Forum
« Asbestos Removal from Old Furnace Any first-hand experiences getting a Cert. of Non Harassment »
October 11, 2007
Stripped woodwork mix of oak & cherry - finishing advice needed
We just stripped the parlor and top two floor of hallway woodword (stairway, wainscotting, decorative spindles, doorways & doors, baseboards etc.) and found that the wainscotting and staircase/rail are oak, but on the top two floors the baseboards and doorways become cherry. Both beautiful woods in our opinion, but we would like to make everything look as consistent as possible. Have others encountered this? What did you do/do you recommend? We were thinking we would stain all of it (as it is old and needs "evening out" the stain color Natural Oak and then finish with a danish oil. But we have not done this before and welcome any advice.
Comments
I had a lot of luck using Barlett's gel stain to mimic the antique patina already there from shellac, combining maple and dark oak in different places that needed either darkening or a warmer amber tone. The stains were also great at covering any bits of remaining paint or unsightly light spots.
I stuck with unwaxed shellac as a finish because that's what the original owners used and the color was easy to match. I would be careful about using any penatrating oil on antique woodwork; it's more or less irreversible... the one time I've seen it done (by a DIYer), it looked terrible. Shellac may scratch, but it's easy to touch up or redo if you screw up. Plus, it looks great!
Posted by: carrie m at October 11, 2007 6:38 PM
how did you strip all os that? Did you do it yourselves? I am in the middle of a similiar stripping project and would love to learn from your experience!
Posted by: HomeSweetstuy at October 12, 2007 2:24 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.