I recently stripped my entire staircase down to the bare wood with the intention of keeping the newel posts, bannisters and handrails plain wood and carpeting the actual stairs. However all the various components are different shades of wood ranging from very light pine to a rosy warm reddish brown and all shades in between, perhaps due to the different woods and different ages. All I want to do is have everything a similar shade, but without using woodstain, is this ever going to be possible? If so, how do I do it? Really confused by this and don't know what to do with it. Any help very much appreciated, thanks!
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Penners
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No, I'm afraid not. Even with a woodstain, you'd find it almost impossible to achieve a homogenous look to the woods.diane said:
The Victorians would almost certainly have painted the balusters and the newel post - probably a broken white. The handrail might be mahogany, in which case it may have been stained a mahogany red and then varnished or french polished. If not, then it could have been stained and perhaps grained to look like mahogany.
Not sure I can offer much advice, but it could be possible that the posts and bannisters have always been different woods and different colours since they were installed. They may not have been designed to be shown as plain wood, but as painted wood and thus it would not have mattered whether they were different woods or colours.
I think I will have the same problem, so I intent to repaint in cream white.
I think I will have the same problem, so I intent to repaint in cream white.
Penners
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I'm old, but quite light on my feet.
:wink:
:wink:
Schoolmarm
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
Nigel Watts
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I agree with Penners that the Victorians would have abhored stripped or stained pine. I disagree that they are likely to have painted it white. Chocolate, black, dark grey, green, or grained to look like oak are more likely.
Setting aside considerations of authenticity, I came to the conclusion many years ago that the best colour for stairposts and bannisters is black, not white. White stops the eye and makes the stairwell seem smaller and more crowded; black, especially matt black, draws the eye through to see what lies beyond. Contrary to what you might expect, this creates a more spacious effect.
Setting aside considerations of authenticity, I came to the conclusion many years ago that the best colour for stairposts and bannisters is black, not white. White stops the eye and makes the stairwell seem smaller and more crowded; black, especially matt black, draws the eye through to see what lies beyond. Contrary to what you might expect, this creates a more spacious effect.
CatherineB
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The first coat on our stairs (and indeed doors, skirting etc) is a dark green shade. Could this be the original (1904 house), with only 2 coats of creamy yellow and 1 coat of white gloss over it? :?:
Sorry, a hijacking question, but at least it's on topic!
And another question - we will repaint, but given that it's flaking and chipping all over the place I don't think it'll be right to just gloss over it (boom boom). Can we / should we / how do we strip, oh wise ones? :?: No gags please [stern look]
Diane, our neighbours have stripped their woodwork throughout the house, and I'm not sure what they did to it afterwards but the bannisters, rails and doors are beautiful (even if their not-quite Victorian predecessors might have turned in their graves). Still, bannisters are different wood from the handrail, though, as we/they definitely have the Victorian pine&paint/mahogany&varnish thing going on that Penners explained.
Sorry, a hijacking question, but at least it's on topic!
And another question - we will repaint, but given that it's flaking and chipping all over the place I don't think it'll be right to just gloss over it (boom boom). Can we / should we / how do we strip, oh wise ones? :?: No gags please [stern look]
Diane, our neighbours have stripped their woodwork throughout the house, and I'm not sure what they did to it afterwards but the bannisters, rails and doors are beautiful (even if their not-quite Victorian predecessors might have turned in their graves). Still, bannisters are different wood from the handrail, though, as we/they definitely have the Victorian pine&paint/mahogany&varnish thing going on that Penners explained.
Gosh I dont suppose you could nip next door and ask, could you?!! I really dont want to paint all that woodwork again after so much time and effort stripping the damn things! The wood is lovely, just sort of mismatched and it doesnt really add to its appeal right now. Any further help ( possibly from the neighbours) much appreciated!
Nigel Watts
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Dark green could well have been used in Edwardian times.
I dont believe in stripping paint from interior woodwork before repainting. I did it in my old house and it really wasnt worth the effort but there may be circumstances where the paint is in such bad condition you have little choice.
Taking paint/distemper off badly clogged cornices or off the outside walls of the house where it damaging the underlying stucco or stonework is a different matter.
I dont believe in stripping paint from interior woodwork before repainting. I did it in my old house and it really wasnt worth the effort but there may be circumstances where the paint is in such bad condition you have little choice.
Taking paint/distemper off badly clogged cornices or off the outside walls of the house where it damaging the underlying stucco or stonework is a different matter.
Penners
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Well, the wise ones don't seem to be responding, so I will.CatherineB said:
For hardwoods, I would definitely use Klingstrip. But I've not had such success with it on softwoods - it can make the surface wood fibres separate, in my experience.
