How to Strip Varnish Off Wood Walls

There comes a time when the decor of your house gets old and predictable. As warm and homey as wood walls look, even they can use a fresh face when the finish gets worn or the color tiresome. The problem is, stripping the wood is a messy task. Varnish, one of the most common final finishes, works excellently to seal the wood and resists easy removal.


Move couches, chairs and other furniture away from the walls involved. Pull down clocks, pictures and other wall hangings. Remove curtains, blinds and other window coverings. Pile items in the middle of the room, if possible, or place in another room to provide ample work area without fear of damaging items.


Spread plastic sheeting or a painter's drop cloth across the floor, next to the wall. Repeat for each wall you plan to strip. Weight the plastic down with a few heavy objects to ensure it doesn't move. Tape the material to the bottom of the wall to prevent a mess underneath the edge, on your floor.


Rough-sand each wall with a belt sander and coarse sandpaper; 60- to 80-grit works well. Begin in a far corner, at the top of the wall, and sand a small area perhaps 3 or 4 feet wide and long. Move to the next section across and repeat. Sand lightly -- a belt sander, especially with such a coarse grit -- will gouge the wood fairly quickly. Run the sander in the direction of the wood grain, never against. Sand by hand if preferred. The goal is to "rough up" the wall surface at this point; old, thick finishes may not remove this easily.


Switch to a finer grade of sandpaper -- always use the next finest grade, without skipping, for best results -- and sand over the wall again if the initial rough-sanding is successful in removing the varnish. The presence of varnish is evident by the shiny or glossy look, when sanding dust is wiped off, versus the flat, dull appearance of bare wood or wood with stain only. Proceed through 180- to 220-grit for a surface that is fine, smooth and blemish-free but still able to absorb a new finish.


Apply a chemical stripper if any varnish remains after scratching up the surface with the rough-sanding. Pour enough stripper into a wide-mouth glass jar or similar container to mostly fill it. With a paint brush, dab the stripper onto the wall in a thick layer, like peanut butter on a sandwich, beginning at the far top of the wall and proceeding in sections similarly to the sanding. Avoid overlapping sections, which will disturb the stripper. Wait for the stripper to work -- typically 15 to 30 minutes -- depending on the product manufacturer's recommendations.


Watch for signs of the varnish bubbling up. Test the results when the stripping time has passed or the finish is visibly loosening. Run the edge of a putty knife across the wall in a half circle to determine if the wall is ready. Wait a few more minutes, if necessary. Scrape the wall, being careful to avoid gouging the wood, from top to bottom and across in sections as previously performed. Work with the grain of the wood again. Coarse steel wool also works but requires a little more effort.


Wipe down the wall with old, clean cloths to remove the sludge that accumulates. If patches of varnish remain, dip the steel wool in the stripper and scrub the wall again, or spot treat isolated patches.


Neutralize the wall and stripper residue as directed by the product manufacturer. Two of the most common neutralizers are mineral spirits and plain water. Pour the recommended product in a bowl or pail. Dip a clean, old cloth into the neutralizer and wipe down the wall thoroughly, rinsing and reapplying to ensure thorough coverage. Any stripper that remains will cause problems for future finishing products. Allow the wall to dry.


Sand the wall to finish the stripping. Work from a coarse grade to fine again. Wipe down the wall with a tack cloth, preferably, or a damp, clean cloth to remove all residue. Gather up the plastic, folding it inward to contain the mess.