Over time many original period features, such as cast-iron fireplaces, have been painted over. This was often because they were no longer in use and their black colour was considered too dark for modern, light interiors. Rather than decorate to match their ornate style, many people preferred just to 'blank them out' with a heavy layer of paint.
A restored and working fireplace is very attractive and nowadays can add substantially to the value of your home. Many homes still have small cast-iron fireplaces in the bedroom - called 'registers' - which were moulded from a single piece of cast iron. When cast-iron fireplaces are stripped of layers of paint, and then sealed with iron paste, they are a silvery graphite colour, which catches the light beautifully.
We tend to think of cast iron as a very hard material: in fact it's quite soft, porous and very easily scratched, so any stripper applied to the surface must be neutralized with water as soon as it has been removed. Whenever possible, dismantle the item and work on it outdoors.
