We just moved into a 60-year-old house and most of it was recently painted with low VOC paint, although one original wall is a medium-color wood finish which is putting out a strange smell. One of us is feeling sick from the smell, although the other wants to keep the "wood" color instead of painting over it.
What could we do to easily coat over the old wood finish so that it will stop off-gassing? This wall with old wood finish is NOT very shiny. Is shellac the way to go? Will we need to sand it?
If we paint over this old wood finish on the wall, what kind of low VOC paint would seal it the best, and would we need to sand it before painting it?
Best Answer
60 year-old wood should not be "off-gassing." I suspect there's moisture behind the wood and you're dealing with mold and wood-rot. Did the home inspection note anything about it?
I would hire a indoor environmental service to test the air near the wood to determine the problem. If it is moisture, you need to get the leak fixed, lose the wood, fix the structural damage, treat for termites and then finish up with drywall and wainscotting or paneling.