I need some advice on restoring a very sentimental growth wall that my uncle accidentally painted over while we were away for the weekend. This wall holds a lot of cherished memories for me, featuring my height marks and my sister's handwriting, which are among the few memories we have left of her. We're currently doing some renovations at home, and I'm looking for any methods or tips that could help bring this wall back to life. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Consider the type of ink or pencil used initially and what color paint was applied over it. You could try slowly removing some of the paint using a heat gun or a gentle paint remover like 'Goof Off' to see if you can get back to the original marks without damaging the wall further. Just go slow and test in a small area first!
I'm really sorry to hear about that situation. Restoring it might be tricky, but one idea is to try holding a light parallel to the wall to see if any shadow of the markings shows up. If the impressions from the pencil or pen were deep enough, this could work! If you have old photos that captured the wall, that might help too, although I know it's not the same. I've got a similar height chart; I took pictures of mine just in case. If you're feeling adventurous, you could even consider removing that section of the wall and having it scanned with high-tech equipment—though that’s definitely a big commitment!
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve noticed a few of the heights are still visible, and I do have some old photos, but they're low quality. I appreciate your innovative thinking!
You might want to try gently scraping with a razor blade at an angle in areas where you know the markings are. That could help reveal them again. Make sure to check out some videos on woodworking techniques—those can be super helpful for this kind of restoration. Just remember, patience is key!
Would this technique work on drywall? Just want to make sure before I try!
Thanks for the tips! Over the years, we’ve used various types of pen and pencil, mostly pencil. The paint that went over it is Behr’s 'shoelace,' which is an off-white. I’ll proceed with caution!