Design ?

[IrishAyes]

In this 100-yr-old Queen Anne I'm (slowwwwwly restoring) what used to be the large entry has one 15' high long section of honey oak paneling too pretty to replace or paint. I don't want to drywall and paint the other 2 main walls and ceiling.

I'd like to use beadboard on the ceiling - how would it look to use the same white beadboard on those 2 other walls? Too much? Should they be drywalled and painted even though that would make the area have 3 distinct different styles? If so, what alternatives can you suggest that wouldn't clash with the honey oak paneling and beadboard ceiling I want to install?

Normally I don't hesitate about design decisions. But even though I know what I lean toward in this situation, I don't want to pass up any better suggestions either.

[Adsos Letter]

1. Smooth wall on the two walls, with a honey oak wainscot?

I would not run the beadboard on both ceiling and walls, but that's just me.

If it were mine I think I would do a nice smoothwall job to those two existing walls, and then run a honey oak wainscoting about 36" high along those walls. That would help tie in the large wall, without breaking the bank.

Is the entry door natural oak?

EDIT: Are the non-paneled walls also 15' high? If so, I would make the wainscot about 60" +/-

EDIT: Is there a crown moulding installed now? How large? Painted, or stained?

[IrishAyes]

2. Since this house was neglected for untold years,

almost to the point of no return even though it had once been a showplace, I almost got the giggles from reading your questions. Don't I wish!

But I do like your suggestions about honey oak wainscotting on the two other walls. You have a very good eye. How would I get them to match the present wall, though? I don't want to paint GOOD oak paneling, but maybe oiling them all would help lessen the difference.

There's more I might should've described in the OP but I didn't want to put people to sleep with too much information at first.

The existing honey oak paneling was only installed at some point after or when the outside stairway was removed and the entry door covered over with siding. Some sweet day I want to have a 5'x5' double pane beveled glass picture window (which I dragged home from somebody's trash) installed in the center upper third of the present wall. After I do a faux-stained glass painting of the Grand Canyon on it first. I don't want to actually see out the window but rather use it to further illuminate a relatively dark area.

Yes, all the walls are 15' high except upstairs. Not the kitchen ceiling - some philistines lowered it down to 9' and installed those hideous white acoustic tiles. That will change when I get to redo the kitchen. The same was true in the living room but I had to take care of it several years ago because the tiles were trying to fall on my head. When that renovation got started, we found they weren't the only things trying to come loose and crash to the floor. The original ceiling had a massive medallion hanging by a thread - right over my sofa!

Anyway, back to the original (but no more) entry. The ceiling only has the original lath and a few shreds of plaster left. The house was probably electrified in the early 1930's (maybe earlier) and the original chandelier remains, so I'm glad for that much. The ONLY thing that might change your opinion about wainscotting the other two walls is the fact that they're presently lined with two wardrobes and a massive bookcase that NOBODY could get up the stairs, which are so steep and narrow as a cattle chute. I often think of mountain goats while climbing them! But it's okay because my warped thinking says stair climbing is good and will keep my strength up. Several people told me those stairs were the main reason they passed on the place. Well, there's also the door to a tiny WC. There's no fourth wall, just a framed 12' wide opening to the living room.

So if I installed the wainscotting, only a precious few inches would show.

Reason might say get rid of the furniture - but some of my stuff was passed down by my great-grandparents, so I can't. And the 'entry' leading to the stairs is the only place left to put those 3 huge pieces. Most of my furniture came from family. The rest I scrounged at thrift shops - the only place I could afford antiques - and from curbsides where people just threw out granny's old 'junk'. A few pieces from auctions or horsetrading. Many people in the rural Midwest don't want any part of their heritage. I found an ornate iron double-bed frame rusting in the middle of a pasture where it had once been used as a hay rack for livestock. I tracked down the owner and offered to pay him scrap metal price for it but he wouldn't even take that. "Just get it out of my sight," was all he said. And he looked at me as if I'd lost my mind.

No, the original crown moulding has long since disappeared. I'm thinking of putting up a wide carved picture rail so I don't have to poke holes in the new walls when they'ge installed. Good thing I can expect to live another 30 years barring accident, because sometimes I wonder if it's going to take me that long to finish the place. Then it goes to charity when I don't need it anymore.

Don't let me get started on the awful things people did do to this house in the last 30 or 40 years, though. Hideous when new and poorly done at that. A gang of stoned preteens could've done better work. I ripped out the cheap carpeting somebody GLUED on the downstairs wood floors and will probably have to paint over the glue that soaked in. Burgundy most likely. At least paint would be faithful to the era and a helluva lot less expense than new oak floors.

