Eichler Network: Home Improvement: Interior Paneling

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MAHOGANY PANELING
Setting the tone with your interior wood paneling:
do you restore, replace, paint, or cast it aside?

jerry escobar with paneling in background

From the pages of the
Eichler Network newsletter
By Cathye Smithwick

Nothing says "it's an Eichler original!" like an Eichler home with its interior walls dressed in deep-toned paneling. While this feature may not be quite as prominent as the Eichler's walls of glass, its atrium, or even its low-sloped roof, it is nonetheless quintessential Eichler.

But why did Joe Eichler choose wood paneling for his interior walls? Was it a design decision? An aesthetic one? A structural consideration? Or was it all about cost? And just as important, what are Eichler homeowners' choices today, as they look to restore and refresh their original Eichler interiors?

Philippine mahogany, also known generically as 'lauan' (among other names, depending on its country of origin), is a hard wood that originates from several countries in southeast Asia. It is not derived from one particular tree, but from a family of trees. The commercial product originally used by Eichler is still widely available, though some claim that it is of lower quality today because it now comes from Malaysia, rather than the Philippines.

The product consists of plywood with a thin layer of lauan veneer covering it. The sheets are inexpensive (available today from $10 to 20 per four-foot by eight-foot sheets), thin, relatively lightweight, and easy to use. Lauan can be found at many Bay Area lumber outlets, including Home Depot, Southern Lumber (San Jose), Northern Hardwood (Santa Clara), Jordan International Company (Belmont), MacBeath Hardwood Company (Berkeley and San Francisco), and Western Plywood (San Francisco).

Bill Willis worked for Eichler Homes for 25 years, first as a part of Eichler's construction crew and later as foreman, beginning in the early 1950s. Willis's reflections provide us a window into the past, back to the days when Eichler's building machine was in its prime and paneling was his standard.

Eichler's decision to use interior paneling, Willis points out, was based on design and aesthetics, and was not about cost. "Joe Eichler really loved that wood paneling, and he would have never stopped using it if he hadn't been forced to by changes to the building code [by the mid 1960s]," says Willis. "He had a way with things -- and if he liked something, he would not change it, no matter what."

Eichler employed a separate crew that specialized in staining the interior paneling, and Willis recalls that they used the same color mix throughout Eichler's building career.

Eichler's process of developing and finalizing designs and choosing materials had more to do with creativity and aesthetics than one might imagine, especially when considering that Eichler was geared almost exclusively to mass-producing 'affordable' housing. "Eichler got his ideas from many sources," says Willis, "but his architects -- especially Claude Oakland -- played a key role. Joe got more ideas from Oakland than just about anyone else."

In fact, Eichler met with his architects for several hours each week, recalls Willis, and during those meetings they would review plans and brainstorm ways to improve the new models. Many unique ideas rose out of those sessions, including Eichler's suggestion of extending the exterior grooved siding into the interior of the home. The architects especially liked this aesthetic enhancement, remembers Willis, "and they advised Eichler which models would benefit the most from this technique."

Eichler also preferred interior doors faced with the same mahogany paneling, and would not tolerate the use of mass-produced, pre-hung doors. "I tried for years to get Joe to switch to pre-hung doors," Willis admits, "which were about one-tenth the cost, but he would not hear of it."

According to Jonathan Cooke, an Eichler owner and Eichler-focused general contractor with Renaissance Man Construction, many tract builders of the 1950s and early '60s used wood paneling merely because it was cost effective. Most of them, he says, used an inferior grade of wood paneling, which caused, in part, changes in the building codes to their current requirements of drywall or similar products. "At that time, drywall finishing technology had not been refined," points out Cooke. "It was often more expensive to finish drywall than use some wood paneling products that were available at the time."

What's in the Future
For Wood Paneling?

Harvesting of tropical woods, including luaun, for use as plywood or paneling comes at a high price, according to environmentalists. Some claim that due to the high demand and the low cost of providing these products to industry, especially in the U.S., illegal and unsustainable logging practices have become widespread.

Deforestation threatens endangered species, according to this belief, destroys the habitats of indigenous people, and can lead to global warming (though this last point is debated in scientific circles). Home Depot in particular has come under fire for selling tropical rainforest products, and the City of Santa Clarita, in Southern California, recently banned the use of tropical timber in an attempt to protect these environmentally sensitive areas.

