Best way to finish paint-stripped victorian oak doors etc?

[crobar]

Hello,

I've recently begun stripping the many layers of paint and varnish from the wood in my recently purchased Victorian era flat. I have discovered that what I thought were horrible plain doors are actually nice solid panelled doors which have had sheets of wood nailed to them and painted over at some point (I wonder what were they thinking?).

I presume these doors are the originals and are solid oak, although I'm not sure how to identify them as oak. It is a solid feeling lightish coloured wood after sanding.

I would like to strip and sand all the wood in the flat (it also has panelling around the windows etc. it's a mammoth task) and then finish somehow.

What I would like to know is, what kind of finish do you recommend? I would like a finish that is quite matt, and probably a bit darker than the natural light colour, basically something like you would see in a posh house on in a period drama. I want it to be natural looking, just enhancing the quality of the wood itself.

Cheers!

Rich

 

[ladylola]

I have discovered that what I thought were horrible plain doors are actually nice solid panelled doors which have had sheets of wood nailed to them and painted over at some point (I wonder what were they thinking?).

Quite in vouge some years ago, google Barry Bucknell who covered countless panelled doors in hardboard. Made them look modern and easy to keep clean but best of all it has preserved the doors for this generation.

I presume these doors are the originals and are solid oak, although I'm not sure how to identify them as oak. It is a solid feeling lightish coloured wood after sanding.

Post a piccy and we'll be able to tell. They could just as easy be pine.

What I would like to know is, what kind of finish do you recommend? I would like a finish that is quite matt, and probably a bit darker than the natural light colour, basically something like you would see in a posh house on in a period drama. I want it to be natural looking, just enhancing the quality of the wood itself.

Again post a picture so we can see the timber and finish after stripping and you'll have better chance of good advice.

 

[crobar]

Ok, thanks, I'll try and post a pic later today.

 

[crobar]

Ok, here's a couple of pics of the door, partly sanded. I forgot to rotate them before uploading, I'll maybe fix that later, but got to run just now. I think everyone can get the idea from these though.

bottom right corner of top right door panel

• crobar
• 25 Feb 2012
• 1

bottom right corner of top right door panel

Partly sanded door

• crobar
• 25 Feb 2012
• 1

Partly sanded door

 

[ladylola]

It looks to me to be a pine rather than oak and to be honest if you want to have a varnish type finish then it needs a lot more work to clean them up as there are still remains of the original finish on there.
Once done though you can't go too far wrong with a laquuer.

 

[crobar]

Yes, well, I by no means think the sanding job is done on this one! I mean, I haven't even started sanding the centers of the panels, and don't consider the outer parts finished or anything like this. I'm still even getting the old varnish out of the detail.

I'm aware the door as seen here is not yet ready to be finished. Thanks for the input though. How do you tell the difference between pine and oak exactly, just out of interest?

 

[Symptoms]

cro - also looks like pine to me but maybe a closer pic might help. The Victorians usually used pine then paint (or scumble) so look carefully at how the mouldings are fixed. As their stuff was usually painted they nailed these mouldings on then filled the set nails heads with putty ... can you see any creamy-white filler (maybe 3 blobs on short mouldings & maybe up to 5 or 6 on long ones)?

Yep, Barry Bucknell in the 50s/60s, stripped(dipped)/varnished/waxed in the 70s/80s ... both yuk!!! Consider painting them in a lovely eggshell (or gloss {a bit 1980s} if you really want to ... again yuk.); dents filled with epoxy wood filler (not polyfiller or similar as this will, over time loosen with door movement) and moulding gaps filled with decorators' mastic, sanded, primed, sanded, undercoated, sanded, maybe another undercoat, then top coat of eggy and your doors will look a dream. Finish off with reclaimed brass knobs not those horrible new bright & lacquered jobbies from sheds.

 

[crobar]

Hi Symptoms,

No, nothing like you suggest on the mouldings, and the bottom layer of 'stuff' originally on the doors seemed to be a dark glossy varnish rather than paint, although it's also possible there was a layer of green stuff below this.

There's no chance I'll be painting these again though, I like the look of wood and would rather stain and finish in some other way than paint. The paint that was on the doors previously had hidden most of the detail in the mouldings as well for instance. As I said at the start, I really want a finish close to the natural wood, but probably a bit darker.

Thanks.

 

[ladylola]

How do you tell the difference between pine and oak exactly, just out of interest?

Erm, hard to explain really just experience of handling both

try googling images-

oak
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=oa...97&tbnw=47&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

pine
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=pi...tbnw=220&start=18&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:18
however , there are a million and one variations in both and several species are often called "pine" from spruce or hemlock for example

 

[ladylola]

Just seen your last post where you mentioned"green stuff". Now I don't want to worry you unduly but some victorian green paints used arsenic to produce the colour so I'd definately advise a mask when sanding.

 

[crobar]

Thanks ladylola, I was also worried about the green stuff, for either lead, or arsenic, so I made sure I got the right masks!