Options for wood window casings and wood doors
My husband and I are slowly updating our custom-built, midwest ranch home that was built in 1987. The majority of the materials used in our home are great quality but not necessarily the color or style we would have chosen. All of the windows in our home are Pella casement windows with the same red/orange finished wood casings (I think this is the correct term). We also have wooden doors that are a similar color throughout the home. I have included pictures for reference. All of the wood is in great condition and appear to be good quality.
My issue is that I really dislike the red/orange tone of the wood. We have already painted the wood trim white as it was not anything special and we plan to replace it later. I love the light and bright look of white trim but I really do not want to paint the doors or windows. I am mostly concerned with the windows as the doors seem like the would be relatively simple to take down and refinish. At first I thought the trim around the windows could be taken off to refinish but upon further inspection it appears that everything is one piece. If this is the case, wouldn't working on the windows in the vertical position along with the groves in the wood make them extremely difficult to refinish? What are my options for updating the color to something more neutral/brown?
Are there any products out there that would help to tone down the redness? Or is this a job that will require sanding down to the bare wood and refinishing from there? I know its wishful thinking but I am hoping there is some kind of greenish toner out there to neutralize the red that would be easy to apply? A girl can dream right?? I have read about gel stains and feel they might work on the doors but I would really prefer for the doors and windows to match. Further, do you think this is a project my husband and I could tackle or does it appear to require professional assistance?? Again, wishful thinking but the best possible solution would be one that we (along with our dads' help) could do ourselves as there is no room in the budget right now.
Thanks for your help!
Comments (11)
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What type of wood for interior door casing and wainscoting?
Comments (7)The choice of wood for what you want to do is more about the profile and finishing than durability. Door/window trim(as well as baseboard and other trim) come(or are made) in two main categories, stain grade and paint grade. Stain grade is premium wood, no defects, since the wood characteristics will be visible. Paint grade will have visible defects or joinery(finger joints) which will be covered by the paint. Materials are foam plastic, MDF, hard plastic, softwoods, and hardwoods. Expense is directly connected to the types of materials. Soft foam is the cheapest, but the least durable. Hard plastic(Azek/etc.) is the most durable and usually the most expensive(unless exotic hardwoods are considered). MDF is marginally tougher than the soft foam types. Hard/soft woods are designated because of the way the tree grows. Hardwood comes from a deciduous tree which loses its leaves annually and softwood comes from a conifer, which usually remains evergreen. There are hardwood that are softer than some softwoods, and vice versa. The usual trim woods are pine and poplar. Poplar is often called 'Painter's Wood" because it has a smooth grain and paints with less grain telegraphing than pine. Poplar is harder than Eastern pine, but softer than other types(Southern yellow). Both kinds will dent when an impact is hard enough(bumped by a chair leg when moving/doll buggy hitting at full tilt/etc.) Azek and similar plastics are pretty much dent proof, paint ok(now colors are available), but are crazy expensive. Foam trim and MDF are not good choices. So, the wood trim is usually the material of choice. If painted, use pine for the door trim(little tougher) and poplar for the wainscoting(little smoother looking with paint)....See MoreWood Window and Door Options
Comments (20)cmon millworkman.. you shouldnt just spew stuff you arent very informed about. Especially if you want to sound like an independent professional. They have not went bankrupt and I will keep this discussion short.. show me and the other folks on the board the source to that statement. SNE was their vinyl line and they laid off those employees and moved operations.. they are getting out of vinyl and fiberglass hence Beechworth which is standard business moves. Focusing on a few product lines to play in the high end market of wood clad products. Bankruptcy, Dropping names, and changing brands no way. They did acquire Peachtree and dissolved it but I dont think acquiring companies is the same as what you are saying Since you love Loewen so much maybe you should mention that about them they got crushed after the 2008 bubble too before getting the company back .. you can read about that here http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/loewen-window-firm-all-in-the-family-again-214109231.html...See Moreexterior wood window trim/casing on brick.
Comments (4)I really like Fixer Upper. But, I do not believe in everything the Gaines do in remodeling. His structural rough framing is quite good, as far as I can see. But, some things he does would not work well in a different climate than Texas. Adding trim against a brick/rock wall can be done several ways. Pressure treated wood should be used to minimize wood rot. Plain construction lumber can fail in just a couple of years. The larger problem is the fact wood moves more than brick/rock, to it is pretty difficult to trim long term without problems. Added to that is the fact many bricks used in housing are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture. The best way depends on the climate in which the house is in. Cool, wet climates( Western Washington/Oregon/SoCal) means trim should be plastic(Azek), since there is really no good way to mount wood and seal it against the damp. In hot climates(South and West US), wood will expand and contract enough to also be a problem. However, plastic expands more than wood. In the rest of the US, cold/snow in winter and hot/wet in summer pose the same problems. Installing can be done several ways(all allowing for the problems to a greater or lesser degree). Drill holes in the brick/mortar lines and use anchors/screws. Or glue in wood/plastic dowels and use nails/screws(the wood dowels will fail at some point in moist climates). Use concrete screws(Tapcons) or powder actuated fasteners(worst choice!!!). Or construction masonry adhesive. Lots of ways to do that, but none are really long term jobs....See MoreBest Window Covering Option(s) for Window and French Doors?
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Abbey
5 years agoAbbey
5 years agohousegal200
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoActually, I do get that you know the wood windows are beautiful but just not for you. Probably your house has other features that made you buy it. It might be helpful to create a Houzz Ideabook for "reddish wood trim living room dining room" and see what rooms pop up. Your thinking might evolve as you see how different people made certain color choices with that trim. Paintings, rugs, and furniture materials can echo the trim in beautiful ways.
Abbey thanked housegal200Abbey
5 years agohousegal200
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAbbey
5 years ago
PROBeth H. :
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoredoing the stain color on all of those windows will be quite a chore. I have similar wood windows and stained them myself when we got them. I used more of a darker walnut color w/o the red tone though.
You could try wiping on a gel stain in a darker color to see if it takes, but if the wood has a top coat of any kind, then the gel won't penetrate. you could try lightly sanding (by hand) to see if you can take down the top layer, but again, this is very difficult to do and get a nice, even result.
If the gel stain won't work, there is another product that will make it darker and top coat at the same time. It can act more like a paint than a stain, but it will work.
Polyshades. They used espresso on the left to darken the stain color on the right
please do your own review/research of this product. always test it on a spot that you can't see see very well, or are able to remove if you don't like it.
I'd still do a fine sanding those casings (say 150-220) wipe clean w/mineral spirits, and try a gel stain first (General Finishes or Varathane) see if that gets you a new color.Abbey thanked Beth H. :Abbey
5 years ago
Nicole R Dsp