Clean beams

[JoceAndChris]

I want to work on my kitchen beams this evening.

They are not original to this house but are 400 years old according to the previous owner who stole them from a derelict building. They are propping up my kitchen ceiling so please don't ask me to do the honest thing and return them.

To me, they look great, though cobwebby, pockmarked and heavily wormed. (nothing live I think) I think they're oak. No evidence of former paint or coating. I would like to clean them and put on linseed. I bought Rustin's raw linseed oil, which now seems a mistake from reading past threads on linseed oil.

What would be the best way to make them look a bit more loved? I'm hoping you might say sugar soap and linseed oil.

Thanks.

 

[biffvernon]

Sugar soap and linseed oil.

Just try the oil (Rustins is fine) on a small obscure area to check that you like the effect - it can make the wood look darker. Beeswax might be worth trying. (Remember that you can put wax on top of oil but not oil on top of wax.)

 

[skier-hughes]

I like the oiled look, it does make the oak darker, well mostly, as it has a very hotch potch effect depending on what the wood is like.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh lovely, thank you. This is what I need, a nice, easy, clean job.

I didn't know about the order of oil and wax, thanks.

xx

 

[skier-hughes]

I'll take a couple of photos of what it looks like for you.

 

[skier-hughes]

A good one showing half oiled old timber and some new timber.

 

[JoceAndChris]

They're pretty Skier-Hughes. Thank you for your help.

This job is great- the wood is so thirsty. The beams now look so good I can almost ignore other terrible things that have been done to the kitchen.