Stripping risers

[deebee]

Threw out the carpet and had my hardwood floor sanded and sealed.They also did the stair treads only.I'm presently using a heat gun to get the white paint offof the risers.Is it possible to skip this step and just use coarse grit paper and a dremel for the corners? If so,what grit would be best? It's a real***** and time consuming too
Thanks,Dave

[marksr]

Before you do too much work - do you know what type of wood the risers are made of?

95% of the risers that I've painted have not been hardwood. Most often pine or plywood. If you really want hardwood/stained risers, you might consider 1/4" oak plywood to laminate over the current risers.

[Allison1888]

Also make sure the paint is not lead -- as you shouldn't use a heat gun in that case. You'll see alligatoring texture if it is lead. Are you then staining to match the rest of the staircase?