WOOD TRIM RESTORATION - Trying recommended methods

[@melaniehall4131]

“You have to eat an elephant one bite at a time.” That saying has been my light at the end of the tunnel through so many projects. You got this Miss. Lindsay!

[@TheGrandLady]

Aww thanks Melanie! The encouragement is so appreciated!

[@rooneymeadows2705]

Kaleb from The 2nd Empire Strikes Back is restoring a house in St Louis. He may have some good suggestions on the wood restoration. Just an FYI. Great job, you two!

[@icomefromcanadia2783]

Kaleb had been doing great work and has found products/methods that seem to work real well. Definitely worth following imo

[@KrisanthiaMum]

Kaleb and Kim are doing an amazing job and I agree… Check out The 2nd Empire Strikes Back on KZbin channel maybe you’ll become a member of the strip club 😘😂 I think they would be happy to give you any information you ask for. He is a very helpful young man and very enthusiastic about all he is doing as well as Kim.

[@deborahelmore5554]

Denatured alcohol is the best - with 4 ought steel wool. What you have on your wood trim is orange shellac (no stain.) It discolors and alligators over time. Classic wood finish when your house was built. I use old tooth brushes (Oral B really holds up best) and dental picks (Harbor Freight) for grooves and hard to reach places. String can be useful on turnings. For window sash, I take them out, remove glass, and use a heat gun on the exterior and alcohol on the interior. We rerope the sash cords and reputty the glass. Then I varnish the interior with shellac and prime/paint the exterior before installing the sash again.

[@judithdurling3846]

If you use steel wool, wipe down with a tack cloth to remove the bits of steel fibers. A wipe down with Naptha before finish will remove any last bits of dust and grease. Just remember Alcohol and Naptha are flammable so dispose of your rags properly. Good Luck!!

[@TheGrandLady]

Thanks Deborah!! That denatured alcohol and 40 steel wool did work well to remove the alligatoring! In the end for me it just removed too much. We don't have alligatoring everywhere in the house and a lot of the shellac on the trim is still intact.. can you believe it? In the next room over it is pristine. I had to decide which way to go with it... remove shellac everywhere and re-shellac or find some middle-ground for everything. I chose middle-ground (Namaste 😀) It seems just when I upload a video I realize I didn't include my entire thought process... I LOVE THE TOOTHBRUSH BRAND RECOMMENDATION!! So, up my alley! I will also remember that for when the old furniture refinishing part of this journey commences. You all are brilliant!!

[@deborahelmore5554]

@@TheGrandLady I understand your reasoning. Also consider that the old shellac contains a lot of dirt and grime. The beauty of the wood can shine through if all of the old shellac is removed. Shellac is a wonderful, natural finish, though not water resistant. It is most appropriate for your house and will be beautiful when finished.

[@jonilore]

I recommend watching the Restoration Nation channel for tips on restoring windows.

[@kbr1980]

Yes, they do this all the time. I think it’ll be a great resource for you.

[@dwightlindgron4657]

Check with Laine from Restoration nation in Missouri she and her husband are amazing!

[@jennbell4251]

Laine and Kevin @ Our Restoration Nation are also renovating very old homes down south and Laine recommends Abatron for wood repair. She’s very knowledgeable about architecture and all things old homes. The Grand Lady is coming along and can’t wait for your next episodes! 😊

[@pamelagreen8543]

Murphy’s oil soap might do a good job on the dirty areas.

[@TheGrandLady]

I'll put it in the mix and see how it compares!

[@herefydo914]

I was going to recommend Murphys and warm water with an old washcloth, and a toothbrush for hard to get places.

[@kathleenwoodbury7491]

Check out Laine’s KZbin channel Restoration Nation. She has a method that works on alligatored shellac.

[@kaybonette]

I follow a couple on KZbin called 1834 Restoration House. 3 days ago they posted a video on stripping paint off a fireplace surround and then cleaning it with denatured alcohol or mineral spirits (sorry can't remember which) and then put new shellac and it came out beautiful. Mike is an engineer and a perfectionist and is such a good teacher. They restore old houses too. You might really enjoy watching that episode. Regards, Kay

[@missedwinamae]

So much love involved in the restoration of The Grand Lady.

[@alextirrellRI]

I do think it would be best to just take it all off and use new shellac and not stain -- another recommendation to do what Kaleb & Kim are doing -- what they're doing looks AMAZING with new shellac and polishing wax!

