How can I tell if painted wood is faux grained?

Jen
by Jen

I bought a 1904 home whose original architect drawings specify that all interior detail was to be white pine. Those interior details most notable comprise a ton of amazing mouldings and wainscoting, all of which is covered in glossy, white, poor condition paint. It is cracked and peeling, and below it is beige paint. I think the top layer is water-based and the next layer is oil-based, but I'm also a novice, so... I don't know; I just did the cotton ball plus alcohol test. I also stripped the paint off a section of dining room wainscot and a section of pressed wood--kind of like a chair rail--in the foyer to try to see what was underneath.Below the beige paint is green in the foyer, and I'm not quite sure but maybe there's also more off-white in there. And then after those 3 or four colors is wood. There are fewer layers in the dining room and the wood in the dining room looks like varnished oak. The wood in the foyer looks softer and I didn't encounter anything that seemed like varnish. Again, caveat, novice here. After this, I stopped my exploratory surgery, rather than increase the patient's injury.Other possibly pertinent details: The original homeowner was very well off, but not as well off as the "older money" in the neighborhood where he was a newcomer. Also, major renovations were made to the house early on--maybe the '20s and we don't really know how those changes impacted the mouldings we have today.All insights greatly appreciated!Jen

Section of stripped wainscot in dining room. Hardwood? Grained soft wood?

Pressed wood moulding in the foyer.

  4 answers
  • William William on May 24, 2019

    That is a tough one. Back then exotic woods were expensive. A lot of cheap secondary woods were used and grained to look more like expensive wood. A lot of veneers were used on furniture. Most of the finishes were either lacquer or shellac. It was a status symbol. Using lacquer thinner on a test spot can determine if the grain is real or not. Pressed wood became popular in the 50's covered with a faux wood grain type of contact paper or a form of plastic laminate. Any renovations in the 20's and 30's the wood more likely would have been painted as it became out of favor.

    • Jen Jen on May 27, 2019

      Lacquer thinner test seems like a great place to start. I'm hopeful that Grace, commenting below, is right and that it's really oak. :)

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on May 25, 2019

    May want to hire a preservationists interior designer or archetect to do a walk thru and maybe give you some insights. Could advise you on the next steps.

  • Grace Gleason Grace Gleason on May 25, 2019

    The wainscot is tiger oak. That's going to be gorgeous stripped! The shaped molding in the foyer looks like a mixed bag, but it's too hard to tell what from the photos. I don't envy your having to strip it, but it will be worth it.

  • Robyn Garner Robyn Garner on May 25, 2019

    I again caution you as to the possibility of lead paint. That said, if there is an area Historical Society you could contact them to see if someone could take a look for you. Additionally, your home may be able to be added to the area Historic Registrar. It could be that the group can help defray some cost to strip the wood in order for it to be returned to its former glory! It's also possible to take tax credits for your work in refurbishing the home.

    https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS3942


    "If you don’t already know if your house is designated as a historic structure, you can check with your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) or other local preservation office. They will also be able to tell you whether you live in a historic district."


    "Check out the University of Maryland University Library’s webpage on researching historic houses. You’ll find the information there can be applied to places nationwide."

    • Jen Jen on May 27, 2019

      Thanks, Robyn.! While the Massachusetts Historical Commission does list our home in its historic structure database, there are no programs attached to that, or any tax credit options etc. unless the property is income-generating. Our city has a wonderful historical society, and we were able to find several of the original drawings for our home there. Unfortunately, it wasn't a complete set. It's a shame because our home's architect specified this sort of detail--what to paint/grain/stain and in what manner etc.--in other, more complete sets of plans of his, which I found for neighboring homes. Thanks for the UM Library link!