On 4 Dec, 22:51, Bitstreams wrote:
The beams in my cottage have been "painted" with a dark brown
substance that looks like something from those stop smoking adverts
twenty years ago. It's not quite gloss paint (though it is glossy) -
where the Neanderthal who applied it has gone over white lighting
flex, it looks a bit like thickly spread marmite.
I'd like to remove it and get the beams looking a little healthier.

What can I try ?

Simon

Dear Simon
I wholly endorse the spirit of Steve's post if not the phraseology!
Sand blasting is not reversible.
You need to get rid of the YUK paint and if possible leave the patina
of age just underneath
That is the work of a careful picture restorer!
So choices are
chemical removal with care
paint over the yuk paint

Assume the former
Two generic types of paint remover - caustic soda (sodium hydroxide)
or nitromors type (methelene trichor - as far as I rememember (open to
correction - but basically organic chemical as opposed to inorganic)
Hydroxides extract hemicelluloses out of the wood and are not good
unless used with huge skill
Trade examples are Peelaway etc
Nitromors type are good (but smelly and messy) as they will remove in
layers

Suggest you try mechanical scraping with chemical softening and just
bite the bullet time wise

Any other solution will adversly affect the look of the final product

If you choose to paint consider a lime wash if the house is really old
Chris