[@TheGrandLady]

Thanks for all the Great suggestions! I did go find the 2nd Empire video showing window trim paint stripping. (I think I found the right one) I feel for them and all that paint removal!! Big difference we have with ours is that luckily we don't have to strip the wood as it wasn't painted so-- I can leave more of the "character and patina" in place and just clean it and spiff it up. I don't want to sand or strip it off. We lost so much of the other house character from the water fiasco... Thinking about it I guess I need the trim to look a bit old for my psychological health - haha.. it's working though, we're happy seeing things looking clean and original. Kaleb and Kim's trim does look lovely -I agree.

[@Redfiregtag]

I agree 100% with this , our house has all the original wood trim unpainted, I really spent alot of time wrestling with the idea of stripping it all to be perfect again and finally came to the realization that the house is over 100 years old , all those scratches, holes, and alligatoring is just part of the story of this house and should be left , so I just spent my time getting all the paint off around the edges and darkened all the scratches with stain and cleaned it up good so it can shine again. Now I'm so happy I never stripped it.

[@KrisanthiaMum]

You and Mr Jim have given so much love and thought into this Grand Lady. Good to see all the different methods and the outcome. I think you will get a lot of good information from Kaleb and Kim and I also think they would be more than willing to give you some good information. I guess it all depends on what you want and not what others think you need ☺️ Maya is such a sweetheart OXOXOX’s give her some love from us 🥰

[@TheGrandLady]

Thank you kindly Siren Dipity. Happy Spring!

[@kelly4514]

Shellac darkens as it ages. Chances are everything was never stained but just shellacked.

[@jonathanmosher72]

It was originally painted. It's pine and pine was always painted. It was stripped and shellacked during the late 19th or early 20th century when painted woodwork became as out of style as bell bottoms in the 1980s. As a paint historian it's literally the same story over and over.

[@BrentsTreehouse]

I like your systematic experimental approach! I'm doing something similar on a 1930s house, with alligatoring of the shellac and the stain having darkened. I would prefer to restore the trim in place, although it might be easier to work on if I remove. So many people these days say just to paint the trim, but I'd prefer to see the wood.

[@BodyByBJfitness]

I agree with what everyone stated below, reach out to Caleb on the 2nd empire strikes back and Laine & Kevin on Restoration Nation, since they are also working on historical homes doing preservation and restoration work. Can’t wait to see how things continue to progress.

[@annarepke1118]

Thank you for doing all the experiments for me! It's going to save me lots of time!

[@pamelagreen8543]

I have pine boards in my whole house, I have used the murphy’s oil soap, on both raw wood and wood with finish. I use a terry cloth rag and a bucket with warm water and the recommended amount of soap mixed in, to start. If there are stubborn areas, I use the soap full strength on my rag, then rinse with clean water. It hasn’t harmed the wood, or the overall color. I hope it works for you.

[@TheGrandLady]

It's funny how words from the past affect your actions. I was in Lowe's and saw the Murphy's oil soap and I didn't buy it as words from a past relative rang in my head... they thought it ruined wood...so I have never tried it!! Doh! I will now though! Thanks Pamela!

[@katypowers9066]

Wait! I need more info on the McDonalds Heist. And thank you for sharing your journey. I learn so much watching you guys 💜💜💜

[@TheGrandLady]

Jim did a little research but nothing popped up... can you believe that was 25 years ago??!!

[@margaretwood5792]

Lots of decisions!! I agree with your choices. The Krud Kutter seems to give it a much richer look. Great job, you two

[@margaretorden7568]

I like your theories about the cash bag! Well done with all your trim experiments. Maya is just too cute!

[@TheGrandLady]

Thank you!!

[@JW-ei8gw]

I like how often people mention Kaleb and Kim on their restoration. Thanks again for taking the time to share your restoration experience. It's coming along pretty nice. 😃

[@TheGrandLady]

Our pleasure! Thank YOU for coming back week after week! You and this whole community are sensational!

[@findmysoulgarden914]

For grime and paint on hardware try water and a crock pot... works great!! Did all my glass door knobs and plates.. paint came right off...

[@kennichols1015]

Turpentine and 0000 wool for the bubbles, sawdust and wood glue to fill holes

[@broberts2043]

Love that you’re experimenting for the method that works best for you. My favorite happens to be Homer Forby’s furniture refinisher but, I think they were bought out by Minwax. Krud Cutter is a great product. I keep a stock of steel wool from 4 ought down to 2 ought. I also fill as few holes and dings as possible as I hate when the stain or Tung oil doesn’t take to the filler properly. Your wood is going to look lovely.

[@TheGrandLady]

Awwwww! It was surprising to me how the testing turned out! I'm glad I did it. Thanks so much for your support B Roberts !

