What is the easiest way to remove varnish from a pine-cladded ceiling?
Anything that has been varnshed ought to stay that way. Even if you remove the varnish, if it was done properly it will have soaked into the wood sealing it against other paints and primers from getting a real grip, so they are prone to chipping off. That said, plenty of people do it anyway. I wouldn’t want to work upside down with paint stripper. Heat gun would be ok, providing you don’t set fire to anything through any gaps. An electric sanding machine is another option. No easy, painless way. I would prime it with Bullseye 1-2-3 which you will get from Brewers or another pro decorators merchants (not B and Q) Or prime it with wood primer or oil-base undercoat and emulsion over the results. Dulux quick drying eggshel is the best for any high condensation areas.
