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Faux Painting Wood Grain doors

BillHartmann | Posted in General Discussion on July 23, 2005 08:37am

I am help a lady fix up a house with minor repairs.

At sometime in the past she faux painted all of the woodwork and doors. They are a light colored “wood grain” look. Sorta of a pickled birch look, but with a darker bolder grain.

But since she has had several strokes and does not remeber how she did it.

Her front door was replaced (see related thread about the #$%*! idots that did that) and she tried to finish this, but made a mess of it. It looks OK, but way dark and then she tried to remove it so there is one light area. Also the casing is just pine stained walnut and it is not only darker than the other, but also shows the pine grain.

Now I am trying to talk her into just paint the whole thing some matching color and be done with it, but no luck so far. Her realestate agent who got me this job is going to do the same.

But if I try this I figure that I would start with a stain blocking primer to over up the existing grain and color.

But I don’t know the order in which to put on the colors. It is mostly light ground with maybe 20% dark grain.

Do I start with a dark base color. Then paint over with the light and then drag a sparse brush to expose the dark grain.

Or do I do it the other way. Light base coat. Then use a spare brush to paint in the dark grain.

The first method seems easier to do, but I am concerned with how well the light paint will cover the dark. But it realy does not need to cover it perfectly.

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Replies

  1. DANL | Jul 23, 2005 11:43pm | #1

    People at House Chat may know how to do it--faux painting. From the little I know about it, you put the light base color on first, then a dark glaze which is pretty thin and wet and you "comb" the grain in that with a special rubber tool that looks like a comb. They even have info on this technique and the tools to do it at Lowes (and I suppose at other such stores). You might want to practice on a piece of cardboard or something. Oh, if you screw up, the beauty is you can wipe the glaze off and try again.

  2. Don | Jul 23, 2005 11:54pm | #2

    Bill: Go to someplace that sells ZAR products -= they have a neat little pamphlet that tells you how to do it. Matter of fact, it might be on line, too. Wife wants front door done that way, so we have the pamphlet.

    Cheers!

    Don

    The GlassMasterworks - If it scratches, I etch it!
    1. zendo | Jul 24, 2005 12:54am | #3

      Bill,

      This is one of those areas where either way will work, but will give different effects. 

      Also, I think the easiest way to wood grain is with a tool that is convex, and has concentric circles on it.  It has a stick handle.  What you do is put a coat of "glaze onto the surface and drag the tool and roll your wrist at the same time.  When you do this, however fast you put the combinations together will adjust how long or short the grain will look. 

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0006930NE/ref=dp_product-image-only_0/104-8022954-5231909?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=1000&s=hi

      Its possible it was hand done with brushes, but only people like me are nuts enough to do it.

      I would figure the base is lighter, and the glazing or second coat is darker, but see if you can tell by the topography of the paint itself.

      -zen

      Edited 7/23/2005 5:56 pm ET by zendo

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Jul 24, 2005 02:50am | #4

        "but see if you can tell by the topography of the paint itself."Good ideal.I have seen that tool (I think that is what Zar sells). But I don't know if it can get as fine of lines that I need. And I have ranch casing to do, which that won't.But I realy don't need to try an match it, just make it blend in. So I might try that tool on the door and brushes on the casing.But I REALY HOPE that I can either convice her to just paint it or pay enough to get some one that knows what they are doing.If she ends up paying me I will charge enough for some experiementing and still no guarantees. And I don't like to do that.

        1. msm | Jul 24, 2005 08:32am | #5

          http://www.muralsplus.com
          lots of expert faux artists there will offer specific material and technique advice. it's helpful if you can post a picture since matching is an issue. i agree that you start with a lighter base and drag on/off darker glazes. IF you were getting serious about it, you'd want to build up many clear layers to mimic the natural luminosity wood has- but it sounds like that's more than you've offered to do. just be sure to use a minimum of 3 shades of paint; preferably 4. using only 2 (a dark and a light) will yeild a dull dead cheesy effect.

          1. zendo | Jul 24, 2005 05:07pm | #6

            Msm,

            Nice to see you, thanks for the link, good info is hard to find. 

            There are so many crap books out there I have to study every one and decide if they are worth the bargain price. 

            I have a couple of great ones but they are few and far between.

            I just got my first digicam, Ill be posting some of my paintings shortly.

            -zen

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