How to finish plank walls in pre-1854 house

6 years ago

We've been renovating a house in Charleston South Carolina. When we bought the house we thought it was 1940s but with more research the earliest record of the structure is 1854 and it looks like part of the house is older than that - perhaps a farm building. Under many layers of drywall and old wallpaper, two of the rooms of the house have these really wide stacked plank walls and I'd like to leave some/all of them exposed. Does anyone have suggestions on how to finish them?

There is only one wall in the bathroom. It has cleaned up nicely just with washing, but it will be directly behind a free standing tub so we need to seal it somehow, I think.

The other walls have not been cleaned yet and have many layers of old paint and wallpaper. We've experimented with cleaning patches and it's challenging where you see the white paint. I can sand them down some but also don't want to lose the giant old saw marks. I'm very open to keeping these walls very rustic and would even preserve some of the wallpaper in place if I could find a way to do it that minimized filth.

painted white boards at the bottom are the most difficult/perhaps impossible to clean wood. (stove pipe hole in the middle of the wall. not sure what to do there either)

closeup of bedroom wall above with hand for scale

single bathroom walls that had no paint and has now been washed.

close up of bathroom wall with my hand for scale

Sample thickness of the wood

Thank you for your thoughts!

(and, if you're just curious about this sort of thing, a member of our neighborhood put together this detailed history of the house. We've also found things like old inkwells, a bottle, and an unexploded revolutionary war cannon ball that required a bomb squad)

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Comments (6)

User
6 years ago
Short of sanding(which would be a HUGE undertaking without removing the planks!), using a stripper is the next option. One of the orange(less chemical) types and a stiff bristle brush---and PLENTY of protection! Full face/head covering, long sleeves and gloves minimum.

Apply/remove the stripper according to manuf. directions. If any paint residue remains, use lighter coat of stripper and the brush to clean out the grooves and grain.

A thought. That wood has enough character to be just as striking when planed smooth and then coated with a clear finish like varnish. Each plank would have to be removed to plane, but folks have done that before. The sawmill marks would be lost, but the resulting exposure of the grain would be wonderful.
Debbie Downer
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I would try to find some woodworker-artisans who work with old salvage timbers just to get some opinions from people who actually do this sort of thing. As with refinishing antique furniture it can be a dance between doing just enough to make it look more beautiful (cleaner/brighter/grain more visible) but not too much to lose character.

I think this type of wood can look really good just by cleaning/brightening the wood while leaving remnants of paint that are deeper in the wood and of course saw marks. Not sure what youd use for finish - water based poly of course is non yellowing but...... its poly, so do you really want that. That second plank that has your hand on it looks really nice I think. What are you using to clean it with - Ive used ammonia + hot water but its nasty stuff to work with (gloves and respirator helps).
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klem1
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Using breathing and eye protection,experiment with wire brushes mounted on hand held electric grinder. You will find them on the welding/metal working isle at Northern Tool and other stores. If you prefer to test before buying,you can rent.
lazy_gardens
6 years ago
I'd scrub them up, apply a clear matte topcoat, and sit back.
jamiesuec
Original Author
6 years ago
thank you so much everyone!

I'll keep you in the loop on the results.
PRO
Houselore
6 years ago
I agree with simply applying a sealant after the planks are gently cleaned. I am based in Charleston and my business renovates/preserves old houses so I'd love to take a look and help in any way I can!

How to finish plank walls in pre-1854 house

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How to finish plank walls in pre-1854 house

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Debbie Downer

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