ReStaining all the woodwork in the house

What a grand PITA

I'm using gel-stain and just going over the woodwork. The woodwork is 19 years old and with 28 windows on the west wall of the house much of it has sun faded over the years. Dog scratches, vacuum cleaner bangs, kid bumps have all taken their toll too.

Just finished the formal dining room. It does look a lot better. The wood is about one shade darker and a bit more reddish too (so it looks more like the cherry cabinets).

Got the powder room the other day, and part of the lower hall. The foyer and front door are taped off and ready to go.

I don't think there is any quick and easy way to do this other than to just get into it and do it.

On the bright side, the lovely Mrs_Bob thinks it looks great

Staining the bright work is always fun.

We have every room trimmed in stained wood and lots of custom wood wall treatments. Built over time, like 40years, it is hard to match sometimes. Stains of today are not the same as those in years past.

I figure my turn will come to do the whole house and hopefully, I can match everything to one common shade without going too dark Right now we are stained in a honey maple shade. With just a touch of red tone added.

All things considered,,,It is easier than paint. And frankly, I believe it looks nicer.

We also have quite a bit of custom woodwork in our home, bands of wood that wrap around rooms at two or three different levels, wainscotting in the dinette and kitchen, etc. None of it painted. Honestly I think it ruins wood to paint it. Let a nice stain show the veins. Our house is done in cherry and poplar. The poplar is all stained to match the cherry cabinets in the living room, kitchen, family room and bathrooms. All 3 fireplaces have custom wood and tile surrounds/mantles from very simple Prairie style to Craftsman style.

Honestly I'd love to add even more wood. But only after this project is done. Been working since I got up. Most of it was already taped off, been doing that with the lovely Mrs_Bob for the past week. She finished up the last roll we had while I was out restaining the front door.

I'm going to head up to Tractor Supply for some more tape, probably get a double espresso from Starbucks next door while I am there for a little bit of a pick me up.

The lovely Mrs_Bob is a slave driver. Wants the kitchen level of the house done this weekend. But the dining room is done and that is probably the hardest to do. Front door is done, inside and out. Powder room has just a bit to go. Hallway, mud room and dinette, plus the foyer. Foyer is going to be a pain, lots of bands of wood in there, and its a big square box of a room, 16 x 16 by 28' tall (foyer is 3 stories and open from the lowest level to the ceiling upstairs). I will need to set up scaffolding. The kitchen, despite all the wood, only needs the baseboards restained, so thould go fairly quick? Or not???

My toughest will be the three story Skylite that is wood lath maple boards on all four sides and the ceiling. Stairs and railing below.

All natural wood.

Woke up today sore as all hell. Work + Age + Arthritis = Pain

Dinette is done, main level of the foyer is done up to 7' off the floor, powder room is done, hall is done, dining room is done, front door's exterior is done. So I did quite a bit. Lovely Mrs_B is happy enough to give me a rest. Probably start taping the living room today? Or maybe the stairs to the lower foyer.

Melensdad said:

On the bright side, the lovely Mrs_Bob thinks it looks great

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That's all that matters. Another job well done.

I told my DW that her NEXT husband can do that bullshit work. At 63 I'm not interested in that kind of work in a finished house. I'll do it for a customer, but this shoemaker's kids are going to stay barefoot. You guys are obviously a lot younger than me, or have some reason for succumbing to a request like this. Is this penance for one or more of your sins??

Sorry MD but if you don't post pictures it didn't happen... Dem's da rules bud...

Well the wood staining project took a turn for the worse.

The lovely Mrs_Bob, so happy with the restored look, purchased a new faucet, light fixtures, towel bar/shelf etc for the powder room. There are rumors circling the homestead that a pair of antiqued bronze Mission style sconces and a chandelier may be heading for the dining room too.

All proof that no good deed goes unpunished.

This voice keeps shouting "WHIPPED".......

Saw this train coming a mile away . . . and I still stepped into the middle of the tracks

So today, trying to give the lovely Mrs Bob a wonderful surprise, I ran to Home Depot to buy 2 new bronze colored light fixtures for the powder room. She said she liked them and they were under $50 so I figured I'd mount them up so that when she got home from Fencing practice she would see her new lights.

Not so much

The baseplates are 1/2" too narrow, so the whole wall has to be repainted.

BUT, making matters worse, the baseplate is so long it overlaps the mirror. 2 choices, replace the mirror with a shorter one or return the light fixtures and find one with a WIDER and SHORTER rear backing plate.

Anyone want to lay odds on what choice the lovely Mrs_Bob will choose

I'm praying for new fixtures.

I think it's upside down Bob...

squerly said:

I think it's upside down Bob...

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Looks that way without the globe on it, but it is mounted properly (well sort of). If I had taken a side shot it would be evident that it should be mounted with the globe up.

Well since the mirror has beveled edges, it may be hard to cut it down a bit. You could raise the electric box a few inches, but that means you'd have to refinish the whole wall. Then again you could try to get a shorter mirror, but then you'd figure out it's too short to see what's left of your thinning hair on top.
Hey that might be the best alternative.

Get new fixtures that fit over the old spot.

Life is tough enough without creating new challenges.

Besides, what ever you put up will not satisfy her in a few years.

FrancSevin said:

Get new fixtures that fit over the old spot.

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That is on today's "to do" list. Already got this fixture back in the box and the receipt in the car ready to go!

Glad you chose to replace the fixtures. Why fight something like that when a easy remedy can be found. If you chose to repaint and replace the mirror... you would then also be looking at a new vanity.

Creeping along with the staining is a good thing.. love the way you are going room by room. Little bit at a time. Before you know it, you will be all done with the staining, and onto the next project!

The new ceiling:



Still need to cut and stain the crown moulding out of Poplar and install that around the perimeter.

Hey, that looks pretty sharp! (more than you can say for those scissors.)

Melensdad said:

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

For whatever it is worth, despite the fact that copper sheets are very thin, its a good idea not to tell your wife that you used her best pair of sewing shears to cut up some copper ceiling tiles. Even if you are installing the ceiling tiles as part of a remodeling project that she "requested" you undertake.​

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You dummy! For the price of some of those scissors you could have bought a nice carbide blade set of snips and not had to deal with a pissed off woman.

Earlier today my wife painted the powder room. So I just finished repainting it.

She used masking tape across the top of the toilet tank lid? Why not take the tank lid off???

She painted behind the mirror, but missed behind the door . . . because it was open???

Someone shoot me.