Original paneling?

[ash_and_iz]

Hi all,

New to this very informative forum. Considering under stair storage but don’t want to remove paneling if it is original. House is an 1880s semi. It does not have a lot of original features so I’m a little skeptical about this paneling. Pictures attached. It only covers part of the understairs the back half is completely open but I think the door to the diner and kitchen may originally have been there. If folks think the paneling is original, any advice on how others have maximized storage under in similar circumstances without ripping out something original? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Cubist]

You may get a clue by measuring the width of the planks used to create the frame structure. When we moved to the metric system, industry began selling standard widths of 75mm and 100mm in place of 3 and 4 inch respectively - the latter would be approximately 2 - 3 mm wider than the metric equivalent. That said the rear face of the planks look to be rough sawn which suggests to me that PSE was not used and perhaps was constructed by an amateur - a professional joiner would want to avoid sanding the external face if at all possible.

 

[ash_and_iz]

Thank you, cubist. That’s really helpful. The stiles for the panel are not obviously metric they seem to be 3 and 7/16ths of inch (about 87mm). I noticed the rough sawn and the panels themselves are not flat in back either but as an American I am not used to these old houses and just assumed that is what Victorian workmanship looked like “behind the curtain”!

 

[fernicarry]

The backs of the paneling around my front windows are surprisingly agricultural. The individual pieces look like they were just split or hacked at to get them to the approximate dimension. The visible bits of course are very good. Given that it was all done with far less automation than today and never intended to be on show that's understandable.

So I would say your panels are certainly a good age, whether they are original to the house is impossible to say. If it was me, I'd probably want to conserve them and accept the inconvenience of accessing the cupboard some other way. If you were to replace them with built-in storage made from modern materials that would look really out of place against the nice stairway IMO. But is the wainscoting in the background a new addition?

I have a suspicion that some of the more fancy joinery in my house was added around the start of the 20th century. The house would have been 50 years old at that point so due a "make-over". Since then some rooms have been made-over again and the joinery profiles reproduced so there are variations in the dimensions and the exact profile. Original is a spectrum.

 

[Stevers]

They look original to me as well. My house is about the same age and has similar panelling to the staircase down to the basement - and that's all original.

Modern timber is sold in a sort of weird metric/imperial mix pretty much in multiples of 25mm for width and 300mm for length. so comes out only a tad smaller all round.

 

[ash_and_iz]

Thanks fernicarry. The spectrum idea certainly makes sense to me. It’s like the paradox of the Argo with these old houses.

The wainscoting is a work in progress I’ve added but suspicious ridge in the plaster and huge gap between baseboards and wall all the way up the stairs suggested something was missing and have made an effort to match to style and details of original panels under bay window in sitting room.

My inclination is also to preserve it and find a work around.

 

[Cubist]

I've just noticed what appear to be screw holes in the rear face of the stringer. If they are slotted screws then its fair to think older and much younger if they're cross heads.

 

[ash_and_iz]

I've just noticed what appear to be screw holes in the rear face of the stringer. If they are slotted screws then its fair to think older and much younger if they're cross heads.

Well spotted - just had a look and if I have understood what you meant those are bent nail heads. I think I’m pretty convinced I should leave them be and find a work around. Thanks all for the feedback!