how do i take paint off horrible dark brown beams?

[karaman]

hallo,

moved into tiny cottage that needs doing up. previous owner painted ceiling and beams dark brown. its horrible, makes rooms like a crypt. want to make beams light brown - how should i go about it? thought of painting everythig white and then light brown or getting some sort of acid-based product that would get rid of paint down to the wood and then gloss over the wood - this would take me yeeeeeears to do...........

would appreciate ideas from folks who know

cheers

karaman

 

[sparkwright]

So the beams are to be glossed, rather than stained?

Just paint them.

Are the beams currently stained or painted?

Previously stained will require a light rub down,knots treated with knotting solution, primer, undercoat(s), top coat.

Previously painted will require rubbing down, undercoat(s), top coat.

Apply more than one undercoat if trying to cover a very strong colour. This will avoid streaks etc in the final coat.

 

[karaman]

thanks for reply sparkwright,

the beams are painted. by rubbing down do you mean just sandpaper to give the undercoat a key?

thanks

karaman

 

[JohnD]

and remember that "horrible" is just a matter of taste. The next owner might say "my lovely old original oak beams have been painted with horrible gloss white so theyt show the dirt and cobwebs, and don't look like oak beams"

I have seen beams wallpapered.

 

[karaman]

hallo johnD,

the ceiling will be white instead of the almost-black it is just now. the beams i would like to look like old beams and not the almost-black they are at the moment. but thanks for the input.

karaman

 

[joe-90]

Listen JohnD - he's the Master. Just try painting the ceiling first and rubbing the beams back a bit - will give a nice aged look.

 

[JohnD]

you can use a wire brush on wooden beams. As well as taking off old paint, without making the surface flat, it will emphasise the grain (as the grain is made of alternating softer paler, and darker harder, veins)


sanding old, uneven wood is a very long and unsatisfying job

 

[karaman]

thank you all,

i shall try both the wire brush and also the wood-paint methods and settle for the one i deem will take less than a lifetime......

thanks again

karaman

 

[karaman]

hi all,

wire brush does not work, sandopaper does but the beams are too dark and most of the grain will remain dark. i fear i have to paint white undercoat for ceiling and beams and then pine on the beams.

is there not stuff i can paint on the beams to make the paint peel off like one does with old wallpaper? the beams are really lovely wood underneath - exposed at the edges where the plaster has been removed. its such a shame this poor house had to contend with an imbecile.

thanks

karaman

 

[RedHerring2]

Hi again Karaman.
Only just seen this other post of yours.

I have to agree with John D on removing the paint from your beams, but not a hand wire brush. Use something like this:

http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl...esult_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQrQQwAA

in a drill.
Remember the picture of the house in France,

well, the support in the middle of the stairs is part of an old oak joist taken out when removing the old upstairs floor.
(I took out all the old joists but kept them for possible future use despite their poor condition).
I'm not sure you can see it too well, (If you click on the picture then you can zoom in. Sorry, you might have to save the picture to your PC or use your browser [bottom right hand corner if it's IE])
but it was covered in paint, and well eaten by woodworm.(the originals;

(different ends of the room)

Once cut to length and after chopping out the rotten bits with an axe, chisel or anything that was useful I used some wire brushes, in a drill on it. I used the cup brush mainly but followed up with the wheel and end brush to get into the holes, cracks, etc. Accepted it was on a couple of saw horses, so waist height and horizontal at the time, but it really did come up a treat, a lovely warm nutty brown colour with plenty of variations.

Don't forget the eye protection and use both hands on the drill 'cos it'll want to zoom off occasionally

Yes, it will take some work & time but well worth it in the end, IMO.

If you do go down this route I believe bees wax is the way to treat them afterwards.
And do the beams before the ceiling 'cos you're bound to mark the ceiling a fair bit in the process.

 

[karaman]

halloredherring2,

thanks for this alert, am set to be notified but didnt get the notification apart from yours.
shame theres no 'easy' way round it. your effort has paid off but i cant take the beams off. would love to try your sanding machine but right now plastering takes priority and wont have time for the beams before winter..... another job for next year.

will print this out to remind myself what to do when time comes.

thanks again.

karaman
the spirit never dies