Renovation and historic preservation can pose dilemmas for sustainability-minded owners of older homes. That’s especially true if you have a lot of exposed ornamental woodworking clad with many layers of accumulated paint. If you can barely make out the finer details of your old doors, windows, and molding, it’s probably time to have the wood stripped of its multiple layers of paint, stains, or lacquers.

First step Manolis works with a chair in the first main vat. After the finish starts to breakdown, he uses a brush to speed up the process.

Second step of the process stops the action of the first chemical.

Final step Manolis pressure-washes house parts clean of all chemicals and finishes.

For do-it-yourselfers, wood stripping is tedious and sometimes hazardous. Over-the-counter wood strippers are difficult to work with, messy, and don’t perform as well as professional wood stripping. In older homes, you risk contact with hazardous lead-based paint when you do the work yourself. In addition, the cleanup and disposal of old material that is removed can be harmful to the environment. These various hazards and inconveniences make wood stripping a job better left in professional hands.

Even professional stripping services are chemical-based, but Ron Bauer, owner of Houck’s Process Stripping Center in Southeast Portland, has gone the extra mile to create an environmentally conscious process that meets stringent DEQ requirements. Wood strippers traditionally used toxic methylene chloride as a solvent. Houck’s employs a less harsh acetone-based product, according to Bob Manolis, the only full-time employee in Bauer’s small shop. The three-step process includes soaking items in two successive vats of stripper — a process known as “dipping.” A third dip in a neutralizing solution stops the stripping action. While dipping removes much of the old pigment, most jobs “are about 98% elbow grease,” says Manolis, whose stained sleeves demonstrate that he really does work “up to here in chemicals!”

Houck’s’ facility is itself noteworthy for its DEQ approved features. The 3,000 square foot structure, which Bauer had built four years ago, is designed to withstand fire and explosion. Though less flammable than methylene chloride, acetone stripper is still a chemical that must be handled with professional care. Solid concrete floors prevent any spills from seeping into the ground, and a state-of-the-art ventilation system eliminates virtually all of the associated odors.

Stripping and refinishing fine woodwork promotes sustainability through re-use, by keeping good-quality materials out of landfills. It’s also more cost efficient. Replacing doors, windows, and moldings requires that new materials be cut to fit, often resulting in waste from scraps. Rejuvenated woodwork, on the other hand, is returned already fit to your house’s unique dimensions. A new 40” entry door might set you back several thousand dollars. Houck’s can strip your old door for $200 to 300, depending on its condition.

Most of their work includes doors, moldings, furniture, and windows, although Houck’s can accommodate pieces as big as 8’ x 5’ and pieces of molding up to 12 feet long. Bauer recommends leaving glass in doors and windows for stripping. The process usually takes only a few hours to a day, but Houck’s usually has a backlog of about two weeks. “Express service” is available for a premium fee. All of the work is done in the facility by Bauer and Manolis.

The company’s price list quotes a range of charges for stripping various items. Interior doors run $100-125, for example. Molding is charged at 80 cents to $5 a foot, depending on width and design. A five-drawer dresser will cost you $100-150. Firm estimates, however, require inspection of the pieces to be stripped. Bauer personally assesses their condition and prices them based on the time and attention they require.

Nearly any type of wood can be successfully stripped except particle board, which swells up and fails to respond to the treatment. Houck’s also strips metal furniture and vent covers.

Ron Bauer is well respected in the business and has done work for Portland City Hall, the old Federal Building, the Federal Building in Medford, and countless residential pieces. One of his most unusual jobs was stripping the doors and woodworking at the old U.S. Post Office in downtown Portland. The pieces were large and the mail slots presented unique challenges, but the woodworking turned out to be beautiful.

Kudos to Houck’s Process Stripping for its part in reclaiming American architectural history, as reflected in the artful woodworking that graces historic buildings and homes. More kudos for promoting reuse of materials while reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact in their shop design and process.

Rewritten/edited by Catha Loomis

Houck’s Process Stripping Center is located at 2712 SE Steele, Portland, OR. They’re open Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. Call for directions or further information 503-232-5151 or visit www.dipdoors.com.