Black Beams - Paint removal

[Bayliss]

Seems that I was wrong to share my experience soda blasting the paint from old beams. I did say take care of any timber that is not sound, this means test small discreet areas with the soda gun and employ your own common sense.

 

[Toby Newell]

Why???

I think you were right to share your experience and as you say, anyone with sound beams and common sense should have found your experience very helpful as soda blasting may be a good option for them.

T

 

[whiskeyfrank]

Well what a debate i started, i didnt quite think id get such a hammering for what I wanted to do. Anyway it was tried today and didnt work on the house beams as it wasnt strong enough to get the silicone sealant of the wood, where its been done there is no furry wood, but it has left a blotchy wood / paint finish.

Its basically to mild to clean the wood properly, however, I also have an outbuilding / cottage and its done those fantastically, the beams look great. And to stop the arguments its taken no wood off, the marks are all still there, so are tiny carvings that were covered up by the paint before.

Its left the wood clean and with a lovely patina, no furry stuff, just ready for a wax.

I think i will get the house beams painted in a wood finish as ive seen that and it looks excellent, no doubt there will be somethung wrong with that as well.

Still cant attach pictures!!!

 

[supersub]

First post on this site and I feel like a bit of an interloper. My 1850s house in Leeds had a wonderful and massive beam in its basement kitchen, but there are no exposed beams in my south London 1920s terrace.

However... I sought out this site and this thread because we have some big oak beams in the country house we've just bought in France (am I allowed to mention French houses here?!). Some are smoke-blackened, some have been partially painted and some just need a little TLC after being hidden behind hardboard and polystyrene tiles (nice!). Local builders and messageboards have suggested sandblasting but I've read enough now to be put off that route. I'm nervous about entrusting the work to anyone else (especially as we're still living hundreds of miles away from the house and can't be there to oversee any work) - but also nervous of taking on the job myself. We're visiting again this month and I'm going to trial a bit of Kling-strip.

I'm also intrigued by a company called Back From Black, which claims to restore beams in a mess-free and less damaging way. Anyone have any experience of them or know what they do?

 

[masochists-r-us]

Crikey. What an impassioned debate. I hardly dare add my contribution, but here goes.
We did sandblast our black gloss painted beams before we found this site.As others have said, the mess is unreal no matter how careful you are. Overall, we are happy with the result, BUT one spine beam turned out to be elm, unlike the rest which are oak. It clearly had extensive worm damage just under the surface (or under the paint) which couldn't be seen and despite the utmost care taken, it resembled a piece of driftwood at the end. For this we will always question ourselves, but have learned to love the beam in its new form and somehow assuage any guilt we may feel with the care,attention and money we have lavished elsewhere on this previously neglected building.
In conclusion, can't argue with Toby, any form of blasting is abrasive and so the result you achieve is hard to accurately predict, however I'm equally very glad we don't have to live with black,gloss painted beams.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm also intrigued by a company called Back From Black, which claims to restore beams in a mess-free and less damaging way. Anyone have any experience of them or know what they do?

This topic discusses that company and its process:
http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13230&p=179769&hilit=back+from+black#p179769

 

[supersub]

That's great...thanks for that, Flyfisher - don't know how I failed to find that thread! I'd be curious to hear from anyone else who has tried Back From Black (and is prepared to tell us how much it cost them!).