Wood restoration ?

[motion]

For those of you that work with wood... I bought this old barn door in Montana and am going to use it for a bed headboard. Its pretty grimy and musty smelling. Needs to be thoroughly cleaned before bringing it into the house. I can't pressure wash it because that will take off the flaking red barn paint. Not sure I want to attack it with a scrub brush, either.

Ideas on what to use?

[jorian]

Simple Green and a sponge. Wet entire door, spray liberally with SG, let soak and use a low pressure hose and sponge to get it "mostly" clean. You're going to lose some of the patina but not all. Should get most of the nastiness without eliminating all the charm of the door. Try a spot clean first on the back side.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

It's a shame that it's musty, the patina is perfect. I'd try letting it sit outside in the sun for a month, garage on rainy days, and then use a spray poly so as not to disrupt the overall effect.

[motion]

Spray poly is like a polyurethane sealant? I think some kind of sealant is a good idea. But I don't want it to look shiny.

[Tobra]

Second what Shaun suggests, sunlight is an excellent antiseptic for that sort of thing, don't know about the poly afterward though.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

yeah. there are matte versions. Just mist it.

[drcoastline]

So grimy I assume is just dirt not oil, grease? If so let it dry out then use a broom or wisk brush to loosen the dried dirt, then vacuum with a brush attachment. Afterward you can lightly wipe with a household cleaner if you wish to remove any residue.


The mustiness is mold. As the wood dries much of the smell will go away as the mold goes dormant. You could also spray with a fungicide available at most hardware stores or a bleach water mixture to kill the mold. Spray it a few times per day over a few day period to allow the fungicide or bleach to penetrate the wood fibers, especially on the end grain.

[Don Ro]

That thing a head board? Sleeping alone these days?
.
A better head board is what your barn door is leaning against.
.
Semi-gloss or eggshell finish.
You can always hit it with 0000 brass wool (one direction) for less sheen.
Finish pics, please.

[GWN7]

That red paint is most likely lead based. Makes sure it is sealed well.

[DanielDudley]

I wouldn't be too afraid to scrub that. Whatever is stuck won't come off, and whatever isn't needs to.

[1990C4S]

I would use Tide and a scrub brush. If it flakes off with bristles you want it off anyway.

Then sun dry it and assess. Probably needs a coat of stain urethane, I would try a water based product on the back side as a trial.

[1990C4S]

Also, you need to get off Pinterest. Next you'll have bedside tables made from a pallet.

[LWJ]

Cool. I like the set in the sun after a quick rinse with simple green. Yes. Lead paint should be assumed. I have an old door that I made into a display case. I did nothing to treat that. But then it doesn't smell and my pillow won't be resting against it.

Show the results. I like it

Larry

[craigster59]

If it's musty smelling might be some mold. Maybe dilute some bleach in a Hudson sprayer, spray and rinse and leave in the sun?

[motion]

Thanks everyone. I spent the day scrubbing with a medium brush and Simple Green. SG does a great job of removing the dirt and grime. The red paint on this thing is very, very soft. It comes off extremely easily. Unless I can get about 1/8" coat of polyurethane all over it, I just don't see how the red paint won't continue to peel off.

Gonna let it dry in the sun for a few days then attack it with the sealer.

[R K T]

If too much patina comes off you can always put some back on!

I do it in a smaller scale all the time......

[john70t]

I think it's a stupid idea and that wood should be garbage but ok whatever.

Cut to final fit.
Spray with disinfectant and leave outside to dry out as mentioned.
Many months of continuous hot sun....not a few days.

Get matte poly or whatever in a can and soak it down.
No it's not enough.
Front and back and sides.
Buy a few more cans.
How about a few more cases?
The budget on that crap wood is about $550.00 now.
Shucks go for broke and dip that soggy rotten remnants in a vat of hardener.

It will either stink of rotten mold or harsh chemicals for many years to come.

How sexy can that be?

[motion]

Originally Posted by john70t

I think it's a stupid idea and that wood should be garbage but ok whatever.

You may very well be right

I may end up attaching new vertical 1" thick planks to the portion that a head would rest against, finished in a weathered gray.

[javadog]

Every time I look at that thing, the thought that enters my head is "cow shi*." I don't know if it smells like cow shi* but every barn I've been in that was with a half mile of a cow, ever, smelled like cow shi*. Even if this thing smells like a Playboy Playmate, I could probably never quit thinking about cow shi* every time I looked at it.

I could not see ever putting that in my house. Has your wife approved of this venture?

JR

[motion]

Originally Posted by javadog

Every time I look at that thing, the thought that enters my head is "cow shi*." I don't know if it smells like cow shi* but every barn I've been in that was with a half mile of a cow, ever, smelled like cow shi*. Even if this thing smells like a Playboy Playmate, I could probably never quit thinking about cow shi* every time I looked at it.

I could not see ever putting that in my house. Has your wife approved of this venture?

JR

I guess you haven't heard that cow $hit is all the rage these days

The project turned out pretty good. I'm happy. The guys down at the hardware store recommended a good layer of Stop Peel before the poly, which turned out to be key. It really laid down all the paint and will prevent any future peeling.

Now, back to Pinterest