[@broberts2043]

@@TheGrandLady Thank you for saving a pretty, old home without once ever mentioning the words “Open Concept.”

[@hildamclawhorm6305]

@@broberts2043 amen to your comment 👍

[@TheGrandLady]

hahhahaha.... made me snort laugh! You'll never hear that mentioned.. not in The Grand Lady!

[@TheGrandLady]

Hello back to you!

[@deborahelmore5554]

Forget the expense of special cleaners $$$. Ammonia will remove much of the dirt and shellac. Finish with denatured ETOH, steel wool, OralB tooth brush, dental pick, etc. The shellac and dirt is the color you see. Clean down to bare wood and paint with orange shellac, which is the original finish. Or stain first, if you must - or tinted shellac (research) Large amounts of paint can removed from sloppy edges with a heat gun first. I have found it is much, much easier to remove and number my trim, place on saw horses, remove nails, strip, and repair before rehanging - using original nail holes. Consider "library oak" stain.

[@ceferinocanibano6284]

Good Job. You are very hardworking people.

[@AmosAmerica]

First time viewer. The tests were done well. I use KrudKutter on my old 1910 tile floors under the oven range at full strength. I was amazed at the results. All the old paint came off with a putty knife no problem after waiting only a few minutes to give the product time to saturate the dried paint. If I could, I would purchase stock in that product! I will try it on the woodwork like you have done in a problem area. Thank you! Also, sorry to find your treasure bag had been emptied of its contents 😞

[@TheGrandLady]

You made me laugh with wanting to buy stock...haha. That stuff is amaizng!

[@lilalay5586]

Good Job!

[@TheGrandLady]

Awwww!! Thanks! We TRY!!!

[@deborahelmore5554]

Don't overthink. Steel wool. The section you refer to as too much color removed is the goal! Beautiful wood!! Then sealed with orange shellac!

[@annsosie1515]

Good detective work 🕵️‍♀️ The trimwork is beautiful. I think McDonald’s is calling you 😂

[@LaToyaReads]

Besides Kaleb, Xo MaCenna here on KZbin is restoring her 100 year old home. She redid all the windows herself including putting in glass and making some windows from scratch. Highly recommend. For trim restoration definitely Kaleb

[@brendametcalfe7476]

You might like cleaning with TSP. It works well but you have to wash with water afterwards to remove the chemical

[@TheGrandLady]

I avoid using TSP due to the environmental harm and human toxicity - The environmental harm was discovered in many phosphate containing products- including fertilizers, dishwasher detergents and TSP (trisodium phosphate). Many states have banned them (New York has). You won't find TSP for sale but instead see TSP alternative on the label. Phosphates deplete oxygen levels in water which kills needed organisms. In humans, concentrated amounts can cause difficulty breathing, mucous membrane swelling, can cause vision loss, and burn the skin. It probably wasn't as big of a deal until used in more and more products. Now the earth can't keep up with the poisons we pour into her. If you can avoid using it that might be better for you and the earth.

[@brendametcalfe7476]

@@TheGrandLady I live in New York too. The one you can buy here is Phosphate free. It’s labeled as TSP-PF. Sorry for the confusion. I just called it by the shortened name. But I completely understand if you don’t want to use it. 😊

[@TheGrandLady]

OH! Good to hear! Sorry I went on and on about it.. it's the annoying doctor part of me. haha!

[@brendametcalfe7476]

@@TheGrandLady No worries. I too try to do my best fit the environment.

[@kennethmiller2333]

Looking at how the denatured alcohol affected the trim, I would say that a lot of what you think is the color of the trim is actually the old shellac.

[@TheGrandLady]

Right! Not having worked with shellac before it didn’t hit me that it wasn’t stained. So much to learn in life!

[@mikededmon]

A lot of furniture refinishers use tinted spray lacquers to blend new work with old work. That would be a great solution for touching up areas that are patched or puttied. You should try them too. Plus, because they're a spray, you can cover much more quickly.

[@TheGrandLady]

Great tip!

[@gmmeier321]

Yes, it’s called toning. Thomas Johnson does it all the time on his furniture restoration. Check out his amazing channel.

[@karlwohlfromm7604]

Thank you for doing this

[@udalimb384]

Reasonable theory on deposit bag. I wonder if someone was blamed for loss of bag?

[@TheGrandLady]

We couldn't really find much.... from 25 years ago! It seem's like it was just Y2K! Or maybe 2020 has blurred everything from now on. Thanks for watching Uda. Appreciate you!

