What's best to do with beams that have been painted a nasty, glossy brown?

[mint]

I think the owners must have wanted to create an English village pub atmosphere in their home [6]

Given that that's how it is at present, with all potentially good-looking, original wooden beams painted in glossy brown, can anyone please suggest the best and least labour-intensive way of dealing with them?

I am hoping you are not going to tell me to get out the blow-torch and burn it all off .  Can't be doing anything so boring and time-consuming [blink]

Some ingenious and innovative ideas, preferably involving little expenditure of time and money, would be nice.........

[Patf]

Plasterboard over them?

Sorry probably not the kind of answer you're looking for, but that's what Eddie has done here. We had similar dark brown shiny ones, untidily painted too.

He has inserted spotlights in the plasterboard so the effect is much lighter.

[Gemonimo]

If it were in the realms of possibility I'd sand them until the gloss finish has gone and paint them in a mat finish, preferably a light colour.   Good luck!

[mint]

Pat, these ones are in a very low building with low headroom so I don't think plastering is the answer.  Also, the building dates back to the 17th century and therefore the beams are not put there (which I suspect is the case in our present "conversion" job) merely for the rooms to look suitably and desirably ancient!

The beams being such an integral part and parcel of the fabric of this building, I would hesitate to do such a radical thing to the beams.  And, although I am "beamed out" in my present house, I don't think I can, in all conscience, do something so drastic as you have suggested[:D]

[Pierre ZFP]

A very messy but very effective way of getting back to the original beams would be to get an angle grinder and a brush like THIS.

You would need suitable protection for yourself and a completely clear room as the bits will go everywhere but it does fulfill your requirements of cheap and quick.

 

[La Guerriere]

I used one of those to clean up our brick fireplace. Very effective, but wow the dust !

[Frederick]

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article4673105.ece

There is also this stuff...but dont splash any on bare skin it burns ... you also need a mask ... Messy.. I have used it in desperation but not on a job as big as stripping beams

Somebody may know of a different and safer make of paint stripper that you could use for the job .

 

That link should open an article on the use of Nitromorse stripper You may have to google it for further information on using it as link did not open for me ?

[Frederick]

http://www.ecosolutions.co.uk/homestrip.html?gclid=CMG40Nucu6ACFU0j3wodYnzgTw

This stuff looks safer !

[Chippiepat]

What about sand blasting.

[Théière]

OK my turn now [:)]

Sweets you need to obtain a different kind of paint stripper. It is a non corrosive paste that is applied and then a backing is applied, you leave it to "soak" and then peel away many layers of paint and it just requires a wash down with a sponge.  I used this to remove gloss paint from delicate plaster mouldings around an old ceiling and on the outside of a painted brick wall which I was under strict supervision by the environmental people and they were pleased too.

Amazing! it came off like a relief of the plaster work, you could almost make a mould of it for repair work.

http://www.peelaway.co.uk/

[phylisbide]

Why not use undercoat then a nice, light colour in an eggshell finish? There are some good undercoats which do a good job of blocking the old dark colour. You might otherwise need two coats of undercoat - we have also used undercoat then a good quality emulsion - we like Farrow and Ball colours and the density of the paint seems to work well. PB

[WJT]

Sorry to hijack Sweet17, but Phylisbide, are you only located in Wiltshire or are you also located in France?

[mint]

Thank you to everybody who has made suggestions and a special thanks to those who have provided me links to look at recommended products.

Now I feel quite cheer up at the pleasure of getting rid of the glossy brown paint.  I'm sure glossy brown paint has its place except I don't think its place is in my house! [;-)]