'black stuff' under lead paint

[RushupEdge]

Hi all,

Continuing on with the never ending renovation of our Victorian terraced house.

We've just stripped a load of lead paint using Peelaway 7, and underneath the caking of paint, the wood seems to be coated in a black substance... I thought this could potentially be graining, but I can't seem to find any info on this (or what it could be otherwise)

Here are some pics:

The peel away has kind of melted it a bit in some areas, but hasn't totally removed it... does anyone know what the best way to remove this coating would be?

 

[Cubist]

First thing that came to mind was the black adhesive used to fix/join roofing felt. Very unlikely, I hope, for it to be that but you could try a solvent such as acetone or a little petrol on a cloth but please, please - don't spark up while you do it.

 

[LadyArowana]

The old fashioned 'japanning'? More usually done on floors though.

 

[Gothichome]

Is it hard in areas that has not had the stripper applied and soft and gooey were the stripper was applied? Could be a linseed oil paint. The stripper has just softened it.

 

[Cubist]

Lady A's idea is such more likely than mine. Perhaps a little methylated spirit, again on a cloth, may shift it.

 

[Gothichome]

Yes, Japanning is another option, the stripper has softened the lacque.

 

[RushupEdge]

Yes, looks very much like it could have been Japanning! Thanks for all the advice. Managed to get the bulk of it off—now just to sand the grooves of the moulding!

 

[CarolineTheChemist]

Does it smell at all tarry? We have black stuff smeared on the walls in our hall way - we think it was a failed attempt at damp proofing with bitumen.

 

[Toby Newell]

Hi all,

Continuing on with the never ending renovation of our Victorian terraced house.

We've just stripped a load of lead paint using Peelaway 7, and underneath the caking of paint, the wood seems to be coated in a black substance... I thought this could potentially be graining, but I can't seem to find any info on this (or what it could be otherwise)

Here are some pics:

The peel away has kind of melted it a bit in some areas, but hasn't totally removed it... does anyone know what the best way to remove this coating would be?

lol, bitumen, tar, asphatum, not Japanned, unless they built a kiln around the house...

abandon house and buy a new one... set fire to it... dynamite... it's scraping and sanding I'm afraid (see my other recent posts) 50mm tungsten carbide scraper plus Bahco 50mm / 65mm and their 625 triangle scrapers and the coarsest grit paper you can get, which is probably P40 unless you pay silly money for Festool Rubin P24, I use P24 and P40 floor sanding discs and three dust extractors, fun.

I just used 200 discs on one small floor that had nutty bitumin, so thick it had dissolved the pine resin rings all the way through and turned them to toffee.

You will never strip it with solvents, just spread it around and make it worse.

If you work in a lab or a welding shop, pinch a dower of LN2, pour that on then scrape it.

Top tips: Use fresh abrasives on cleaner area, then when worn use old discs on bitumin area until they are clogged. Set your sander to lower speed to delay heat build up and melting. Go over whole area quickly then go back rather than trying to do one small patch, which will heat up faster, melt and clog.