skip to main content

Woodworking Design Dilemma Windows

replacing molding for post and beam

2 years ago

i am sure this has been asked before but i am racking my brain when thinking of molding/window/door casing for our house renovation. the original is a post and beam construction (has a chalet look from outside) with beams being of a weathered brown/gray color while all molding is fat, ornate and a totally different color. we are thinking of two routes: the first (and much less expensive) is to salvage existing trim and either restain it to match the beams in color or paint it everywhere either same color as new wall color (light gray) or slightly contrast-y. Second, is to replace trim totally throughout the house with something more suitable to the architectural style. so my question is: can the existing trim be kept and not look horrid? if so, how? restain/paint over/etc? if there is no hope and we’d need to replace it everywhere, whats the most suitable trim for this house? honestly we are at a loss. maybe the beehive can break this “renovators block”. thank you!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

slava m
Original Author
2 years ago
more house pics
slava m
Original Author
2 years ago
and some more…
Related Discussions
1780 colonial post and beam advice
Q
Comments (3)
I'm not a contractor nor an engineer so I don't really know what I'm talking about, LOL. But what I would do is contact a supplier of recycled barn post and beam. There is a good one in PA I could direct you to. I asked a lot of questions and found out some info. From what I understand most post and beams are tightly fitted with mortise and tenon and pegs. With the rot at the post you may have to cut part of the post along with the sill and then get someone who knows what they are doing to re-fit or explain exactly how to fit the post and sill back together. This Old House had an episode where they jacked up a post and beam house, cut out the rot in the sill and lowered it back down. To jack up the house they had to build a false internal wall attached to the structure at the top (3rd floor?) and place the jacks in the basement below the false wall. If I remember correctly the reason they had to do that was because the floor joists where just sitting on the sills and a beam spanning the center. So jacking up the floor would just raise the floor rather than the structure. I'll see if I can find that episode. I remember thinking I wouldn't want to try that DIY.
...See More
Crown moulding questions, X-post
Q
Comments (2)
If you can't touch up the mortar or remove the paint, you could just run the moulding across. I'd work on the mortar. A single-edge razor blade is my favourite touchup tool. You could also touch up the paint with a colour that blends in with the mortar. The quarter round sounds fine. I find one often obsesses about the tiniest details that no one else notices.
...See More
1780 post and beam house repair
Q
Comments (3)
How? Very carefully! Probably has something to do with building a beefy temporary support wall upstairs to take some of the load off whatever that post is supporting....among other things. Maybe this is the portion to hire a professional. I've only replaced portions of rotted sills twice, just a few feet, and each time it involved doing it piece-meal and with a sledge to force it in there (after removing the rot, of course). Admittedly, my advice may be worth what you just paid for it - nothing.
...See More
Replacing a cracked, sagging support beam
Q
Comments (6)
I'll try to get some pictures posted up tonight. It's a working basement, so I'm trying to avoid using telescoping posts since that'll be right in the middle of the way when I'm trying to do laundry. At least I feel better about having an engineer come in and look at it. As for the good section of the beam, it looks like three 2x8s that run nearly the entire length of the house. It's just as it gets to the last 8 feet at the back of the house that the post is smaller (something like two 2x4s stacked on top of one another). This doesn't support an addition, but there is an addition just beyond the end of the sagging section. But that structure looks to be totally separate from the main structure. Either way, I'll try to post some pictures later on when I get a chance.
...See More
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
2 years ago
I would go absolutely plain with all the moulding- probably just a 1/4 for base and casings, painted the wall color. This allows the timber’s and view to be the star. Right now the orange tone on the fussy traditional Millwork fights with the rustic vibe of the exposed timbers.
slava m thanked HALLETT & Co.
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
2 years ago
What a pretty home and setting.
apple_pie_order
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I'd paint the beams white or matching light color of the walls. I'd keep the honey trim.

If you are up for some house archeology:

Older varnishes can sometimes turn greenish instead of the more common varnish yellowing. That may be what happened to your beams. You could also try sanding a beam in some unobtrusive spot to see what the unexposed wood color is.
slava m
Original Author
2 years ago
@HALLETT & Co. thank you for your suggestion. I was also leaning that way but was hoping i didnt have to replace all the trim at the house..Would you also suggest painting the doors and door casings with wall color or do them a slightly different shade?
slava m
Original Author
2 years ago
@apple_pie_order thank you! we were considering refinishing the beams or doing something to change their color but ultimately i think the beams are the star of the show here as they are, so decided not to touch them...will probably need to tweak other aspects to make everything dance together.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
2 years ago
I would do all the trim that is currently stained orange either white or the wall color after it’s been replaced. The orange fights with the grey reclaimed wood and cheapens both

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Know Your House: Post and Beam Construction Basics

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Learn about this simple, direct and elegant type of wood home construction that allows for generous personal expression

MOST POPULAR How to Get Rid of Household Mold

Find out how to work with a pro to stop mold from damaging your house and health — and how to prevent it from forming

REMODELING GUIDES Crown Molding: Is It Right for Your Home?

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

See how to find the right trim for the height of your ceilings and style of your room

REMODELING GUIDES Design Details: Moldings — or Not?

By Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR

16 new and unusual ways to trim your doors, floors and ceilings

ART Expert Talk: Sculpture Helps Rooms Break the Mold

By Lawrence Karol

Pro designers explain how sculpture can bring interiors to a higher level of design

FURNITURE Old Furniture: Clean, Reupholster or Replace It?

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

A veteran upholstery cleaner weighs in on the options for found, inherited and thrift store furniture

CEILINGS Box Beam Ceilings

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

HOUZZ TV Retired Houston Couple Replaces Starter Home With Forever Home

By Mitchell Parker

See how the Elders built their dream home while preserving the memory of the home they lived in for nearly 4 decades

ENTRYWAYS Grand Entry Elements: Newel Posts Past and Present

By Mary Jo Bowling

They once spoke to wealth and class, but newel posts today say more about individual style

BEFORE AND AFTERS Houzz Tour: Rustic ’90s Kit House Gets a Modern Refresh

By Nora Burba Trulsson

In the Hamptons, a traditional post-and-beam structure receives a crisp, airy makeover

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

stain grade vs finger joint handrails?

2

hall tree hell. HELP!

25

Looking for mortise lock installer in Los Angeles area

8

Handrail paint advice needed

4

General Contractor questions

4