Rustic Basement Thread

[383]

Edit: Photobucket screwed this thread, starting at reply #62, you can see pictures of the end of the build and how it turned out, just not all of the pics along the way. I may work on replacing the pics later.

https://goo.io/nJwYmJ


I've decided to finish my basement in my 15 year old house. I posted a thread in the fab and techniques section about the weathering process, but this will be my build thread. Here are a couple of before pictures of the basement.



I'm finishing my basement to look like the inside of an old barn, I'll get into that with my next post.

 

[383]

I didn't have a source for old barn wood, so after searching Google and spending hours experimenting, I decided to use the vinegar, steel wool, and black tea solution. Basically you soak steel wool in vinegar for a few days, to create what is called iron acetate. The solution reacts with the tannin's in the wood to give it an aged appearance. The tea is usually applied to add more tannin because some types of wood don't have as much as others.

I'm using white pine, and here are a few pictures that show how it works.

Before the solution is applied:



Right after application:


A couple of hours later:


I'm making worm holes, splits, and roughing up the wood a little to give it an old look but trying not to over do it.

The first thing I did was build a door that would be between the finished and unfinished part of the basement. I used an old style thumb-latch door handle.



More to come.

 

[dragracer98]

383,

Your version of the barn wood looks great. I too have watched some You Tube videos of the how to process. I like what you are doing. Plus you are spending a fraction of what someone would be asking for barn wood. Thanks to all the DIY shows on the TV that are using it, prices are way up. I had not heard of adding the tea to the vinegar and steel wool. What grade of steel wool did you use? I have heard that 0000 grade is the best. Very nice work.

Randy

 

[383]

The finer the steel wool, the faster it dissolves in the vinegar. I had some 0000 left from another project that I used, but when I went to get more could only find 000. It worked, just had to soak a little longer.

 

[mustangmike6996]

That looks great. The insulation really did seem to help to. Not bad to have a 30 degree difference.

 

[Ridjobradi]

Great work. I am looking forward to seeing more.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[pendragon1998]

Leave the container vented when you add the vinegar and steel wool. It produces hydrogen gas and if you seal it, it will explosively vent (ask me how I know). The tea, I think, is unnecessary. The wood has tannins that react (darkening the wood) when exposed to the iron acetate. The tannins in tea will also react with it, but I'm not sure how that goes towards darkening your wood. I would think that tea just reduces the amount of reagent available.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Looks good,What are you doing for wiring down there?

 

[383]

Leave the container vented when you add the vinegar and steel wool. It produces hydrogen gas and if you seal it, it will explosively vent (ask me how I know). The tea, I think, is unnecessary. The wood has tannins that react (darkening the wood) when exposed to the iron acetate. The tannins in tea will also react with it, but I'm not sure how that goes towards darkening your wood. I would think that tea just reduces the amount of reagent available.

I did a lot of experimenting before I started, and found that the tea gives more of a gray tint. Stronger tea solution with weaker vinegar makes it very gray, no tea gives it a more brown or reddish brown finish. I also have found that different temps that affect drying times can change the finished look. The individual pieces vary a lot in how they react. Lucky for me, the color variation helps with the old barn look.

Looks good,What are you doing for wiring down there?

I'm going with a post a beam look, the posts and beams are boxed to allow for the wiring.

Here is a picture of assembling one section of the wall before it is put in place. I'm putting each section from one post to the next together upside down, standing it up with a space between the sections, then capping it to create the post.
]
After it is in place.


One wall finished, you can see the cut-out for the light switch and receptacles in the posts.

 

[AG Camaro]

Love the post beam look. That is going to look amazing when you are done. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Rudyjr]

WOW that looks fantastic. Looks just like an old barn.

 

[Deej-79]

Very cool. When you're done, you can come do my basement.

 

[doctordirt]

Wow, great job!

 

[Dagny]

thanks much.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

Pretty cool!

Our basement's rustic, too...peeling grey paint on the concrete floor, exposed wiring and plumbing, and concrete block walls painted in shades of pink, magenta, white, and dark green!

 

[cowboy73]

That looks great! Awesome job.

 

[383]

Pretty cool!

Our basement's rustic, too...peeling grey paint on the concrete floor, exposed wiring and plumbing, and concrete block walls painted in shades of pink, magenta, white, and dark green!

It's hard to match that kind of "patina", so I'll stick with wood.

Thanks to everyone for the comments, I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out so far. The pictures posted show what I have done so far, and now that summer is here, I'll have less time to work in the basement. I'll post more pictures as I get more done, or if I get some better pictures with a real camera instead of my phone.

 

[RRmech]

LOL......My Grandfather's old 19th century house had a 'rustic' basement, with dirt floors and a coal bunker.

