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I have purchased an older (21 years) home in Lake Tahoe with radiant baseboard heating. The house still has the old metal covers for the baseboard. I am wondering if there are new and more pleasing ways in which these can be covered.
The home also has beautiful 6X16 open beams that have been stained a moderate dark color — probably many years ago. We would like to get back to the natural wood, but do not know how to do —- unless we sandblast — very expensive and messy. Are there any other options to consider?
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Bill,
I am not sure about the baseboard heaters, most people around here get rid of them and put in central hvac. As for the beams there is no easy way. Dont sand blast. Either sand or chemically strip off the finnish and then bleach them. They can then be stained back to the desired color. What type of wood are they?
Rick Tuk
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Not exactly sure what kind of wood, but they appear to be Pine.
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Bill, it's possible to custom-craft wooden baseboard covers.
For your beams, no easy 1-2-3 answer. Are they rough sawn, with blademarks; hewn, with scalloped edges; or milled smooth?
One possible answer, use a scrub plane and pare off a minute amount of wood on the exposed surfaces, leaving a hand-hewn look behind. See: site for a reference as to the tool mentioned.
*Most stain penetrates the wood, making it impossible to remove with conventional stripping, unless you want to sand, or plane, or try to bleach the wood. I would try all three on inconspicuous areas, and see if they work.
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Bill,
Even though I would consider your house to be almost "new",
I'll tell you that there was an article in Fine Homebuilding
about a year or two ago that detailed wooden covers for your
application. They looked great, maybe someone knows what
issue, because if I know me, I'll never find mine to tell
you!
Out east a house built in the 20th century isn't even
considered to be "old" in many cases. :-)
MD
*There was an article recently in the Old House Journal about colored or pigmented plaster. The attribute was a hue or impression that could not be attained by simple painting. My wife is enamored and I am skeptical. Has anyone had experience with this process?
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I have purchased an older (21 years) home in Lake Tahoe with radiant baseboard heating. The house still has the old metal covers for the baseboard. I am wondering if there are new and more pleasing ways in which these can be covered.
The home also has beautiful 6X16 open beams that have been stained a moderate dark color --- probably many years ago. We would like to get back to the natural wood, but do not know how to do ---- unless we sandblast --- very expensive and messy. Are there any other options to consider?