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| DECORATING
TIPS |
| Staining |
With
any old property there is usually a lot of exposed timber.
To use traditional stains would need a second mortgage.
Brou de Noix is used by most furniture finishers in
France and is available by the litre (around 1 to 2
Euro's) in most supermarkets. It is particularly effective
on oak and chestnut beams and flooring, bringing back
a rich dark natural colour. The litre bottles are usually
in a diluted form, but this is fine for oak and similar
hardwoods. If you are trying to match different timbers
(such as pine) with existing hardwoods then you need
super concentrated Brou de Noix which can be found in
the larger DIY stores. This can be thinned down with
water to obtain the correct shade. Start off with a
thin mix then gradually add more of the concentrated
product until you match the shade you need.
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| Woodwashing |
We
all know how much the ready mixed woodwash products
cost. To me they are never very realistic. There is
a much simpler method which is a fraction of the price.
First take some matt emulsion paint in the colour of
your choice and water down to a very thin mix. Paint
this onto the timber (it works best with pine) and wipe
off immediately with a dry cloth - allow to dry.. If
it's not enough then put on another coat (or thicken
up the mix a little). Once you have the effect you want
then finish with two coats of satin acrylic varnish.
Try it on a few offcuts first until you have the effect
you want.
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| Plaster,
filling and artex finishes |
Generally
only finishing plaster is available in France, the standard
variety has a very rapid setting time of around 15 minutes.
Slower types are available but are also expensive. Artex
and other similar finishes are also pricey. Finding
plaster retarder is also difficult - I've yet to find
it. There is, however, a very versatile alternative.
The mortar used for fixing plaster blocks (colle pour
carre de platre) is a plaster based mortar with a setting
time of around 1 hour 30 minutes. It dries white, is
very strong, sands well to a smooth finish and is resistant
to cracking - for this reason many builders in France
use it extensively as a filler. Depending on the type
of fill needed, it can be mixed to virtually any consistency.
It costs around 10 € for a 25 kg sack.
It has other uses, however, as I discovered through
experimentation. It works well as a plaster retarder.
When mixed wiith plaster you can vary the setting time
of plaster up to around 1 hour depending on how much
you introduce into the mix. Also when mixed to a thin
consistency with plaster it is a very useful alternative
to artex and can be used to obtain a variety of finishes.
It is probably one of the most versatile products I've
ever seen - pool installers even use it for putting
a smooth finish on to swimming pool walls before fitting
the liner. It's sold at all builders merchants and DIY
stores.
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