Tips for Fire Safety

Most building codes today prohibit the use of wood paneling as a stand-alone material for interior walls because of fire safety issues. Eichler owners looking to reduce their risk can do so by introducing drywall to their interior walls.

For those who want to maintain their original paneling look, consider installing paneling over new sheet rock. This provides the best of both worlds: greater fire safety and code compliance, while protecting the original Eichler aesthetic.

But fire safety does not stop there. Many of the wood oils and solvents used to clean and treat paneling are also flammable in their liquid state, so extreme caution should be used when working with these materials. As a rule, maintain adequate ventilation, do not work near sources of flames, and be sure to clean brushes and rags when work is complete.

As building codes changed, Eichler's drywall finishing techniques evolved with the technology. The earlier 'skip trowel' finish was later replaced by the smooth-wall finish (including sheet rock) in some of his later developments, beginning in the mid-1960s. While Cooke claims this finish remains the most popular among his Eichler clients today, he still encounters those requesting wood paneling.

However, today, most building codes and fire-safety provisions do not allow the installation of stand-alone wood paneling. Once original wood paneling is removed, most codes require homeowners to replace those panels (or at least line them) with fire-resistant products such as drywall.

There are other disadvantages to maintaining wood paneling on interior walls. Paneling darkens with age, and as a result, some homeowners find that such paneling makes their rooms also "feel dark." Others experience difficulty selecting furniture and artwork for a wood-paneled room.

So what is an Eichler owner to do? Is there a way to balance the desire for a nostalgic return to better times and Eichler's purity while reckoning with paneling's dark disadvantages? And what are the wisest choices?

When Jerry Escobar and his family moved into their San Jose Eichler three years ago, none of the wood paneling existed in its original condition; all of it had been painted or whitewashed. So, Escobar decided to restore a portion of his interior walls. "If we had bought the house in original condition, we would have kept the paneling," Escobar says. "But it was not, so we selected certain walls to become focal points. On these walls we wanted mahogany. We believed that this would provide the warmth that some of today's modernist homes lack."

According to Escobar, finding the quarter-round base trim can be challenging, so he re-used his originals. While one can purchase new quarter-rounds, Escobar found that today their dimensions are larger than the originals and don't have quite the same look.

Some homeowners prefer to restore their original paneling, while others opt to dramatically brighten the interior with light-colored paint. Lou Palladino, owner of Palladino Painting, Inc., observes that 'what to do with the paneling?' is a question that inevitably comes up with his Eichler clients as they begin to upgrade and remodel their homes. But many of his customers are reluctant to paint their paneling, preferring to go the restoration route.

If the paneling is salvageable, Palladino will prepare it with a cleaning and a light sanding, being careful not to wear through the thin veneer. He then uses toned polyurethane to restore the color and add richness. Palladino likes using a urethane with color in it because, he says, "it allows us to modify the look by blending and softening the appearance of the damaged areas."

Painting over paneling is also quite common today, says Palladino, since some Eichler owners simply do not care for the dark look of the wood walls. "For painting, we prepare the paneling by sanding, cleaning, and sealing with an oil-based primer," he says. "If the homeowner likes, we can also conceal the vertical wood joints by taping them. To do this, we fill the joints with joint compound, then lay a thin film of the compound over the joint, and then imbed joint tape in it. After that, the tape is covered with more joint compound, and the surface is sanded out to achieve a smooth finish."

Eichler owner and general contractor Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures, Inc. has seen many Eichler interior walls go through changes. "By the time I come into a job, the customer usually has already decided what they want to do with their paneling. Oftentimes we are moving walls, and owners may decide to use sheet rock, since it brightens up the home and is smart from a fire-safety perspective. Others want us to restore their original paneling."

Escobar devised a plan for bringing back the original feel of the home. He decided that since the living room was the central room in the house, he would put new wood paneling there. He also decided to line one wall of the hallway and one in the master bedroom.

There were challenges involved as Escobar set about to create his new paneled walls. First, he found that the paneling selection at local lumberyards had great variation in color and grain from one sheet to the next. To get around this, Escobar carefully selected each sheet, ensuring consistency and quality. "I even lined them up side-by-side in my backyard to select panels that would give me a matching grain and the appearance of one continuous piece of wood," says Escobar. "Since I was planning to stain them, I chose the lightest pieces I could find and ones without any knots or blemishes."

