Distressing Shingles

[Boca1212]

Hello, Mini Folks

I'm nearing completion on my Beacon Hill build and I am interested in learning more about distressing the wood shingles. If anyone has ideas, methods or links it would be great to hear from you... I'm planning on using the shingles that came with the kit. I've tested a vinegar and water solution soak - which produces a grayish color - but i would like to test other options before making a decision.

Thanks in advance 

Danny

[havanaholly]

Isopropyl alcohol (unscented rubbing alcohol) and India ink give a lovely silvery-gray finish, fine steel wool pad soaked in white vinegar for a lovely yuk brown, brushing on various shades of grated chalk pastels for aging/ cruddy growths.  Using tacky glue maks them warp a tad, but they flatten out a bit a** they dry, giving a nice realistic look to them.

[Boca1212]

I knew the Queen of Spackle would have something for me  thanks Holly- - Is it best to distress before roof application or can i install first and then distress in place ??

 

Danny

[Sable]

Any kind of dying/staining should be done before application. Then you can pick and choose which ones go where and add breakage or moss as you go along.

[Guest]

Hi Danny...good to see you. So many different ways and really no set way.....I prefer to 'weather' a roof when the tiles / shingles are fixed that way I can build up the finish rather like a painting. I often used water based initIally so that I can 'sweep' down with a damp brush which leaves the area just on and below the tile overlap slightly darker.....after sealing I might also use a little 'dry brush' work.

But Sable and Holly are both right and I'm not wrong!............we all find the way which we like best and that's the right way for us.

[havanaholly]

On the rare occasions I don't have glue drips or runs I really prefer to distress in place; but I do always stain my shingles first, ever since the unnoticed glue drips & runs,  even the wiped up ones, splotched the after-installation stain on the Laurel's shingles:

On the other hand, I repainted the pub's shingles after the sun bleached them from charcoal to tan.  Paint doesn't care if there are glue drips.

[Boca1212]

Thanks everyone for the input- 

Mike - good to hear from you as well - i have seen the results of what you describe where the lower portion of the shingle appears more weathered than the higher portion - I like it - 

I'll do some more testing to see what works out best - I certainly don't want it to look like new money

Danny

 

 

 

[stickyfingers]

I kind of like a combination of both before and after. For my first house (rehab of my childhood house) I didn't do a test shingle, and just threw a whole bag of them in shingle dye. It was a disaster...Cheeto orange. I soaked, I bleached, I laid them in the sun, and finally overdyed them with a bit of Rit. Still not entirely satisfied, I glued them on, then lightly sanded. Better still. Then finally did a bit of dry brushing.

I wouldn't want to do all of that again, but it was a nice experiment in changing the color and look of wood.  

[Cathy C]

On December 3, 2016 at 9:09:43 AM, Boca1212 said:

Hello, Mini Folks

I'm nearing completion on my Beacon Hill build and I am interested in learning more about distressing the wood shingles. If anyone has ideas, methods or links it would be great to hear from you... I'm planning on using the shingles that came with the kit. I've tested a vinegar and water solution soak - which produces a grayish color - but i would like to test other options before making a decision.

Thanks in advance 

Danny

Hi Danny,

I'd like grayish shingles and your vinegar and water solution soak sounds good to me. Would you please explain how you did it? 

Thank you,

Cathy