Very old barn beam help

[retiredmgn]

Isn't potassium permangenate purple? We use it in our iron remover and it stains whatever it touches big time. Maybe there is more than 1 kind.

When mixed with water and applied to wood it stains the wood a warm brown.

 

[radioman]

Well, I went to Lowe's last night. It was a dirty, nasty fight--the paint counter clerk (who had previously told me they didn't sell Floetrol, until I found the bottle) said he'd never heard of matte polyurethane, that there wasn't any such a thing, and they certainly didn't carry it. I finally found it on a top shelf, only in quart cans, so I bought all they had. Can't wait to try it.

Thats the exact reason why I dont like help from them when I am looking for something in big box stores .

 

[jimmpatrick]

After uncovering the oak beams above the kitchen of my house in France I followed local advice to sandblast them and spray with a bleach solution (to clean them as they had been under floorboards for 500 years) before spraying with a matt stain which included insecticide etc. to seal them. Of course, this may not be the look you're after.

 

[Susanjoyce]

Because the house is fully furnished with drywall between the beams, I'm brushing it on. The results are exactly what I hoped for-the wormholes are filling in and the effect is natural.

This Lowe's, which is the nearest of any type hardware store, is hit-or-miss when it comes to the staff. There's an older black woman with a very brusque manner who you think would be great at recipe help, not hardware. She knows that store completely, and if she says they don't have it--they don't have it. There's an older white guy in plumbing who took my chicken waterer nipples and effortlessly designed me a complete system custom for my coop. There are a lot of teenagers who can generally tell you where the restrooms are, and not much more. The problem seems to be that they're under orders to be helpful, regardless. I hadn't asked for his help--I knew from the website that they stocked it, and all I had to do was find it. But you're not allowed to look at a section for more than a few seconds before someone wants--needs--demands--to help you.

I needed a new turnout coat for a horse last night. Went to TSC and asked. The clerk told me they're in "the horse aisle.". Horse aisle? Which horse aisle? Finally found them next to rabbit cages. All the useful people were out in the parking lot, clearing snow.

 

[Susanjoyce]

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=295759"/>After uncovering the oak beams above the kitchen of my house in France I followed local advice to sandblast them and spray with a bleach solution (to clean them as they had been under floorboards for 500 years) before spraying with a matt stain which included insecticide etc. to seal them. Of course, this may not be the look you're after.

You have a 500 -year-old house in France? Picture me dying on the floor of envy! That is SO wonderful!

 

[doxford jim]

North America (including Canada) is pretty much the new kid on the block.
Where I live in BC, my house is considered an older home circa 1965 !!!
Where I grew up in London (UK) my parents house was built around 1750 and was initially a farm house.
We forget about the rest of the world and are surprised at how old a lot of places are and in their towns, probably not thought of being anything special.