My Limewashed Exterior

[angrybird]

Nigel your house looks stunning I know you had a few hiccups but i'm sure these are minor and can be put right.I love the front door it really finishes off the look.
Its always a joy to see you pics you have such an eye for detail

jacqueline x

 

[LadyArowana]

It looks fabulous Nigel, definately worth all the effort. Interesting about the door knob being in the centre, I had never really thought about that. In fact I had to go and check Google Earth streetview to see where the one on our house is. Not in the centre, and neither is anyone elses nearby and they all look like originals, perhaps the servants in Bath were lazy and people had to shut their own doors.

 

[Nigel Watts]

did you follow a particular method? in an old construction book I have it talks about mixing water soluble colour with beer to go on top of an oil ground!

I did the graining myself. There are four steps.

First the base colour is applied in oil eggshell (I used Dulux). Parry's Graining and Marbling gives suggestions on colours to use for different woods.

Next is a coloured oil glaze. I made this myself from a mixture of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, artists oil paint (burnt umber I think) and Terebine dryers. Parry's gives a recipe. The glaze is applied, allowed to set a little then manipulated using various brushes, combs and other utensils to achieve the desired effect. A reasonable oak look can be achieved with a rubber comb (home made is best) followed by a steel comb drawn across the grain at a slight angle. The rays of quarter sawn oak, such as those I created in the panels, are simply wiped out using some rag wrapped around a wooden stick.

The third step is the overglaze. This helps soften the graining which can look a bit raw. Stale beer can be used for this. I used malt vinegar and water with some vandyke brown crystals dissolved in it and a few drops of washing up liquid as a wetting agent. For some woods this glaze can be flogged (the surface of the glaze tapped with the sides of the very long haired brush known as a flogger) to give the impression of pores.

Finally the whole thing needs a couple of coats of varnish.

Graining is a bit more work than just painting in a plain colour as five or six coats are needed in total but the effect is quite durable. Bumps and scratches are easily touched up with a bit of artists oil colour and the broken colour means that dirt and minor blemishes dont really show.

 

[DJH]

Stale beer?? That must be the hardest thing to source for that recipe. It just goes to show though that the old ways still have their place among all the so called modern and better ways. I'm off to find that book and see if Santa will get it for me.

Doug.

Hmm. Just had the answer from the direction of the kitchen.............NO

 

[Zebra]

Nigel you are an inspiration!!

 

[Jellyfire]

The house looks beautiful Nigel, hopefully the rest of the street will now take inspiration from it and realise the error of their weathershield ways!