However, some moron painted over all of the wood. What was particularly distressting was the gorgeous banister in the foyer. Either the people who live there were in the process of stripping it or they were in the process of painting it (tho, why they would want to is beyond me).
We want to strip the banister and its vertical posts. I believe that the base is painted too. Only, this is our first home, and I don't know where to begin. I am not sure whether we should remove the banister and do it piece by piece, or leave it in place and do it all at once. I thought I saw a show that illustrated how to take it apart and put it back together. Any suggestions? We don't even know what the wood underneath is!! How can we tell?