tar / smoke deposits on oak lintel

[christianb]

Something I've never come up against before but maybe others have...

I need to remove a couple of centuries' worth of carbon from an oak lintel. It can just about be gently picked off, but to continue down that route would mean that I'd likely expire from tedium.

In short, is there a particular product or old home made recipe that might loosen the blasted stuff?

Any thoughts gratefully received, though I'm lime plastering around the bugger tomorrow so will be scraping away later today!

 

[Schoolmarm]

I think there are brass bristled brushes to clean up oak beams.

 

[biffvernon]

Some folk go to a lot of trouble and expense to give new oak that old smoked look.

 

[Penners]

Try a good stiff scrubbing brush, a bucket of detergenty water and a limitless supply of elbow grease.

You need to keep the brush good and wet, scrub hard and change the water regularly. Once you've finished, dry off as much of the water as possible with old towels, and let nature dry out the rest.

You may not get the soot all off, but you will improve the look of the beam, and its cleanliness. What remains, as Biff said, should be regarded as a valuable period feature. :wink:

 

[christianb]

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

I've managed to remove the most "unsightly" bits of crust, to leave the beam looking as old as it really is but less "skanky" - it had been concealed behind dry lining for the last 75 years. The idea, you'll be glad to hear, was never to clean it up completely!

Christian

 

[Penners]

Magic, Christian!




(Anyone under the age of about 50 is unlikely to understand that rather obscure movie reference)