 10 and rather than waiting for another delivery, we began working our way through the paint removal section of the hardware store. We tried Zip-Strip, Citrus-solve, 3M Sofest, and Rock Miracle. None of these products came close. They dry out and don't do more than one or two coats at a time. Also, your company takes the trouble to include thorough directions that are helpful even to an experienced 'do-it-yourselfer'."
John Mosca
