How to Restore & Take Care of Original Oak Woodwork
cfrizzle
10 years ago
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sloyder
10 years agocfrizzle
10 years agoHere's a close up of the mantle. Sorry for the bad pic. There's no alligatoring really everything just seems dull & dirty.
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restore original tile that has been painted?
Comments (6)Great idea, if you can do it without scratching or marring the glaze on the tile. The best technique to use will depend on what type of paint it is. Do you know if it's latex or oil? It's likely to be oil paint because it's in the shower area, but it would be good to know for sure because you could use a gentler process if it's latex. Since it's an old house, it's possible that it's lead paint (if it's an oil-based paint -- latex paints didn't contain lead AFAIK). Also, be aware that the PO may have painted the tile because some of it was damaged. One way to test whether it's a latex paint is to wet a rag with denatured alcohol and rub an inconspicuous spot. If the denatured alcohol softens the paint or if the paint comes off on the rag, it's latex. (Obviously, use a dark rag since the paint is white.) If it's latex, the paint should be relatively easy to remove, at least from the tile. (Removing the paint from the grout may be tougher.) I would first try to soften it with a heat gun (testing first in an inconspicuous spot) and gently rub it off or carefully scrape it off with a razor blade or putty knife. If that doesn't work, try a latex remover such as Goof-Off before resorting to a chemical stripper, which could damage the glaze or the grout. If you do have to use a paint stripper, you should be able to use a relatively mild one to remove latex paint. (IME, just about any paint stripper works well with latex paint -- not so with oil paint.) If it's an oil-based paint, you'll probably have to use a stronger paint stripper. Look for a paste-type stripper that will cling to the walls. Before using, it'd be smart to call the paint stripper manufacturer and ask if the product is safe for tile and grout. Use good ventilation and be careful not to let the stripper come in contact with any vinyl, fiberglass, or cultured marble surfaces. If the stripper damages the grout, you may have to re-grout. Let us know what works....See MoreWindow Installers ruined my original woodwork! Help!!
Comments (7)I think that these idiots are just plain not capable of fixing anything to your satisfation. Though they should fix it, and they should be responsible for it, I have my doubts. No matter how much you squeeze, you can't get blood from a stone, and you can't get good work out of people who don't know how to do it. You might be able to get money out of them, and if so, the easiest way to fix it is to have a good lumberyard or finish carpentry contractor/shop rout you new molding to perfectly match the profile of the old. The wood would be new (unless you had old wood to give them, or they could locate some, which is possible), but you could experiment (on scraps of the same wood) with stains and finishes to get it to look close to the original. If you're fixing it yourself, then you should look carefully to see if you can find pieces in lumberyards to put together to match your old woodwork. I've lived in places from the late 19'th C. to the mid-20th C., and in each place, the moldings were either built from pieces that are still around, or simpler 1-piece moldings are literally still for sale in the more upscale local lumberyards. A good lumberyard should be able to get you the pieces in pine, maple, red oak, or occasionally cherry. This is something that most homeowners don't know about, but can save you tons of money when restoring your old woodwork. To fix your old wood without replacing it, you can fill the problem areas with putty and dab stain & finish (probably shellac?) on top with a paint brush and sand it flush with very fine-grained (220 or higher number) sandpaper (draw in the grain lines with a pencil). I've also seen colored hard wax burn-in sticks that you melt with a soldering iron, mix to the right shade, then fill holes and dents with. I think you can buy it from Van Dykes Restorer's catalog. I saw a guy do it once and I couldn't see the repairs, honest. Or you could cut some patches out of wood (especially if you have some old wood around that might match well), cut out really bad sections of your damaged molding, and glue the new wood in place. The patch would show, but you can sand it down flush with the old molding, and it could look OK anyway. Good luck!...See MoreRestoring 'lightened' woodwork/built-ins
Comments (3)How you'd strip the wood will largely depend on what the current finish is. If it's poly, I'd use Peel Away or a soy based stripper. If it's shellac (you can test this by wiping denatured alcohol on it in an out of the way place - alcohol takes off shellac), then wipe the entire thing with alcohol. Yes, you'd be able to get a close match again. However, I'd get scrap samples of the correct type wood and then experiment with stain colors and blending of colors. Also experiment with shellacs, which is what I'd guess the original finish was. It comes in clear, amber and brown so the shellac, too, can enhance/change the color of the stained wood. And keep in mind that new wood isn't as dense as old wood so stain will be absorbed differently. I'd strongly encourage scrap wood for experimenting. Our 1918 bungalow is missing it's original living and dining room crown molding, too. It was taken out of our house in the 70's by a previous owner who didn't like it. Fortunately, that owner gave it to a guy who still lives on our block so we got samples back and we'll have new cut exactly as the original was. That's on our to do list for 2008. If you do buy this home, and then tackle the woodwork, I hope you'll find it to be a rewarding project....See MoreRestoring the finish on an oak bathroom vanity
Comments (12)Sorry for reviving a 5 year old thread and for hijacking it too... thought it would be better etiquette than starting a new thread on the same topic since I need advice for a similar issue. I've been very neglectful and careless with the oak vanity in my bathroom. The finish on the doors and panels that get water dripped on them is now almost completely off in some spots and the bare wood is exposed. I don't have time to DIY restore them nor do I have the funds to get them professionally restored (gotta pay for then pay off my upcoming kitchen reno first). Is there anything I can apply to protect the wood until I can restore it? This likely won't happen for several years. I've used a homemade beeswax & olive oil wood "polish" to restore wooden items like utensils and bowls. Would it be OK to use that on the vanity? I've done some reading up on how to care for wood floors and I know waxes are a no no, if I ever want to refinish the floors so I'm guessing the same applies to wood vanities....See Morecfrizzle
10 years agoHere's some of the trim. You can also see the top of one of the stair posts is dark & dingy.
cfrizzle
10 years agoccecilm
10 years agoklem1
10 years agosloyder
10 years ago
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