I recently moved into a 1961 house that has these thick, painted wood panel walls. Ideally, I'd like to strip the paint off, but the base layer is tough to remove with a heat gun. Plus, with winter coming, the gaps between the boards are becoming more noticeable, revealing the wood and various paint layers. What steps can I take to improve the look of these walls? Should I consider removing and redoing the caulk?
4 Answers
Honestly, I’ve been in the same boat and sometimes I feel like the only real fix is to tear it all down and put up drywall. It's a lot of work, but it might be the best long-term solution.
Using a router can help clean out those grooves better. Try a mini router with a v-bit set shallow. That way, you can manage it easily and tidy up the edges before painting it again.
You could start by scraping out any old caulk and lightly sanding the edges to smooth things out. Once that's done, clean it well, apply new caulk, and then paint over it. It could really freshen things up!
I had similar paneled walls in my 1962 house. I applied two coats of Kilz oil-based primer followed by latex paint, and it held up great for three years. It might be worth a shot for you, too!
Is there a specific type of caulk you recommend for this?