Lincrusta Repair in San Francisco
Our house was built in 1879 by the Solari family. Lincrusta was invented just two years before that.
We’ve got one of the original patterns, which Lincrusta no longer makes, and the section in the stairwell is damaged. I think this is where they took out the bell crank lever at the top of the stairs when it no longer worked. This, I think, damaged the plaster and it’s keys and so the Lincrusta has come loose from the wall. *Insert dizzy-eyed emoji here*
In addition to this, the previous owners installed a hand rail into the Lincrusta, too. We’ve got several holes going all the way down the wall in the stairwell and it annoys me since you can see it from the entry hall.
A little history on Lincrusta
It was invented in Britain (by the same person who invented Linoleum) in 1877. It is made with just a few ingredients, and the pattern is pressed by large rollers. During the World Wars, many of these original rollers were melted down to be used in the war efforts. Our pattern no longer exists, and I’ve only seen one other person in San Francisco so far that has our pattern (hi, Tracy!). This is why I want to keep it. It’s a part of the house’s history, and that history is intertwined with the world’s history.
According to Wikipedia, “Lincrusta is made from a paste of gelled linseed oil and wood flour spread onto a paper base. It is then rolled between steel rollers, one of which has a pattern embossed upon it. The linseed gel continues to dry for many years, so the surface gets harder over time.” It kind of looks like leather, and sometimes used to be painted as such (I found some old brown painting on ours that backs this fact up).
I searched around to see who can do this repair work and only found one option in San Francisco: Phil Diers. He has a catalog of molds from his career, but I think since his protege found a full time job, he has stopped making new molds. Even when he does, this process takes a few months as the replacement sections need to cure and they can only do a few sections at a time. He then works with Amy Anderson, a fantastic wallpaper hanger to hang the finished product (all members of the Artistic License Guild).
This process is not cheap, but it can be done. Our quote was $12k, so it is definitely not something we are focusing on right now since it’s still standing and we’ve got bigger fish to fry at the Big Red House.
I have also reached out to Lincrusta themselves to see about ordering some restoration products from them directly, but they don’t seem interested in helping folks DIY this! I also asked about taking their restoration class, but have not had a response. It’s hard finding a solution for this, which is disheartening. It’s like they don’t care if their original product disappears. I keep going down the rabbit hole and getting new contacts, but rarely get a response. The remaining tradespeople are so overbooked with work to do.
Are you looking for help with your classic San Francisco home? Did you know I have a side project with a couple of other historic property specialists called Leola? We can help you — from small “light lifts” to larger design or restoration projects. Get in touch!
