Did you know? ~ Historic linseed oil paints eventually need to be stripped from the exterior of a house? The natural chemical reaction that allows liquid linseed oil to become a solid film, making it a useful vehicle for paint pigments, never stops.
Eventually, this causes the oil film to become brittle and start cracking and separating from the base material, as seen in this close-up of failing historic linseed oil and lead paint from “Restoring Your Historic House.”
It can be a century or more before the first layer of paint begins to fail significantly, especially if it has been repainted regularly. Once it starts in earnest, the only way to get a lasting paint job on the house is to remove all the paint back to wood and start over.
Paint in the condition shown here is easily removed with a sharp scraper. Paint that hasn’t yet reached this state of failure may require other stripping methods. Infrared heat for siding and professional-strength soy gel stripper for moldings are my preferred methods.
All commonly used methods for paint stripping are explained in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” Lead safe information is also covered.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors.
© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
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