Beam renovation

[tobydog]

The beams in our lounge are stained a rather dark colour and we are considering having them lightened. The room can feel rather oppresive at times, particularly on dull days. The pictures actually show it today which is gorgeous. We are looking at a company called Bean Renovation who apparently use an eco-friendly system that requires no sanding, chemicals, etc. and their website shows some amazing results.

Does anyone know anything about this company and it's methods, and whether this is something you would advise for or against doing.

Thanks


http://www.beam-renovation.co.uk/

 

[robgil]

I would proceed very very carefully.
Some stain is water based and will wash off , eventually, however this will make a huge mess.
You will need to gut the room.

I used nb510 chemical remover to remove the stain from my beams, if my cottage wasnt a building site already I would not have attempted it.
You could try clingstrip but again it will be messy.

Are you sure it is stain and not linseed oil?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

DIY it.

We did.

Strippers of Sudbury.

http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/

 

[GRADE_II_MONEYPIT]

Does anyone know anything about this company and it's methods, and whether this is something you would advise for or against doing.

Thanks


http://www.beam-renovation.co.uk/

I had my done by Nick and highly recommend them.

No mess and excellant results, ask to go and see a local job he has done (thats what i did and was convinced instantly)

I will post a couple of pics later of mine (loads on his website)

Hope this helps

 

[tobydog]

Rob / FW - thanks. Doing it ourselves is not really an option now if it's as messy as you say. I know it's the wrong way round but the new carpet is already down. The thing about this company is that they say there is NO mess :? . I believe it's water based but I have no idea about the chemistry behind it. I need to know much more before I let anyone lose on our woodwork.

 

[Flyfisher]

I need to know much more before I let anyone lose on our woodwork.

A good principle. I wonder if the company would be confident enough to visit and do their thing on a few feet of beam so you could really judge for yourself?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

If you have new carpets down, I suspect any method that is water-based is fraught with risk.

The strippers products tend to be a chemical poultice which you apply and then cling-film over ("KlingStrip"). After a couple of days (in our case) we washed it off. With lots of water, scrubbing and elbow grease.

I wouldn't have fancied doing that with new carpets down. :shock:

They may have a different approach, and certainly worth investigating further.

 

[tobydog]

Thanks. I'll let you know what they come back with.

 

[Flyfisher]

Skier-Hughes did a lot of work on his painted/stained beams and used a combination of chemical strippers and pressure-washer/vacuum gizmo to minimise the mess. It is described on here somewhere. I wonder if this company uses something similar?

 

[Baron de Gynes]

From what I read about this company on their own website, I'm not 100% certain that 'Back from Black' isn't misleading - I don't believe they take the beams "back" from anything, rather they put a cosmetic finish on top of the existing beams.

Renaissance Beams, another company specialising in this type of treament state:

The 3 coat process is applied directly onto the existing painted, stained or varnished beams (all coats consist of water based materials).

Beam Renovation, cites an

entirely natural looking finish

- note: "natural-looking". :?

It looks like a quick and mess-free (I'll be it's not cheap, though - would love to know the difference in price between this and stripping) but what the benefits are in terms of the longevity of the wood, I couldn't say.

 

[robgil]

If faced with a choice of painting them to look like wood or leaving as is I would leave them alone , they dont look that bad.

 

[Jellyfire]

I had a good look at this company when I was faced with dealing with our beams. It took a lot of reading of small print to come to the same conclusion as Baron, it's by no means clear on the website, but I think it's a fake wood grain paint finish they apply, which I can only think would look hideous up close. I'm afraid there probably isn't an easy quick fix to cleaning beams. I ended up using Klingstrip and copious amounts of elbow grease and water to wash it off. I certainly would be wary of it if you didn't have a floor covering you were happy to get wet and dirty though. If you want to keep your carpet clean, I'd personally recommend leaving them as they are, or lifting the carpet and relaying once you've finished them, unless you can really create a waterproof seal to protect the carpet

 

[tobydog]

Thanks everyone for all your useful input. Personally I can live with the beams as they are but Mrs. T has a problem with them. Having already gone through the internal house renovation I, for one, am not in a hurry to re-live it. I'm sure Mrs. T isn't either.

I agree with you Jellyfire that the final coat has to be some kind of fake woodgrain finish. I couldn't think of what else they could do. I really can't see that working on several of our timbers because they are very gnarled and rough following old but significant beetle infestation. Bare arms and expensive cashmere is not recommended when walking through the central studs!

I'll let you know how my domestic 'negotiations' proceed :roll:

 

[Flyfisher]

Perhaps contact the company and ask if they have any customers willing to let you visit and see for yourself, close up?

 

[tobydog]

Thanks - I'll try that.

 

[Jellyfire]

Depending on what is on them now, have you considered limewashing them? More authentic, reversible, protective, lightens them much more than stripping would, cheap, quick and easy to do and looks good! Worth a thought maybe?

There is an obsession with lots of people for rooms having lots of light these days, my wife being a prime example (I blame Beeney, Hislop et al), personally I like the cosy, atmospheric feeling you get in an good old historic room with imposing features and tiny windows. Who wants light and airy on a snowy day with the wind whistling outside, or when it's a baking hot 30 degrees and you are craving cool shade. If I want light and airy I'll go outside, where it's very light and very airy! Rant over....

 

[robgil]

Their website is missleading, even when I read it I still thought they cleaned/stripped them somehow.

They wont put the truth on their web site because it would put people off as it is not something most would want to do. Once they have ypou on the other end of the phone or come out to give you a quote then I would say the hardest part of their job is in full swing , selling it to you.

 

[Flyfisher]

I sent them an email asking about the process and they sent quite a bit of information. Their website might be a little vague about their process but the info they sent me certainly wasn't - it's a three coat system that is applied on top of the existing beams and they've won a number of awards for the process, though none from what we might regard as 'hardcore' conservation bodies.

The process is entirely water-based. It's applied directly to the existing surfaces. The pigment in the top coat can be adjusted for the desired effect and they claim the process highlights the natural character of the beams and is not wood-graining.

Claimed advantages include no loss of historic fabric and no consent required from conservation/heritage officers (I'd be interested to hear comments about that last claim!).

Yes, it's an applied finish but, to be fair, so is black (or any other colour) paint so perhaps it's just a matter of personal choice.

So, an interesting process, but it's not for me.

 

[JoceAndChris]

How fascinating!

The beams are lovely just as they are tobydog, I wouldn't bother!

 

[Keithj]

Agree! Limewash, or nothing.