Expert: Eileen Cronk - 7/11/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have several beautiful solid maple pieces of furniture. Although I love the look, a few pieces appear to be turning redder or orange as they age. The orangish clashes with the rest of my decor, but blends in with the oak hardwood floors making the rooms appear darker than they are. I was thinking of painting them a nice creamy color to brighten up the room, yet I feel almost "guilty" for painting over such tremendous wood. Do you have any suggestions to toning down the red/orange without completely stripping them as they are quite large - hutches, desks and dressers? And if painting is OK, what is the best way to go about it to avoid peeling or bleeding? I expect a primer coat will be necessary. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I feel so torn as to what to do, not wanting to "spoil" the wood vs. enjoying a brighter decor.
Thank you so much.

ANSWER: Hi DS
Nice to hear from you.
I fully understand your position.
But what a shame it would be to paint over the lovely maple.
Could you tell me how old (approx), the furniture is?, has it been waxed or polished much over the years?, and finally are there smokers in your home?
If I know these things I can better advise.
Get back to me please.
Regards
Eileen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Eileen,

Thank you for responding. I know, it seems sac-religious to paint such classic maple pieces! There are no smokers in the house, never was. As for the years...The pieces were my grandparents and and they passed at almost 100 y.o., which was 10 years ago. I'm in my 50's, so they would have to be at least older than the 50's, possibly 40's or older. They have a subtle sheen to them, however I must say I do not oil them regularly, just dust with a clean soft cloth. Actually, I recall a picture with at least one of the pieces and that would have been in the early 40's. I hope that helps. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again. DS

ANSWER: Hi again DS
This further info really helps convince me to try to convince you not to paint LOL.
What a shame it would be.
I was hoping the pieces had seen lots of waxing and smoke as this can cause furniture to get really discolored.
However lets try an easy experiment before you do anything else.
And I absolutely refuse to help you with the painting until you have tried this.
Get a small can of mineral spirits and a box of fine steel wool pads (not SOS), at the hardware store.
Dip the steel wool in the spirits and give the worst piece a gentle scrub. Work with the grain of the wood if possible.
Dry with clean rags as you go.
This hopefully will make a noticable difference in the color.
After the cleaning a nice polish.
Try this and please let me know the result.
Eileen



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Eileen! I have the mineral spirits and am off to the hardware store for the steel wool. I plan to do this today and I'll let you know the results. I have another question; If I am using steel wool and mineral spirits, it seems to me I am stripping the color, so will I need to apply some type of topcoat for protection after this is done? If so, what is the best protective coating other than and polyurethane or protective stain?  Thank you for sharing your insights. I appreciate your guidance.    DS

Answer
Hi again DS
While you will not actually be stripping the color, the furniture will lighten if there is accumulated grime over the years. The spirits and wool will remove this.
You certainly could apply a coat of tung oil after the cleaning instead of the polish (not both) for a more durable finish.
And will you keep me posted. I am interested in the outcome.
I'll likely be away tomorrow but back Monday evening.
Regards
Eileen