[@janpritchard8796]

good idea rooney to ask Caleb of 2nd empire strikes back

[@svendolufsen849]

I need more videos😄

[@margaretsensenig4464]

So I have some old trim much like what you are trying to clean I want to paint mine what is your best advice on how to clean old paint b4 applying new paint I want a smooth look

[@TheGrandLady]

Oh my. This reply is so late! Apologies! I would clean really well with a lemon or other acidic and non residue leaving all purpose cleaner. If there are many layers of paint I’d remove them with paint stripper. QCS is an amazing and safe stripper that works on almost anything. I just recently tried it. It is expensive and I had to order it from Amazon so I tend to use it on wood that is hard to sand. Acetone works but it is very toxic to have on your skin and breathe so I’d stay away from it. I always try the orange citric remover first because it’s safe and cheap but it doesn’t always do the job. I’d avoid sanding until after you have stripped because if there are layers of paint you never know if one is lead. Also, for any grooves there are little paint wedge sponge thingies in a kit that you can match to the profile of what you’re sanding - Contour detailed sanding wedges. If you’ve already done the job I hope it went well. Let me know!!

[@TheDieyet]

carbide scraper and sanding

[@TheGrandLady]

agreed. (foreshadowing comment here) haha

[@jasonanderson6232]

I'm trying to match my baseboard trim in Syracuse, did you have to buy any trim to match the original and if you did where did you get it? Really cool you documented this lab experiment!

[@TheGrandLady]

I haven't bought any new trim yet as I think I'll have enough from closing up a couple of closets. If I do end up needing any I may try to make it myself... not quite sure. BUT!!!!! I have seen trim just like mine and other styles as well at different architectural salvage stores. I'm not sure where you live but I can direct you to some in Upstate New York and a couple in Baltimore that have a lot of salvaged trim from tear downs. Let me know! I'd be happy to help!

[@julianne089]

You still have your comment wall! ❤️I was afraid it got lost in the flood!

[@TheGrandLady]

We do! I stopped it at The New Year but... I miss it! I do think about bringing it back but it became so hard to pick!

[@ryandude3]

Did you end up using Restor-a-Finish anywhere else in the house? I keep reading mixed messages about it. It seems refinishers say it's terrible long term, but then I read about other people having no problem with it. I also have miles of trim, many doors, and some furniture that I want to spruce up. Don't want to ruin it though!

[@TheGrandLady]

I haven't yet used restorafinish on anything else. I think the name isn't quite descriptive of what it's really doing. It's not restoring the finish, it's kind of just dissolving a little bit of the finish on top and adding some color and oil to shine it up. I can see why that wouldn't do well long term. But how long is long term? 100 years, 5 years? haha There's nothing wrong with using it to spruce things up though. I mean if it ends up looking good and lets you put off refinishing it for awhile then that's a win - especially when there are miles and acres of wood to keep up. Thanks for watching and I hope your spruce goes (or went) well!

[@ryandude3]

Thank you, you've given voice to my thoughts quite nicely! We just moved into our Victorian a few months ago. I know it's going to be a long-term thing, but I also know we're not going to be able to do a full refinish on everything either... Your method looks like a happy median! Enjoying the videos and excited to see your home take shape!

[@cherylbellardino5211]

Hello!

[@hildamclawhorm6305]

Hello folks 👋

[@TheGrandLady]

Hello Hilda! It's good to be back 😀

[@shendallmcqueen4513]

I used ammonia.

[@carolynstrecha2371]

Maya looks like she's lost some weight 👍❤️

[@TheGrandLady]

She has lost some weight! She's such a sweet heart about her aging. We thought she was at the end about a year and a half ago but, she keeps on wagging her tail and asking to play - although we play pull toy while she's laying down. Dogs are just amazing creatures. Every day with her still here seems like a bonus day. Thanks for watching Carolyn! Maya says woof!

[@t4trojans990]

Did someone already say Denatured Alcohol

[@TheGrandLady]

Oh my!

[@ursulamichael]

Great shellac restoration and tips in this vid that you might find useful for tackling your trim :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHmVYZ2Md5ecgdU

[@TheGrandLady]

Thank you Ursula Michael !

[@jonathanmosher72]

You'te actually not restoring. That's pine and it means your house was originally painted. Paint was stripped during Arts and Crafts through Craftsman periods because that was the style. The idea that Victorians had bare wood is probably the biggest falsehood in home remodeling.

[@shawnschlaff3816]

Joe the joker

[@Artjunky-pm1dk]

Check out "Our Restoration Nation" on utube. She is awesome with loads of information. And has a wonderful product that remove paint and old varnish and you don't have to use gloves