Advice on baseboards in 1920s home & melding old with new
Janieful
11 years ago
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Clarion
11 years agoJanieful
11 years agoRelated Discussions
First Time Air in 1920's House
Comments (2)Thanks for the reply, Dan. The existing registers are at the baseboard level. I'm not considering putting in high registers due to not wanting to cut into the ceiling or walls. Is there a clear difference between 1) using the old heat registers to supply cool air and having a single hallway return or 2) cutting new supply registers into the floor and using the old baseboard registers for return? The best option looks-wise would be to use the existing baseboard registers to supply heating and cooling, but I'm worried the cold air would just sit on the floor around the registers. A competing contractor told me this wouldn't work, the other said they do this successfully all the time for older homes....See MoreRedoing woodwork and new skylights in 1920's bungalow
Comments (9)I can't see your pictures, but if the wood has it's original finish, this is what I'd do - and do it when you can open a window because the alcohol stinks. 1. Get some denatured alcohol (Lowe's, Home Depot) and in an inconspicuous place, dab some on the wood with steel wool and rub. If the finish gets sticky and comes off, the finish is shellac. The alcohol won't take off the stain but with rubbing, the paint spots will also come off. If it doesn't come off, the finish is some sort of polyurethane. 2. If it's shellac, keep going along with the denatured alcohol and steel wool, using gobs of paper towel to wipe off the surface of the wood until the shellac and paint gobs are gone. 3. If you need to touch up stain, do it now after all shellac is off. 4. Shellac can be purchased at most paint stores and it comes in clear or amber or garnet. Most old wood was originally finished with it and around me, most was done in amber (orangish tint). 5. Once stain touch up is complete, just brush on new shellac. It is a bit glossy. I'd so multiple coats. Each new coat sort of melts the prior coat and the two coats adhere together. I'd do 3-4 coats, depending on the wear and tear the wood will get. If your finish is poly, you'll need to use a different remover but I'm guessing you have shellac. This process isn't hard at all....See MoreWill this furniture work in my 1920's house?
Comments (26)Hi Lady_West, I frequent other forums normally, but I noticed your post when signing onto gardenweb today. I wanted to tell you that I love your bungalow and, fwiw, add some suggestions/thoughts on choosing dining tables and chairs :-) Of the choices, I like the table in #4 best. It looks like Tell City furniture to me. My Mom has Tell City in a little different style and she always says the wood is called "hard rock" maple. It has mellowed to rich brown tones and I guess it just looks like home to me :-) Also, about the table in choice #4, the long sides look like they are drop leaf. The bench could go along the side with 2 chairs on the other side and one at each end. That is probably the length it will be, I doubt it has leafs. You will want to measure your dining space to be confident of the max size of extended table that will fit in your dining room. Consider getting around with the chairs in place as well as if there is room for a hutch buffet, if that is included. With a "real" wood dining table, the top is not Formica and will stain and ring (over time) from drink glasses and spills that are not immediately wiped up. Heated dishes can mar the finish as well. That is why most ladies of the "dining room" era would have used table pads under the table cloth, to protect the table surface. For daily use, a Formica top table, while not as pretty, is more scratch resistant, durable and practical for young active families. When viewing the chairs in person, test them for joint strength. Put one hand on the back and the other on the seat, using downward pressure wiggle the chair. You can tell very quickly if they are sturdy or worn out. Also, sit in them and if the back "gives" or makes a pop or crack noise, beware. Long tables, like the one in choice #5, tend to sag in the middle without support. Vintage 5 leg kitchen tables had the support for extra length. A 5 leg kitchen table is another style you might consider in your new home. Also, if the leaves of the table are stored in a closet or under a bed, they can become a different color hue from the unprotected everyday used table. Be sure to examine it all together in daylight, so you can see more clearly what you are getting. You might consider waiting to buy wood dining furniture set until you uncover and refinish your wood floors. If the wood furniture matches the floor too closely, they blend in and their beauty is lost. Congrats on beginning a new chapter in your life. Take your time, purchase what you love and it will feel comfortable and look like your home. Have fun, Deb...See MoreTrying to match moldings in 1920's house...sources
Comments (7)There are still real lumberyards around that make doors and moldings to order. You probably will have to pay a setup charge, but should not have to have knives made top match an old molding in the same geographic area. Most large cities have at least one place that can make any molding used in the area for the past few hundred years for a price. Expect to pay a pretty decent amount though. Old moldings often require thicker wood, and many are built up from multiple pieces. Wide door jambs are commonly at least two pieces....See Morebrickeyee
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