skip to main content

Home Repair The Old House Remodeling

Advice needed for refinishing 100 year old trim

5 years ago

We just bought a 1919 craftsman style home and our trim is in desperate need of some TLC. The top pieces of the window frames are pretty beat up. I was thinking we could maybe replace these pieces with new wood but they're recessed in the drywall so I don't think that'll be a possibility. What's the best way to go about finishing them?

Featured Answer

ci_lantro

5 years ago

coat it with a product like MW Polyshades

I agree with Cat. Polyshades is awful stuff. Invented for uneducated, lazy, very amateur DIY'ers.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

cat_ky
5 years ago
They will be fine. Sand them very well, and fill in the nail holes. If restaining, you may want to use a bit of stripper on them too. If painting, then prime and paint 2 coats of high quality trim paint. I am hoping you go through the extra effort of staining. I also wouldnt replace the pieces of wood, unless, they were too bad to save, because, the new wood, is not anywhere near the quality of what you already have, and it most likely wouldnt stain up to match the older wood. Remember to work in well ventilated place, and wear a mask, and having things checked for lead or asbestos before you start sanding and tearing out anything. Congratulations on your new home.
cpartist
5 years ago
Are you sure that's drywall and not plaster? If it's drywall then that explains it being recessed as there was no such thing as drywall back in the early 1900's.

You'll never be able to replace the wood because there is no longer old growth wood like in your house.
Related Discussions
Rescued my neighbor's 100 year old roses, need help!
Q
Comments (22)
Update! I got all 8 roses in the ground today, and after 4 hours that is a magical journey I never plan to undertake again. I only had space to plant them about 3-4' apart, and I amended the soil with peat moss. Luckily this area has nice black dirt, no idea why, but it's one of the areas with better soil quality. I would have gotten a picture, but by the time I thought to, I was too filthy to go back inside the house to find the camera. Some highlights include spraying myself in the face with the hose TWICE, digging up a 6' honeysuckle tree to be planted elsewhere (it just showed up one day and I decided to keep it), clearing out the whole bed of overgrown daylilies and Bishop's Weed, and having to eventually take off my shoes due to caked on mud and just go at this project barefoot and crazy-looking as God intended. I also learned that accidentally touching rose fertilizer pellets with your bare hands hurts like hell. Good to know! Thank you everyone for your help! I will try and update if I have any further news as to how things are going.
...See More
100 year old trim- what would you do?
Q
Comments (8)
My house had all the trim but the doors painted when I moved in. I have one room finished, the MBR, which I did over the summer. The other rooms are in various states of "Genteel Decay". You're lucky to just need to renew your finish. If there are water-stained window sills, you may want to do some heavy sanding before refinishing- it's really nice when they are smooth. As for a pre-shellacking cleaning process, try very fine (3/0) steel wool with windex or Fantastic brand cleaners. they will remove lots of dirt and any waxy yello buildup. (purists may insist that steel wool tends to enable tiny rust stains as the fibers get embedded in the wet wood. They may use bronze wool) The bubbling will probably be broken down during this cleaning. If you actually have "alligatoring" (bubbling squared) you will need to sand with 320 abrasive. The gold-colored sheets from Lowe's or HD do well. The problem is that the subsequent coats of fresh shellac will exacerbate the alligatoring, and this sanding will have to be repeated for a perfect finish. Mostly those of us antique-house-dwellers are used to compromise, and often are satisfied with less than perfection. The whole lot can be stripped, of course. I use the cheapest methylene-chloride type. Formby's is terribly over-priced for this application. I used a light-duty liquid stripper by Parks for the shellac. And many rolls of paper towels. And a charcoal-filtered respirator. And keep a fire extinguisher at hand. Afetr stripping sand with 120, 150, and 220, then shellac. try Rockler's, Highland Hardware, or Woodworker's Warehouse for shellac flakes and solvent. Use a 2"w. natural brush with long, soft, white bristles. Casey
...See More
newly inherited 100+ year old roses advice
Q
Comments (26)
Most roses put out a big flower show in June. If they produce flowers then and later, they are referred to as repeaters. So your roses presumably bloomed in June, and are blooming again now. It sounds like the old photos would have been taken around the late 20's. However, there is room for doubt whether or not those are the same roses that are currently there. B & W photos are nasty things to try and interpret, IME. Red roses read the same as leaves. White, pink, and yellow roses all look almost the same. Sometimes you'll get a profile view of the flower, so you can at least get an idea of how big it is, and maybe the general form, but most of the relevant information is size and general growth habit of the plant. That helps with general class, but is rarely enough to pin down a specific variety. Williamsport looks to be just cold enough that it is unlikely they are old HTs.
...See More
100 year old painted porch floor advice?
Q
Comments (22)
This is a historic Craftsman cottage built by my husband’s great-grandfather; their house in town is a historic landmark and was designed by a famous Chicago architect. It is a true, stick-built Craftsman with in-swing casement windows (preferred by Stickley) which was in nearly its original state when we got it in 2012. [You can see the addition (2nd bathroom and laundry room) as board & batten with double-hung windows.] We had to find a way to live in it (heat, light, space, etc.) while respecting the history we are trustee of. Craftsman cottages focus on melding with the landscape. This dark shingle in the woods surrounding is nearly the same as Stickley’s Craftsman Farm. The dark porch ceiling is period coloration and I felt comfortable exposing the floor’s wood and leaving it natural as keeping the Craftsman motif. If this were a new build imitating Craftsman or a cottage style, you might be able to get away with a light blue ceiling, but on a historic property it feels off. Haint blue is really a Southern tradition (our primary home is in Kentucky) and not as common up north. The furnishings are antiques and the aqua pillows and cushions need some updating post-reno. The table is my old kitchen table topped with chalkboard paint to keep the wee ones and their parents busy before dinner while watching the waves.. And besides, my 100 year-old artist mother-in-law likes it very much the way it is! (absolutely no arguing with that. . . or her)
...See More
ksc36
5 years ago
I'd clean it well and coat it with a product like MW Polyshades. There are plenty of suppliers of old growth wood, many with prices comparable to new growth wood.
PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
It looks like they put sheetrock on top of plaster this why the trim is flush. If you start taking this apart it will be a big mess.

