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"   The exterior wood trim on our 20-year-old house has hardened drips and blobs of paint everywhere. We&amp;#039;re wondering whether we should strip the paint or simply replace the trim. Since the trim is not historically valuable, I don&amp;#039;t think it&amp;#039;s worth saving. Both stripping and removal are pretty radical solutions. I&amp;#039;d wet-sand big blobs of paint using water-resistant sandpaper on a hand-sanding block and a plastic spray bottle. Keep misting the surfaces down as you work, and use a garden hose to rinse pigment off nearby siding. You don&amp;#039;t want pigment-tinted runoff to dry in place and stain the siding. For large areas, use a random-orbit sander and stearate-coated (paint-stripping) sandpaper. Empty the sander&amp;#039;s dust bag frequently and consider hooking the sander to a shop vacuum to keep airborne debris to a minimum.   For areas that are truly in bad shape, stripping might save you some time over sanding. Remember to protect adjacent siding using painter&amp;#039;s tape (the blue, green and purple types) sold at paint stores and home centers. Don&amp;#039;t use tan-colored masking tape; that stuff is only good for household (nonpainting) applications. Spread dropcloths on pavements or over shrubbery to protect them from falling gobs of goo. Stripper will take you just so far, though. You&amp;#039;ll have to scrape softened paint off curved surfaces and out of corners, so get yourself a selection of flat and contoured scrapers.   Many amateur painters overlook the following: A stripped surface usually needs to be neutralized and rinsed after the stripping is done; otherwise, the residual chemicals can discolor the paint and interfere with its bond. The manufacturer of the stripping chemicals will recommend a specific neutralizer, which could range from a mild acidic solution to a quick wipe with a clean cloth moistened with paint thinner. Finally, check with the town about how to dispose of the gunk that you strip off the trim. With a house that age, it&amp;#039;s unlikely it contains lead, but you may need to dispose of stripped paint as hazardous waste.  Stripping-Safety Toolkit  Paint stripping is already hard and dirty work; don&amp;#039;t make it worse by not protecting yourself.   Eyes Old paint is brittle, and chips can fly off a scraper, so wear safety glasses. Make that goggles if you&amp;#039;re working overhead or using paint stripper that can splash.   Hands Wear work gloves for handling scrapers and sandpaper. When working with paint stripper, you&amp;#039;ll need chemical-resistant glovesdon&amp;#039;t use the dishwashing variety.   Lungs A dust mask or respirator should have an R95 rating; a better mask will have a P100, especially necessary if there&amp;#039;s lead in the removed paint. Wear a cartridge respirator rated for organic vapors when using paint stripper. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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