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Preservation Brief Number 10
Exterior
Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork
Kay D. Weeks and David W. Look, AIA
9. CONCLUSION
The recommendations outlined in this Brief are cautious because at present there is no completely safe and effective method of removing old paint from exterior woodwork. This has necessarily eliminated descriptions of several methods still in a developmental or experimental stage, which can therefore neither be recommended nor precluded from future recommendation. With the ever-increasing number of buildings being rehabilitated, however, paint removal technology should be stimulated and, in consequence, existing methods refined and new methods developed which will respect both the historic wood and the health and safety of the operator.
NOTES
(1) General paint type recommendations will be made, but paint color recommendations are beyond the scope of this Brief.
(2) Douglas R. Shier and William Hall, Analysis of Housing Data Collected in a Lead-Based Paint Survey in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Part 1. National Bureau of Standards, InterReport 771250, May 1977.
(3) Any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition designed for application to a substrate in a thin layer which is converted to an opaque solid film after application. Paint and Coatings Dictionary, 1978. Federation of Societies for Coatings and Technology.
(4) For purposes of the Brief, this includes any area of painted exterior woodwork displaying signs of peeling, cracking, or alligatoring to bare wood. See descriptions of these and other paint surface conditions as well as recommended treatments on pp. 510.
(5) See the Reading List for paint research and documentation information. See also "The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects with Guidelines for Applying the Standards" for recommended approaches on paints and finishes within various types of project work treatments.
(6) Marking the original location of the shutter by number (either by stamping numbers into the end grain with metal numeral dies or cutting numbers into the end with a pen knife) will minimize difficulties when rehanging them.
(7) If the top coat is latex paint (when viewed by the naked eye or preferably, with a magnifying glass, it looks like a series of tiny craters) it may either be repainted with new latex paint or with oil paint. Normal surface preparation should precede any repainting.
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This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Technical Preservation Services (TPS), Heritage Preservation Services Division, National Park Service prepares standards, guidelines, and other educational materials on responsible historic preservation treatments for a broad public.
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