But Strippers of Sudbury may have a different formulation for softwoods. Why not give them a call and ask?
http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/
CatherineB
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Diane, I'm not sure when I'll see them next, but I'll try.
Nigel - if I don't strip (or even if I do?), then painting over the existing paint will create quite an uneven finish. Perhaps I should sand the paint smooth, rather than strip it off?
I just know that if we paint over the chips it will show all the lumps and bumps and really bug me, I will be lying in bed inspecting the skirting for the rest of my natural!
Nigel - if I don't strip (or even if I do?), then painting over the existing paint will create quite an uneven finish. Perhaps I should sand the paint smooth, rather than strip it off?
I just know that if we paint over the chips it will show all the lumps and bumps and really bug me, I will be lying in bed inspecting the skirting for the rest of my natural!
FamilyWiggs
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CatherineB said:
Penners?!!
Nigel - it can be worth stripping the paint if the underlying layers mask the definition of the wood or moulding though.
CatherineB
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FamilyWiggs said:
:lol:
Ah, let poor old Penners rest, he's had a hard week of double entendres and I wouldn't want to wear him out with my stripping!
citizensmith
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We stripped our stair case last year = 3 flights and it took forever! the paint layers were uneven and it was all a creamy white paint with various others beneath. I do'nt doubt it was meant to be seen painted, but it stripped a treat with klingstrip as Penners suggested. Yes you have to be carefull with the softwood bannister spindles but it was ok. I bought a B&D "finger" sander for fiddly bits and that was good too, but had to be gentle as they can be fierce on wood.
Finish wise we did the whole lot with Briwax P7 Mid brown and everything from the Oak Newel post, the pine bannisters and the elm boards all look very nice now. Only trouble is we need to re-buff it once a year or so - but the fumes are lovely! :roll:
Finish wise we did the whole lot with Briwax P7 Mid brown and everything from the Oak Newel post, the pine bannisters and the elm boards all look very nice now. Only trouble is we need to re-buff it once a year or so - but the fumes are lovely! :roll:
Penners
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I'm touched by your concern, Catherine. I must confess that too much doubling these days does tend to get me out of breath.CatherineB said:
So, goodness knows what your stripping would do.
FamilyWiggs
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Drat and double drat Penners.
I missed the post where you became PPUK's most prolific poster ever (about 600 posts ago) and now I've missed your 10,000th post too.
I don't suppose you kept a record of this literary achievement, did you?
I missed the post where you became PPUK's most prolific poster ever (about 600 posts ago) and now I've missed your 10,000th post too.
I don't suppose you kept a record of this literary achievement, did you?
Schoolmarm
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Twas this one;
"Re: Victorian Interior Decoration
Post by Penners on Wed 13th Oct, 2010 5:08
Nigel Watts wrote:The more I research this subject the more the Victorian era seems like a lost world. Where have all the colours gone?
Hmmm - I have to say that, looking at those colour scheme diagrams, the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink" springs to mind!"
"Re: Victorian Interior Decoration
Post by Penners on Wed 13th Oct, 2010 5:08
Nigel Watts wrote:The more I research this subject the more the Victorian era seems like a lost world. Where have all the colours gone?
Hmmm - I have to say that, looking at those colour scheme diagrams, the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink" springs to mind!"
Nigel Watts
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If paintwork is chipped badly this may be a reason to strip but it depends on what look you are going for. Uniform white would show up the blemishes a treat, but a nice dark grey or better still a fake oak woodgrain finish will mask a multitude of sins.
Lime
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I'd only strip the paint as a last resort.
If sanding can produce a smooth finish then paint over that.
Painted wood can sometimes be quite a hodgepodge underneath.
However if the wood is exposed and clean then a simple clear varnish, not coloured nor thick, will protect the wood.
Time will dull the variations of coloured wood eventually.
I stripped the Edwardian stairs in the house I'm living in now.
The old shelac varnish had become blackened, cracked and dirty.
I cleaned the varnish off with methylated spirits, fine wire wool and sponges.
It look months to finish particularly some parts that were originally painted.
I sometimes catch my guests stopped mid-stairs stroking and touching the wood.
I think that is a good result.
If sanding can produce a smooth finish then paint over that.
Painted wood can sometimes be quite a hodgepodge underneath.
However if the wood is exposed and clean then a simple clear varnish, not coloured nor thick, will protect the wood.
Time will dull the variations of coloured wood eventually.
I stripped the Edwardian stairs in the house I'm living in now.
The old shelac varnish had become blackened, cracked and dirty.
I cleaned the varnish off with methylated spirits, fine wire wool and sponges.
It look months to finish particularly some parts that were originally painted.
I sometimes catch my guests stopped mid-stairs stroking and touching the wood.
I think that is a good result.