How do you remove paint from wood trim?

We just painted three rooms in our home, and although we spent a whole day masking the woodwork we still had paint leak on trim. We were very careful and deliberate when we masked, yet the paint leaked. In some places, very badly.How do you remove paint from wood trim?
Paint Remover. Brass Wire Brush. Rags. Small (artist's is good) Paint Brush.


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(The wire brass brushes won't harm the wood - but don't scrub too hard or you will have a polished portion - you won't have to scrub hard if you let the stripper do its work) The brass brushes used to clean barbeques work well. Wooden sticks (shaped with a knife) to get paint out of any crevices may also be useful depending on where it leaked.


Circa 1850 is a stripper that works fast. It is smelly and toxic.


Citrastrip is slow but less toxic and smelly.


Apply either with a small paint brush or larger depending on your situation.


You may have to touch up the baseboards afterwards with a spray lacquer or a wipe-on gel. (Yeah, masking again).


If by chance they were painted, it its likely that it is an enamel paint which is tougher to remove than the latex that dripped (latex is water soluble, so do first try washing with water the spots that are not totally dried). Recommend Citrastrip in this case, as you can monitor it more closely, plus it adheres better to vertical surfaces without running. You may then need to do a little touching up: dry it, feather sand 180 grit or higher, and get a small amount of enamel paint mixed to match color. (Find a small piece of the trim to bring to the paint store for a match - has to be at least the size of a quarter for them to do so). Apply with a small disposable sponge brush for a more professional look and no cleaning up of the brush.





If you need to re-mask, use the green (not blue) painters' tape. For further assurance of good adhesion, you can use a hair dryer on the tape in-between coats - works great.





Hope you feel better about your project!How do you remove paint from wood trim?
Is the trim painted or is it natural wood? You could try a bit of warm soapy water. If that doesn't work, you can try a bit of thinner, but be careful, it might hurt the finish on the wood. If you're not sure, call your local home store and ask what they recommend.