I decided that one of the first steps in making over the little red house would be to attempt to strip away the paint that now covers up the original wood work in the great room. I figured it would be a good start and one that would be relatively low cost, yet make a satisfyingly visible difference in the space. But with all those overhead beams, how to do it without making a giant mess, ruining the wood or breathing noxious fumes?
After a little digging on the Internet, I found a product that I hope will work. Peel Away 6 is a product that, according to its website requires:
"No special ventilation. It will remove multiple layers of paint with one application instead of several that are often needed with other brands of “safe removers”. PEEL AWAY® 6 is a paste/gel that is brushed or sprayed over the surface to be stripped. The paste can be covered with a fibrous laminated paper, which controls evaporation and is left on until the paint is dissolved. PEEL AWAY 6 is excellent for carved and molded surfaces, and will not “freeze pigment" into the grain of the wood nor will it raise the grain or discolor the wood. Environmentally safe, biodegradable, user-friendly paint remover. It is especially useful for removing marine anti-fouling paints because it will not damage fiberglass."
Sounds perfect! A little too perfect....I'm often skeptical of these "too-good-to-be-true" scenarios, so I ordered a small amount and figured I'd test it out before going whole-hog. It came late last week and I applied the paste-like material to one of the painted sections between two windows on the dining room area window wall. It went on really easy and with no mess (shocking!) I then put the paper on it and it's now sitting working it's magic. I decided to let it sit for 48 hrs in order to give it the maximum amount of time to incubate (according to the directions.) If when I peel it away, it takes all the paint with it--then I'll proceed to do the rest of the room. I figure if all goes well, I'll still need to give the wood a light sanding and maybe rub a little conditioning oil into it when it's all said and done, but that wouldn't be too bad.
So why go to all this trouble? 2 of the 10 PrairieMod Principles deal with exactly this issue: Bring the Outside In and Think Natural. The natural color and texture of wood is one of the most beautiful elements you can decorate your home with. It helps bring the outside world inside your home, thus reinforcing the connection with Nature. As a living thing, wood naturally ages and usually gains a rich patina that adds to the character of the space and enhances the overall experience of living there. Its color and texture can coordinate well with the wall surfaces you do decide to paint. In the case of the red house, it was discovered in one of the bedrooms that the wood painted over in the rest of the house is mahogany. This beautifully rich sienna brown wood has a striking golden luster when light hits it. It has a tight grain and resists moisture well. It's one of the most beautiful and exotic woods in it's natural state. After discovering this, I decided it would be worth the effort to uncover the thoughtlessly painted wood in the rest of the house so that its beauty could be enjoyed again.
We'll know in the next few days if it will be an easy or difficult path to this part of the journey--in either case it will be worth it. Tune in next Monday to check on the status and as always, send us your thoughts and comments. Until next time!
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