We just bought an old house with a recently papered front
hall. We would like to paint over the paper, since pulling down the paper will probably
reveal some deteriorating areas of the old plaster wall. The paper seems to be
very heavy duty, vinyl-like. Is painting over wall paper really such a no-no?
—J. Wright,
Jamaica Plain, Mass.
The
standard for best appearance is to remove old wallpaper before painting or
applying new wallpaper. But, you have to determine for yourself when it makes
sense to break the rules. Test your methods and materials by painting a section
of wall to see how it comes out. Shine a light at a low angle across the
painted surface to make surface irregularities and texture show up. This is
especially important if you have wall-sconce lighting.
If you
decide to remove the paper and then paint, keep in mind that many plaster walls
were intended for wallpaper and only roughly finished. They may require
extensive preparation or full skim coating to make a surface smooth enough for
painting. Painting or adding another layer of paper leaves the old paper and plaster in place which could be considered
very good preservation by protecting and keeping the historic materials in
their original location.
Porch Column Cracks
We operate a bed-and-breakfast in an historic house. The
porch has six eight-foot tall Ionic columns made of wood. The shafts of the
columns have several vertical cracks, otherwise the columns are in good condition."
—Lincoln, Nebraska
These
cracks can often be repaired with the shaft right in place. First determine how
the shaft is constructed. If the cracks are straight and parallel to each other
the shaft is hollow and stave-built like a barrel. The crack develops over time
as the joints between the staves separate. If the cracks are irregular and
spiral around the shaft lightly, the shafts are probably solid wood, but may be
hollow-bored from solid tree trunks with most of their core drilled out leaving
a shell 1" to 2" thick. Cracks in solid or hollow-bored shafts are
known as "checks."
Begin by
cleaning any old putty or paint out of the cracks or checks. Fill minor cracks
or checks (1/16" or less) with caulk. Larger checks need special
consideration. Fill wider checks on solid or hollow-bored shafts with a
flexible sealant, such as high-performance caulk, that will allow for the
inevitable movement of the wood. Never try to close a check by any method of
clamping. It is impossible to close checks on solid shafts and you may crack a
hollow-bored shaft.
Stave-joint
separation of less than 1/8" can often be re-glued and filled with epoxy
materials formulated especially for wood. These two-part adhesives and fillers
form a long-lasting weather resistant bond. After application the joints can be
drawn together with band clamps.
If cracks
or checks are wider than 1/4" it may indicate structural problems. Call in
a knowledgeable professional to assess conditions and make recommendations. For
more on repairing wood columns read the Practical Restoration Report, “Exterior
Wood Columns.” You can obtain a copy of this 20-page report by sending $11.95
to the address listed below.
For answers to your questions and more information on
techniques for restoring and maintaining your historic building, write to John
Leeke, Preservation Consultant at 26 Higgins St., Portland ME 04103, (207) 773-2306; or by email at johnleeke@aol.com or visit his website, www.HouseNet.com/HistoricHomeWorks/index.htm.