Thanks for your help, btw.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

3. Interesting question.

Wainscoting can be stained to match and will look like it was part of the original design. I can say so because we did the stair case wall and the entryway -cracks you know in the old lath and plaster. Indeed those high ceilings ! Back in the 40's in there it became fashionable to paint over the beauty of stained woodwork. Word has it they got tired of looking at it-too much dark wood.Than there is the old wall paper trick to hide the cracks in the walls in lath and plaster,some even put that stuff on ceilings. Oh what a nightmare !
We have had a lot of compliments on the wainscoting in the entry way and stair case & landing. Staircase is original stained dark wood , did it to cover a bulge in the wall from an old roof leak, it will have been one hell of project ripping out the lath and plaster.
Some of the neighbors remembered that bulge going across wall pretty high up there,It was there before we got here. They thought I demo'ed the wall than redesigned the entryway and hall way and staircase- looks like you would imagine it will have looked when it was built.,said the next for neighbor. That particular neighbors home is a similar design of the same time period.
I said nope, you'd be surprised what you can hide ! I'd had my fill of plaster dust over the years I ain't eaten no more !

Wainscoting is fairly inexpensive and it stains up nice. And the tung and groove comes in 8' lengths. I went 6' at the top of the staircase and fallowed the down with 45 degree cuts. 4 " at the landings and in the hallway entry way. Nobody knows or cares to know what kind of wood the wainscoting really is , or how thick it is or isn't.All they see is the stained wood ! I used a stain with varnish or a little polly in it for a low gloss.

They came out with a product called crack be gone some years ago, especially for those old homes ! Oh-what a joke !
Some of the old homes survived all that ! Restoration is hard work, .


Good luck.
A labor of love is worth the effort.

[IrishAyes]

4. Yes, it's well said that

you have to be crazy to love old homes, but I'm overqualified. And I'd rather take things slow than do a slapdash job or go into debt.

Sounds like you did a marvelous job. I absolutely love bead board but I suppose it could go in the kitchen.

What do you think - would a dark stain cover the glue spots on the floor? I don't mind dark floors - I have 2 room size rugs that would cover most of the wood anyway. I've also heard about a homemade wood stain used in the 1800's that would actually harden like brick over time, but I've never found the formula and can't imagine what it might be. Any guesses?

At any rate I was lucky with this place in many ways, one being that it actually came with an unbroken title chain, all original papers, so I know who the previous owners were though not the renters. It was built around an 1845 slave cabin; in the Midwest frontier, these were often sturdily built log homes rather than flimsy shacks because they had to withstand harsh winters and attacks from indigenous tribes who understandably wanted their land back. It shouldn't be too hard to get on the national register for historic places but I don't want to even try until I'm finished with everything. While they have a grand mission, I'd never be able to afford some of their requirements - so I'll wait until I'm done and then take my chances. All the rooms are at least 15' square too, except for what used to be the 4th upstairs bedroom but is now the main bath.

One thing I want to do that they'd never tolerate is to push the styling back a few years. The porch columns are carved, but by the Queen Anne period it was getting popular to forego gingerbread, and I love that. The rare times I get too mad at the neighbors, I secretly plot to turn the house into a real painted lady - with a minimum of 5 bold, clashing colors. They'd really hate that!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

5. The wainscoting is stained to match the existing stained wood work.

It blends in nicely and face lifted the place , Upstairs I decided not to refinish the floors,we don,t like carpet.So I put in a floating floor. Those floating floors have come a long way since pergo came out in the 80's. I elected against bamboo because the climate here isn't conducive really for that particular material. There are so many different brand names to choose from on those floating floors, thats what I call that, - you can always find a good deal on flooring if you look around.

The floors upstairs actually stay warm in the winter months ,so that came in as a plus. So on your floor I am suggesting you put down some new stuff in the area or areas you want to accent the most. Otherwise short of refinishing those floors carpet is the other way . The floating floor installs right over the top of the existing flooring. The stuff snaps together so there is no nailing.

And it goes in fairly quickly.

[IrishAyes]

6. May have to do that; I'm sure it's a good deal nowadays.

But I still wonder: do you think dark stain might actually conceal those glue globs?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

7. You should be able to remove those glue globs.

How much of that is there ? Is it glue from a glue down carpet or some other flooring ?

Upstairs I had painted flooring a protective coat of some kind of crappy paint. just ruined the wood flooring.
I used a disk sander ,with a course sand paper to strip that stuff. what a job. Used paint stain remover to clean up the residue,what a mess.