Steve

 

[theroyz71]

That looks amazing. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[The Cobbler]

Love it! do you apply flat or semi urethane over or just leave the wood as is ?

 

[383]

Love it! do you apply flat or semi urethane over or just leave the wood as is ?

I experimented with a couple of different finishes in flat and satin. They all made it darker and changed the look enough that I didn't like it, so I haven't applied any additional finish.

 

[-Brent-]

Wow. I agree with RudyJr, above. It's like you put a barn wall, down there. Can't wait to see more.

You should work in set design.

 

[Terrick down Under]

Yes, please keep posting how you do this. It looks like something I could handle, usually the wood I use is just for the fire. What you have done is so nice.

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

I love your basement! We were talking with a cabinet builder yesterday and he said that not only is barn wood expensive sometimes it has an odor.

 

[Aussie_Chris]

That looks amazing! Love your work, I'll definitely have to bookmark it for future projects!

 

[PLOWJEEP]

Looks great. Is your basement made of brick?

 

[Bogdan M.]

That's too cool! Very nice woodwork.

 

[383]

Looks great. Is your basement made of brick?

It is poured concrete with brick texture on the inside.

To add to the look of pinned mortise and tenon joints where the posts and braces meet, I made pegs from some wood scraps. I ripped them square on the table saw, then knocked the corners off with a block plane.

Here is a picture I took in a barn built in 1922 that shows what the wood pegs should look like.

 

[Ruthless53]

I've done this several times and been happy with the results but it was always on tables that were stained as well to give a more finished look. Personally this look is what I like for myself. How long did you let the steel wool sit in the vinegar before you used it. I've done 24 hours all the way out to a week and the results are dramatically different. I've never added the black tea so i'm looking forward to trying that!! Thanks for posting. Results are spot on!!!!

 

[383]

I've done this several times and been happy with the results but it was always on tables that were stained as well to give a more finished look. Personally this look is what I like for myself. How long did you let the steel wool sit in the vinegar before you used it. I've done 24 hours all the way out to a week and the results are dramatically different. I've never added the black tea so i'm looking forward to trying that!! Thanks for posting. Results are spot on!!!!

Ive usually let it soak between 24-48 hours. There are a lot of variables that will affect the final outcome, I'm still having trouble getting a consistent result from one batch to the next.

 

[2WheelsOnly]

How did you secure the wood sections to your basement wall?

You mentioned that you glued the insulation. Do you glue the wood section too? Or did you screw them to the floor and ceiling?

Looking great!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[383]

How did you secure the wood sections to your basement wall?

You mentioned that you glued the insulation. Do you glue the wood section too? Or did you screw them to the floor and ceiling?

Looking great!

It isn't fastened to the wall, only to the floor and ceiling. I'm using Simpson Titan wedge screws through the bottom plate into the floor (I painted them an oil rubbed bronze so they match the other exposed hardware), and after standing the section up, I use a 2x4 to secure top top and create a nailer for the top of the beam. It's kind of hard to explain, I'll post some pics that show the details on the next section I do.

 

[383]

I'm building a sliding door to go into a storage room. About 15 years ago I replaced the sliding doors on an old barn, and saved the trolley hangers and track that are over a hundred years old. The bearings were shot, so I had new bearings put in the rollers at a machine shop. Last evening I sandblasted and painted the hangers.

Before:

After sandblasting:

After applying Rustoleum hammer finish paint:

 

[madoc1]

this is great. which hammmered rustoleum did you use? keep up the pics, as you are doing fine work.

jim

 

[383]

this is great. which hammmered rustoleum did you use? keep up the pics, as you are doing fine work.

jim

This is the paint I used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00106C9CK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[383]

After I sandblasted the trolleys, I could see what the brand was. With a Google search, I found and old add for the trolleys that i thought was pretty cool. I may frame it and hang it on the wall beside the door.

According to the add, the cost of the #2 trolley was $19.55 for a dozen pairs.

 

[2WheelsOnly]

Any more updates?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[383]

Any more updates?

Not much to report, been busy with other things. I did make a bracket for the end of the sliding door track. The trolleys and track came from an old barn and I was missing one of the end pieces. Here are a couple of pics that show the original, and the bracket I made. It's not an exact match, but they will be on opposite ends of an 8ft track.

I asked for advice on how to make the piece here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=5815012 if you are interested.

Thanks for checking in, it helps keep me motivated.

 

[SideShow]

Nicely done. Looking forward to more progress photos...

 

[383]

Nicely done. Looking forward to more progress photos...

Wow, two posts since you signed up eight years ago. I am extremely honored that you commented on my thread!