An old door may have five colours hidden under its current white paint. The newest coat tells you very little about the oldest one. Before making dust, decide whether the woodwork needs stripping at all.
Start with the coating and the proposed work
Health Canada: lead-based paint explains that disturbing lead-based paint can create harmful exposure. Friction surfaces, peeling areas and a sanding project need particular attention. A coating on a quiet piece of trim and one rubbing away on a working window are not the same situation.
Record where the paint is flaking, where moving parts rub and what you hope to change. Share that with a qualified professional who can advise on testing and the work method. Do not treat a colour, construction date or a quick visual inspection as a laboratory result.
Sound and staying painted
Ask whether a compatible covering approach meets the goal.
Peeling or rubbing
Assess the failing surface and exposure before choosing preparation.
Bare wood required
Include removal of every affected layer in the qualified work plan.
Choose between keeping, covering and removing
The finish you want matters. If you want a smooth painted baseboard, full stripping may be unnecessary. If you want bare stained wood, every old layer becomes part of the scope. Where coatings are sound, ask whether a suitable covering approach would meet the goal; where they are failing, ask what preparation is required.
Keeping a profile intact can also matter in an older house. Check heritage attributes before removing protected woodwork. A replacement board with a similar silhouette is not automatically an acceptable substitute.
Keep the room out of the experiment
Do not dry-sand a suspect surface while waiting for results. Moving furniture to the other side of the room does not isolate the work. Agree with the qualified contractor how occupants, adjoining rooms, belongings and waste will be handled, and what must happen before the space is used again.
The aim is a controlled job with a clear endpoint, not a collection of protective products bought in a hurry. The plan should say who is doing the work and who checks completion. Keep the testing record with the house documents so the next repair does not begin from scratch.
Salvage needs the same decision
Taking painted trim off the wall does not make its coating irrelevant. Explain the condition to anyone handling or receiving it. If the pieces can be retained safely, label and store old trim by room and wall rather than leaving a mixed pile beside the saw.
If an unrelated ceiling or floor is also being opened, arrange its material assessment separately. Paint testing is not a general clearance for demolition.