Going Natural: Back Room Stripping

Dear Pat,
I've loved my Longfellow bungalow for many years, but I've always wished the bedrooms and bath hallway had the same lovely natural oak woodwork that graces the living and dining rooms. Alas, the woodwork in those back rooms has all been painted white. Is there a reason why someone would want to paint the woodwork? I had the hardwood floors sanded and refinished recently, and now I have the itch to finish the renovation by doing something about the painted woodwork. From a real estate point of view, is it practical to strip it and refinish?
---Want to go Natural

Dear Natural,

Most of the bungalows I see have painted trim in the back hall and bedrooms. This was a builder's choice, using less-expensive softer woods such as pine or fir to be painted. Usually primer was applied directly to the raw wood, making it nearly impossible for later generations to strip successfully. Oak in the bedrooms is very rare, although the maple or birch commonly used in kitchens was sometimes carried through the back rooms. Occasionally I've run across beautifully preserved old fir in bedrooms and hallways. The key here is whether the raw wood was varnished or painted originally. One way to find out is to use a carbide scraper to remove some paint from the trim inside a closet. If the paint comes off fairly easily, leaving a trace of brown varnish dust, you have a strippable finish. But if it scrapes hard, leaving a "chatter" of paint clinging to the wood, you'll probably never be happy with the results from stripping.

Let's explore the options: if the paint is strippable, you can undertake the arduous task yourself (stripping info is available on websites), or try to find a contractor to do it for you. I'd guess that the cost of 3 rooms, including doors, could run into several thousand dollars, if you can find a quality contractor willing to strip on-site. Or the trim and doors could be removed and dipped commercially, then re-installed. Or it might be easier to find a carpenter to install new replica woodwork and doors. The woodwork consists simply of boards and backband, which are readily available; the single-panel doors can be ordered from local lumberyards. Materials cost for this option could run $3000-$4000, plus a big $X for labor. Get bids, of course, but we know quality carpenters don't come cheap.

Much as you want to go natural, Natural, there are practical considerations of dollars and effort that have stopped many before you. You can comfort yourself, if you choose the path of least resistance, in the knowledge that the standard bungalow has painted trim in the back rooms. So, from a real estate point of view, the dollars and effort are probably better spent on bringing any lagging area of your house up to standard, or on getting creative in the kitchen or bath. Just don't get creative if you decide to repaint the back room trim: stick with off whites or creams, colors that can really show off rich historical wall colors. That will make buyers happy---and make you glad you stayed out of the strip club!