I used a dark stain for a finish than decided I hate it.

So I found some really cool,good quality flooring -floating floor and did one bedroom. It looked so good I did the entire 2nd, floor.
Than I put the refinishing effort into the stair case and railing. That I liked the finish results. Next came the wainscoting on the walls.

So now we have the look of new that blends right in with the old look, our floors stay warm in the winter and it all works.

So no I don't think you will cure the glue issue by staining over it. Glue remover stripping compound or sand it and refinish it.
Or carpet it or floor over it with a floating floor.

If you can post a picture, I'll look it over -see if something comes to mind.

[IrishAyes]

8. Thanks for the reply.

So many people rave about the new floating wood floor systems that maybe that's what I'll do. I always prefer restoring original things but sometimes the expense and effort involved can just be too much.

And lately I've been thinking about how a second-layer floor would keep things warmer. Save energy etc. After all, I didn't shed a tear over having the original 21 windows replaced - why stop there? Must be practical about things.

During the holiday sales I picked up some large jigsaw-style cork pads and put them in the downstairs half bath all by myself. Even though they were extremely cheap and I don't expect them to last years, it really made a difference in there.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

9. You start off by visiting stores that sell flooring. HD or lowe's example

And fooring stores. Also do some internet searching .
See whats out there for yourself. Bring home some samples usually free, put the samples down on the floor ,get an idea of how it looks. Since time is not an issue think it over. and find out all you can.

http://www.arcat.com/products/flooring/

http://www.indianafloorsllc.com/Konectoprestige.aspx

best way to get some ideas is to go and see.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/flooring/buying-guide.htm

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. We just installed some floating click lock floors at my partner's mom's house.

I think I'm sold on the idea. I have been a little hesitant just because I'm kind of old fashioned. But these turned out great. And they were relatively easy to put it.

These came from Home Depot for about $2.60 per sq ft. Plus the padding. It's maple "hand scraped" engineered floating click lock.

Finished. With new base boards (had to order higher registers for higher base boards):



In progress:

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

11. I know what you mean

been installing the stuff in apartments for some time now. The last apartment install the building owner went all out on some good stuff from a flooring outlet. Floating floors have come a long way since pergo came out back there in the 90's.

You can buy the stuff now with pad attached and the locking or snap together aspect has been improved upon a lot over the years.
It's amazing how many different name brands there are on the market now.
it's even more amazing how much easier snap together flooring has become since pergo came out with it.

And real wood that you can actually refinish !

[IrishAyes]

12. Looks gorgeous!

I know my baseboards will have to be removed temporarily, but they're getting put right back after repainting because they are 8" tall - almost mini wainscotting themselves.

I dread having to move all the heavy furniture, but there's no way around that. And I could be polishing on it while the guys lay the floor, so it looks good too when everything's back in place.

[IrishAyes]

13. Thanks. I don't have means to post a picture or would.

The carpet was just the cheapest ever made, and they simply spread glue and then laid down the bleepin' carpet. Ruined perfectly good floors. Somebody else who saw the floor and 'supposedly' knows, claimed that the glue had soaked in too deep to be sanded out. Of course he might've just been trying to sell me a new floor, but how would I know?

So far I favor your idea of the newer, real-wood floating floors. It might have to wait awhile, but I've got more time than $ - as usual. You deserve a consultation fee, even though I wouldn't advise holding your breath until it arrives in the mail. Check might bounce!

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

14. If the information helps you, that is what matters.

On the glue soaking into the wood floors, well,the way to get the most out of cheap carpet is glue down, it is easier ,cheaper to do and less work involved. As far as the glue goes, if the floor has never been refinished-sanded down ,so fourth, there is a chance it can be brought back. The thing of it is ,is the floor worth saving ? That depends on the over all condition of it.

You can sand down only so far ,because if it goes too far the flooring loses it's integrity. Cracks and damaged wood is another factor.

Those floating floors are actually very very nice ,very pleasing to eye ,and installation is quick and easy for somebody who works with tools. That means your labor charges should not scare you away from having it done. What you need to do is find good flooring material that you like-figure out the material cost-save up for it, buy it and get it home. You can find an installer anytime,so you don't have to go for it all at once.

So look around at flooring stores and home depot ,lowe's, lumber liquidators ,so on. And the best time to look around is when you don't plan on buying until some time later !

Good luck, happy hunting and keep us posted !

[IrishAyes]

15. Thank you for all the help and encouragement.