Most people reach for a sander when old paint or stain needs to come off wood. It works, but every pass removes wood as well as coating, and on older timber that loss adds up.
What sanding takes with it
Abrasives cannot tell finish from fibre. On flat boards that mostly means a thinner surface. On mouldings, carvings and turned parts it means softened edges and lost detail that cannot be put back.
How laser cleaning differs
A pulsed laser is absorbed by the dark or pigmented coating and not by the pale wood beneath. The coating vaporises and the wood is left in place. The process is dry and non-contact, so there is no pressure on delicate parts.
- No abrasive dust cloud to contain
- No change to edges and profiles
- No chemical residue in the grain
- Fumes are captured by extraction
When sanding still makes sense
On a flat, modern board that you plan to replace in a few years, sanding is quick and cheap. For heritage joinery, carved furniture and structural timber you want to keep, laser is the safer choice.