Guys,
I’m doing some work in a home decor store and they would like me to create a barn wall effect on a wall roughly 14′ long by 10′ high. The existing wall is drywall.
I suggested possibly using barnboard panels over the drywall from Faux Panels.com but the cost of those were a bit high for their likeing.
I was wondering if anyone had any ideas “original or non original” of a nice way to create a barn wall effect on this wall. It’s seems like it will be a fun project to tackle. I have free reign over design and layout, but I’m stumped as to how I want to approach this. I would love some ideas from you free thinking craftsman out there. Would be much appreciated, and I’m sure would help jump start the creative process.
P.S. Wasn’t sure if this was the proper section to post or if this post would fall under general discussion?
Replies
new faux wood too expensive?
find a decrepit shed or barn and see if they'll let you scavenge.
In the early 70's we did just that-raised barns, stashed the wood for later use-better yet, immediate orders or installs.
Some of the framing we resawed for clothes trees, plant stands, coffee tables................some beautiful old growth wood hidden by dirt and funk and the fuzz of rough sawn.
Paint out (or use felt paper) behind, to conceal cracks, splits, missing knots, etc.
Can be clear coated to deepen hue. Wire brush and vacuum came in handy.
You can install for barn look or use some nicer design for a rustic cottage interior.
That would be ideal, unfortunately not been able to find any salvagable wood, and time is a factor. I don't have the luxury of waiting to find any. I only have a couple of weeks until store needs to be ready for the fall swithover. Good idea though.
You mentioned a "wire brush". What exactly is the wire brush technique?
We used the wire brush to "clean" up the stuff.
Lighten the newer painted siding.
But, you can sand/corn/walnut husk-blast it-takes the soft stuff away-leaving a slightly higher "grain" lines.
A power wire brush after using a handheld grinder to spot goug...............
But then the higher priced rough sawn pine looks a bit more economical.........certainly easier.
Which, rough sawn pine-stained the right color has the "look" you are trying to acheive-maybe.
"Which, rough sawn
"Which, rough sawn pine-stained the right color has the "look" you are trying to acheive-maybe"
Good point.
If you can't find an old shed or barn to tear down, use cheap pine boards (maybe straight from the sawmill, unplaned) and "distress" them. I suspect a simple board-and-batten look is what you're after.
(Since this involves tearing down a wood shed, maybe it belongs in the Woodshed. ;) )
Having salvaged many barns
this maybe belongs at Andy and Jerralds Tavern where language isn't required to be clean.
Board and batten is definitley one of the ways I was thinking of going. And also being that the cost needs to be kept to a minimal, I was thinking of 'cheap" pine also. The part of making it look somewhat 'worn" or "weathered' is the part that I'm having trouble with. I have no experience or knowledge of "distressing" or any of these simulated finishes. And just putting up new pine or whatever without it looking "old' would defeat the purpose, and wouldn't fit in with the decor of the store.
You mentioned "distressing" in your post. Can you elaborate on that a bit? or maybe offer me some advice on how to achieve a distressed effect. I've searched a few articles online to see if i could get a bit of knowledge on this "distressing' business but all the techniques I've come across really aren't logical for something bigger than a little craft shelf etc...(vinegar and steel wool type of stuff)
Mick-rough sawn might give you the edge.
The first pic-real mckoy, done in maybe '73
Second, rough pine-done in '96 maybe.
Sorry for the quality of shot.
Nice. I like the brick and carriage wheel incorporated in with the wood in the barnroom.
This picture is what i really
This picture is what I really would like to do, but I have no idea how to achieve the look of these boards.
Any thoughts on how to acheive a similar look would be great.
I really should look into this distressing stuff, as I am quite often asked to fabricate home decor items that involve a distressed look / finish. I usually just fabricate the piece and leave it up to the customer to play with the finish. But I'm starting to see dollar signs in learning the craft of a fine tuned aged wood effect ;)
Any thoughts on how to acheive a similar look ?
Nope, other than experiment. The look of 100 yrs of weather and paint either takes a hundred yrs or some facsimilie thereof. The wood you like is real. Making faux is time consuming if you get lucky at all. Me, I'd find old and buy it or disassemble.
That look may actually be a little easier to achieve. First off, visit some yards and see if you can find lumber that's been sitting there for awhile -- out in the weather would be ideal. Figure out some sort of "tea" stain -- regular tea is too expensive and fussy, of course, but brown latex paint thinned way down might work. Douse the boards with the stain, shake them off but do not wipe, then stack them, some stickered, some back-to back. Using some rusty iron for some of the stickers might add some "interest". A few boards you paint with something resembling the paint in that picture, then wipe irregularly -- similar to standard "faux" technique.
Some place along the way use chain, bag of bolts, etc to physically distress things a bit -- you don't need that much for this style. (A few nail holes made before the color treatment will help too.)
Or, for this look, find an old wood floor being torn up.
If you can get rough-sawn then that's a start. In this duty defects are a plus, so you don't want/need primo stock.
Then get creative -- the rotary wire brush, beat it wth a chain, attack it with the claw of a claw hammer, etc. A power washer with the pressure turned all the way up might help. Maybe even try placing it face-down on a gravel drive and driving on it. If the wood were a little weathered a deck cleaner would remove some wood and make it rougher, but probably won't do you any good with new stock. Can't offhand think of a good power tool to do the job, though maybe a lawn dethatcher would work.
Most stores just want a theme, and probably barn wood style panneling would be acceptable.
Especially if you stuck up an occasional piece of real wood, or paneled a few areas where close inspection would occur with real wood.
My thoughts were rough sawn ... or maybe better yet ... sand blasted wood. Looks great! Reveals grain. Then you need some coloring skills to bring out the greys and yellows of weathered barn wood.