Being this flat trim, if you want to leave existing molding, you can use a backband molding along the outer edges to clean up the corners but you will need backband molding with a low profile since existing molding is recessed into a wall covering...You can get a peace of molding just to see how it fits. This is a few common sizes of backband moldings

Another way is to nail same width trim over it and use backband molding, this way you will have new and clean moldings throughout and you can finish it as you like and it will look like this, this is a plain backband molding, but you can get it with a more decorative profile like you see in the picture above.

Good luck
cat_ky
5 years ago
Please dont use poly shades, that stuff is just not very good stuff. It will cover the grain of your old growth wood. Please sand, them, or strip them, and sand them, and put on regular stain, with regular poly for a top coat.

Related Stories

BASEMENTS Room of the Day: Swank Basement Redo for a 100-Year-Old Row House

By Annie Thornton

A downtown Knoxville basement goes from low-ceilinged cave to welcoming guest retreat

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: A 300-Year-Old Home Adapts to a Modern Family of 7

By Karen Egly-Thompson

A new addition adds much-needed square footage to a 1750s home in Massachusetts

VACATION HOMES Houzz Tour: New Lake House Looks Like It’s Been There 100 Years

By Becky Harris

Simple detailing and careful design create a classic cottage loaded with charm in Minnesota

TRIM Trim Color Tips: Get Your White Trim Right

By Jennifer Ott Design

Set off wood tones, highlight architectural features, go minimalist ... white trim is anything but standard when you know how to use it

KITCHEN DESIGN Ideas From the Year’s Top 10 Kitchens of the Week

By Bryan Anthony

Get inspired by the found objects, reclaimed hardware, efficient storage and work zones in our top kitchens of 2016

HOUZZ CALL Tell Us Your New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

By Erin Carlyle

Share your plans and dreams for your house this year — whether they involve organizing, remodeling or redecorating

MY HOUZZ My Houzz: Attention to Detail Revives a Century-Old Louisville Home

By Stacy Thomas

After 13 years of wishful thinking, a couple complete a 5-year renovation in their historic Highlands neighborhood

MOST POPULAR How to Reface Your Old Kitchen Cabinets

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Find out what’s involved in updating your cabinets by refinishing or replacing doors and drawers

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Bring Out Your Home’s Character With Trim

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

New project for a new year: Add moldings and baseboards to enhance architectural style and create visual interest

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Refinish a Wood Deck

By Christine Tusher

Keep your deck looking its best — and save feet from splinters — by applying a new stain and sealant every year or so

Sponsored

More Discussions

gap fill in prefinished hardwood flooring

5

Exterior Makeover Help Needed

8

Sliding glass doors leaking

9

What color/type of caulk between countertop and stained wood trim

2

What is this on my window?

2