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November 07, 2007
Stripping is hard work.
Because we were once lax when it comes to our plumbing, my cat has gotten used to drinking from the bathroom taps.
Now, we regularly replace faulty washers, but Polly still shoves her way into the bathroom and bellows until someone (read: me) starts a trickle of cold water for her in the bathtub. At least she doesn't demand Pellegrino.
After a while, Polly's leaning on the bathroom door wore away a flaky patch of paint, which I peeled off to reveal a rich redwood grain. Since I now have some time on my hands, I suggested to Liz that I finish the work my cat started and strip the door completely. My idea was to paint it a rich red called "Flaming Sword" that's frequently used in Chinese furniture and worked out very nicely on some oak bookcases we had custom built last year.
This morning, I chipped away at the thick layers of paint on the door hinges, unmounted it, and struggled downstairs with the door to the shared alley between our house and an apartment building.
I secured my air filter and slathered a corner of the door with Jasco paint remover. After the paint bubbled and blistered, I scraped with excitement -- only to discover that the chemicals had loosened just the first three layers. Elbow grease revealed three more layers.
I began to worry about time; I'd planned to be done when Liz got home from work. At 2:30, with just one half of one side stripped, I took a break to get more Jasco. As frustrating as it was, I found the work somewhat satisfying. It felt really good to transform an object with my hands.
It got chilly as the afternoon wore on, and talk radio and Diet Coke failed to break the monotony. When I heard the UPS guy ring our front doorbell, I took a certain pleasure in startling him by bursting through the alley door wearing my air filter, yellow work gloves and wrap-around sunglasses.
By 5:15, it was getting dark.
I wrestled the door into a stable position by a hose in our backyard and scrubbed it with cold water and steel wool until it was too dark to see. I toweled it dry and hoisted it back upstairs so I could replace it on its hinges.
I'll need to go over it again with Jasco, but as you can see, this is a nice redwood door. The last of the six layers I was able to discern is a spearmint green that looks like something from the 1930s.
After she got home, Liz and I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door to admire the exposed wood. We speculated about how the other doors in this old house might look with some color, but I'd like to see how this one shakes out first.
Coming up: a visit to the paint store.
Posted by Your Protagonist at November 7, 2007 10:29 PM