Hopefully this isn't a strange question, but the balusters on the
staircase in my house are boarded over on both sides with plywood. I
don't know when this when done (looks like it's been like that for
years), but what I'm wondering is if I strip the plywood boards off,
what will I find underneath? Will it be nice balusters from the late
1930's (when the house was built), that need sanding down and a lick
of paint, or could there actually just be a few supporting balusters
because the plywood was put on when the staircase was originally built
(i.e. it was the fashion back then).

My suspicion is that someone has done a DIY job on it in the 60's or
70's, but I really don't know for certain, and don't want to rip of
the plywood without having a good idea of what's behind it. Any advice/
experience appreciated.
Thanks