Renewing Beams

[papergirl]

I have a potential customer who has horrible black glossed beams (ceiling) and wants to make them look reasonably like natural wood again. For starters we are not entirely sure they are original beams as they look too uniform, (more like floor joists.) She quite likes the idea of getting one of those wood graining kits. I personally have never tried them. Wouldn't like to try on a customer just in case in ends in disaster. Any body have any ideas. She would be happy if they just looked like wood again.

 

[Zampa]

Papergirl....are the beams rough sawn?.....if they are have you tried a coat of buffy coloured unders....then brush thinned coat of something like light oak wood stain over them, you could also experiment by wiping them over with a cloth after.

You may get away with the same treatment if the are smooth....those brush and grain kits are a bit pricey and dont allow you much flexibilty colour wise.

Another thought....if they are smooth they may well be false.....

 

[paintycait]

Papergirl,
Ask them what colour/type of wood they want done. If they can show you look at the palest colour in the timber then match that as a basecoat. Paint the beams in this colour in eggshell. Go to the suppliers and buy Ratcliffes oil scumble, less than £5 for a 250ml tin which will go miles. It comes in a miriad of wood colours. Mix it up in the tin because it settles badly, thin it. You can just thin it with white spirit or you can do as I do, make a mix of raw linseed oil 1 pt: white spirit 3pts + 10% driers and add that about 1:3 scumble to mix...my method just gives you more time to play. Lay it on really thinly, you need to keep mixing it up as it settles in the pot. Then take a dry brush and draw it back through the scumble, play with it till you get a nicely woody look. This is basic brush graining, not difficult. If you need further info feel free to ask, it really is very foolproof. On beams I think that if you can get the right colour and texture that you need do little more than a brush grain as very few folk would look up and say "gosh, oak and no heart grain". There are lots of other graining techniques I could tell you about but this is a good start.
If they can't show you a wood they want or just say something like "medium oak" come back to me and I'll give you a good base coat colour.

I'd do them a wee sample before you start just to let them see the colour and to let you play with the medium.
It needs varnishing to even out the sheen and protect, but on beams if they are happy with the look without varnish then you needn't bother as it will get no wear.
Cait

 

[papergirl]

Zampa

Thanks for the tip. Personnally I think the beams are false. As I said before, they are just realy looking to make them look a bit like wood again. I get the feeling they dont want to spend a fortune.

 

[papergirl]

paintycait

Thanks for the info. It was very helpful. Can you give me a rougth idea of how much you would charge. maybe per beam

 

[Zampa]

Paintycait wrote:

I'd do them a wee sample before you start just to let them see the colour

Wouldnt white spirit be better?

 

[paintycait]

Can you give me a rougth idea of how much you would charge. maybe per beam

How wide a beam, how long a beam, how rough the surface, how well prepped a surface, how much experience have you got working with glazes, will you tape up or try to cut in??????????

PG, I can't tell you how long it will take for you. If you've never done glaze work before, allow for taping up or graining the beams before cutting in and emulsioning the ceiling (which is how I'd prefer to do it).
I would look at the beams and work out how long it would take to eggshell them - 1 coat. Then go away and fart about with the graining colour and see if it takes you the same amount of time to apply as eggshell, 1 and a half times the time or double the time. For basic brush graining I'd allow about the same as eggshelling, but if you are a total newcomer to it, with a bit of practice...as a rough guess, time and a half???
I'm guessing. Get a bit of 4x2 and do a sample as much for you as for the client.
Best of luck,
Cait

 

[paintycait]

Paintycait wrote:

I'd do them a wee sample before you start just to let them see the colour

Wouldnt white spirit be better?

You've lost me Zampa????

 

[Zampa]

Paintycait wrote:

I'd do them a wee sample before you start just to let them see the colour

Wouldnt white spirit be better?

You've lost me Zampa????

Email on the way...