Calvert and his painting associate, Ray Moseley, owner of RPM Painting &Decorating in Redwood City, are currently in the midst of a restoration project. "For this job, we are completely removing the finish and starting over," points out Moseley. He uses a chemical stripping method to remove the existing finish, which allows him to start over and to make the wood look like new. According to Moseley, chemical stripping is faster and cheaper than replacing the paneling. He prefers Citrus-Strip chloride stripper, an environmentally friendly product.

After the stripping, Moseley works with the client to select a stain color, which could be based on matching the original color, or some variation of it. He applies the stain, and then puts a coat of matte-finish polyurethane over it. "I like polyurethane because it helps to protect the stain," says Moesley. "Kids can use color crayons on it, and it will wash right off. If you use the matt finish, it looks like the original but lasts much longer."

Jerry Escobar used a slightly different approach to prepare and stain his newly purchased paneling. He suggests the following steps: Check for roughness, and smooth with 1000-grit sandpaper, being careful not to affect the wood veneer; wipe dust off with a dry cloth; apply a wood conditioner (he prefers Minwax) to seal the wood and allow it to absorb the stain evenly; apply the stain with a Terri cloth 'staining pad'; rub off excess and let dry; apply stain in the direction of the grain.

Minwax and other brands of stain come in a variety of colors, including natural and mahogany. Escobar mixed his own color, using a combination of the two options, and testing it until he got the exact appearance he was looking for. Also, keep in mind that the color will look different once dry and in different light settings. Be sure to preview test strips in the location where the paneling will ultimately be installed.

When Jim Herold's Sunnyvale Eichler burned to the ground seven years ago, he was determined to rebuild his home with many of the same specifications of the original home. As part of his painstaking process, Herold chose several walls in the common living areas to serve as focal points, and decided to use wood paneling to face those walls. To ensure compliance with code, he installed his paneling over a sheet rock base.

Herold, however, was not satisfied with the quality of available mahogany paneling, so he had some custom made by Belmont-based Jordan International Company. Herold chose Anigre, an African hardwood. Jordan also custom milled Herold's quarter-rounds. This milling process was expensive, costing nearly $200 per sheet at the time.

"To fine tune the finish, I first purchased a couple of spare pieces and tested them with many finishing products," Herold says today. "I ended up using Watco Danish Finishing Wood Oil. The beauty of this product is that I did not have to stain the wood. You just paint it on and wipe if off. It is a painless process that gives a warm glow to the wood. I used the natural finish, and it does darken the wood a bit, but not much."

When paneling over sheet rock, Herold recommends actually placing two sheets of paneling over the sheet rock surface. "Sheet rock is never going to be flat because it is so flexible," he says. "The joists are out of alignment so you will get deflection of as much as 1/8 of an inch, and it will look wavy. I bought inexpensive lauan and used it to true the walls. I shimmed it, and attached it to the sheetrock with glue (Liquid Nails) and brads, which are smaller than finishing nails."

Next, Herold mounted the final wood panels using the same technique. The Liquid Nails glue was applied with a caulking gun in an 'x' pattern approximately every two feet. To insert the brads, he drilled tiny holes. Herold found that brads are so small that he did not need to putty over them. He warns to be careful to offset the brads from those underneath so that they do not hit one another.

Today, many products are available to help restore and maintain Eichler interior paneling, and it seems that no two people use the exact same approach. So, experimentation is key. Cooke prefers a combination of Murphy's Wood Oil Soap for cleaning, and Cabot's opaque 2000 series stain for finishing. He finds that using a conditioner is not necessary, since lauan paneling is considered a hardwood.

Lou Palladino prefers to use a polyurethane finish with a small amount of stain added. Similarly, RPM's Moseley likes a combination of Cabot stain, followed by a coat of clear polyurethane for permanent protection. Escobar found that the regimen of fine sanding, pre-stain conditioning, and custom-mixed stain produced the results he was looking for.

Other products are also available. Located in Redding, California, is Touch of Oranges, whose owner, Vicki Lewis, believes that her products offer distinct advantages for paneling restoration. "Touch of Oranges is a natural product for cleaning wood," Lewis points out. "It removes dirt and grime, and it will make your wood look like new. And unlike some cleaners, which can strip the color and finish right off, our product is gentle and safe."

Lewis also sells a wood restoration kit that includes Touch of Oranges cleaner, Restore-A-Finish stain, and Bees Wax for conditioning and moisturizing. The wax is reapplied every one to two years.

Another similar product that is popular with the Eichler community is Howard's Feed and Wax. This product cleans, moisturizes, and adds luster to old, tired wood paneling.