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Thread: Refinishing some barn wood, what to do regarding best process?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    108

    Refinishing some barn wood, what to do regarding best process?

    This question is really about the best way to strip and sand some barn wood I have. The end is defined, it will be painted.

    I am confidant that the paint on the wood is lead based, so I'm worried about doing any sanding. My plan is to take a paint scrapper to the wood to remove as much of the big paint pieces I can as possible. Then hit it up with a coarse sand paper before "finishing" with a finer paper.

    Does this sound reasonable or is there a better way?

    Thanks in advance.


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    The Little Tennessee River near Knoxville.
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    1,227
    You can buy a lead test kit. It only runs a few bucks. I get mine commercially so I am not sure where the general public can get it but I know they are available.

    What exactly are you planning to do with the barn siding?
    Retired, living and cruising full-time on my boat.
    Currently on the Little Tennessee River near Knoxville

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Colorado, USA
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    108
    My property has several older outbuildings with the same siding, this siding is from one I intend to tear down. I plan to use this siding to fill a hole on another out building I am refurbishing as a storage shed. The building I'm refurbishing is in much better shape and already painted, but needs the hole filled. The hole a result of me removing a leaky window.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Allen, TX
    Posts
    2,017
    the borgs have the lead test kits. it's possible that you find it to be a lime whitewash rather than lead. if that's the case it'll be fairly harmless and sandable.

    as for the schedule to repaint it...

    some sort of oil sealer. any oil varnish you have laying around will work, in lieu of that 50/50 BLO and turp. basically something toxic to kill any mold/mildew/insects, and the wood will be quite thirsty since it's so old, so it will need a sealer before you prime it, lest it prematurely suck up all your primer's oil.

    then, as with anything else outside, an oil primer.

    then your paint of choice. i use sherwin williams acrylic outside (duration is the name of it) but have no reason to think lesser of ben moore, just always have used SW .

    you can use heat to get lead paint moving and scrape-able, just don't heat it to the point of burning the paint. one of those 30 dollar wagner heat guns at lowes works pretty well.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    108
    Thanks for the inputs. The paint ill be using is Behr Ultra Exterior Acrylic, its an existing can that came with the house that matches the building I'm patching. Appears to be good quality paint from the stuff already up.

    Headed to the store this afternoon to pick up a tester, thanks.

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