Is sending them to be dip stripped an option?

I had thought about that as an option but i was unsure of the cost associated with it. its my understanding that this could cost about $150-$200 per door. i would think that may be worth it if it were some exceptional wood but I dont believe its anything more exceptional than pine (which could be replaced for about $200-$220 per door).

(this was in response to the dip stripping.)

N Johnson, that was my main concern as well (contamination). i also believe that even after using a stripping agent, lead can have particles in the wood, so any sanding would need to be done carefully with a respirator and all dust collected. it just seems like a lot of work for a minimal payoff. Are these doors worth it? (i do not currently have pictures but they are standard, five panel wood doors. But i do have a problem discarding something wooden that has lasted so long. Not just for sentimental reasons but because I don’t want to discard something that has some value I am unaware.)

You can test for lead (Pb) after the stripping and cleaning is done. I don’t think it will have been ground deeply into the wood . . . Perhaps you just need to do a small patch (6” x 6”) to see what the door looks like under the paint — then make the call on whether it’s worth it.
Are the hinges and knobs worth saving?

The knobs arent worth saving. The keys are lost and the mechanisms are rusted. The knobs are cheap wood. (i cleaned one off with citristrip years ago, before we had a child to be concerned about. i think i may know where it is to take a picture. I kept it for reference to size and shape and then left it in a box i think.)

The hinges i did plan to save and reuse regardless of if i replace the doors or not. They are pretty solid and in good shape.

I vote for replacing the doors with steel doors and leaving the originals somewhere safe in the house in case the next owner really wants the originals. You say they are nothing special anyway. And it sounds like you are flipping the place, so I don't understand the sentiment of caring about the original doors. My observations over the years is that the vast majority of people won't care. I've seen neighbors go through renovations for resale, and the new owners rip out everything.

The wood in the originals, is most likely a whole lot better old growth wood, than you would get in a door today, however, I do understand your concern. I like the suggestion of replacing them, and saving the old doors, in case someone else wants them. I would never want steel doors on the interior of my house though, and I would try to buy doors, that look very similar to the ones you are removing, so you are at least keeping the character of the house.

Since you don't seem to know if you have led paint or not, you could try using a lead paint test kit to find out first. It could be possible it's varnish/stain originally, and the landlord painting started happening after lead paint started being phased out. If a landlord is repainting a place every year or few for the last couple to few decades, that can result in a lot of layers of paint.

Oh goodness, I thought you were talking about the entry doors. No, I take back my recommendation of steel doors, except for entry doors. Sorry. Also, storing a bunch of interior doors doesn't make sense either…that's a lot. Again, I somehow imagined you were talking about just the front entry doors. Geez.

I think the idea of saving them but replaving them is a good idea. The problem with lead test kits is cost, really. I do think it is worth it to verify but because of the age of the house and things that already tested positive, I am just assuming they have lead paint at this point. i will test another door before making a final decision (and test under the new layers).

Also, to clarifyba few things: when i said ”landlord special” I just meant the method of painting. The previous owner seemed to want to sell fast and just painted everything with cheap white paint with absolutely no prep time. There was no level of care at all. (i have spent the last five years fixing these things. and this site came in handy a lot, so i decided to finally ask here.) Also, it’s not necessarily a flip, as we have already lived her over five years, but we definitely do not want to stay here forever. That is why I do try to think about resale value when I fix things.

Well Chuck, there's also the sentiment factor. I am very sentimental. If you are too, you may enjoy refinishing. The baseboards and casings…are they in just the right proportion? Worth saving because the right proportion not available? And how easy is refinishing for you? When something is easy for me I tend to go ahead and just fix it. Or if I am trying to learn, like with plumbing, I figure I'll just try and if I don't like the results, I can replace.

Wood will recycle itself through decay in a landfill, so there’s that. Then I think, how much is my labor worth per hour? Then I think of the wood industry workers I am supporting and encouraging when I buy a new pine door to paint — and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!😎

Would be helpful to see pic of doors and their condition, how they fit in to the overall look of the interior, what else original is still in the house, is the trim? Are the knobs/hardware good? One persons "ordinary" pine door can be someone elses valuable old growth wood and whether pine or oak, $150-200 to restore a door that fits your house could be money well spent. I mean, have you seen what solid wood doors cost these days? Have you priced just getting them dipped and then re-painting instead of full refinish job? YOu should be able to get paint samples tested via your state lab (here in WI its only $35) but sounds like the paint has to come off either way, since its on so thick.

If you do remove them then yes pls do store them somewhere dry where they won't warp (read up on how to store wood long term.)

Your house has lead based paint. 1925 and years and years of new coats...no question.

You can paint over it with certain paint called Encapsulants: cover lead paint so that the paint cannot produce dangerous dust, and humans cannot come into contact with it. Encapsulants work best on clean, dry and solid surfaces. So, all you need to do is wash down the doors to get off any grime. No sanding.

You can buy on amazon,

https://greenorchardgroup.com/what-is-lead-encapsulating-paint/

There is no way you're replacing the original doors with anything as good a quality cost effectively. As long as you make sure your child isn't eating paint chips, the lead paint isn't a problem. Show some respect for the historic fabric of your home please, like the people 97 years in front of you did.

So if the dip stripping is the same price or cheaper ... why get new doors? I'd just get them dip stripped.