How To Artificially Weather Wood Quickly
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Carl asks, “How do I get an authentic and realistic looking aged wood, something to look aged without painting? I want a natural look (barn wood with cracks and crevices).”
You could leave the wood lying out in the back yard for several years and let nature slowly weather the wood. It will be a natural look, but it will take too long.
Fortunately we can speed up things a little bit by using a combination of physical modifications (abuse), chemical process and sun shine.
Supplies That You Will Need:
- Bucket
- Water
- baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)
- rubber gloves
- paint brush or roller
1. Distress The Wood
Distress your wood by physically making marks, lines, holes and dents into it. Tools that work well are:
- mallet
- hammer
- nails
- utility knife
- small drill bit 1/4 inch and drill
- section of chain
- be creative, there are many different tools that can be used in the distressing stage
The goal here is to add damage to the wood that would normally occur as the wood ages and is exposed to every day wear and tear. Use the utility knife to cut into to board and leave length wise groves.
Note: The following steps will require that the wood be laid out in the yard exposed to full sunshine. The hotter the day the better this technique works. Check the weather report and plan ahead for a clear, sunny, hot day.
On the day that you plan to weather the wood, start in the morning after the sun has risen. Don’t attempt this if it is foggy, you will need to wait for the fog to burn off.
2. Prepare the chemical solution
In a large bucket, a clean mop bucket works well, mix one gallon of water with one pound of baking soda. Stir the solution until all of the baking soda has dissolved.
3. Wear Protective Gear
Even though baking soda is fairly benign I like to wear old clothing and rubber gloves to protect my skin, especially if a large number of boards are being treated at one time.
4. Apply The Solution To The Wood
Lay the wood out in the yard where the boards will be in direct sunlight for most of the day, especially during the middle of the day. Apply the solution liberally to the boards using a paint brush or roller.
By afternoon the wood should look nice and weathered. If the wood is not as weathered as you would like, apply another coat to the wood. Remember that this technique depends on the sunlight to work so don’t apply this in the evening.
I have found the red oak and ceder respond very well to this techinque. Post a comment with the woods you have tried and how it turned out for you.
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Comments
I have used it on smooth sanded wood and it worked well. It will also work well on ‘rough cut’ wood. That is wood that has not yet been run through a surface planer.
I have been scouring websites for this very thing, so I’m thankful that I found this solution. Unfortunately, my new beams are holding my kitchen up! Can I use something indoors that will make them look aged? I have been on the scaffolding scrubbing and rubbing and I can still see the band marks. Should I just chisel these out? Any other suggestions…I guess I should have been more specific when I said I like wooden beams! Thanks.
For indoors, faux painting is a great way to produce a weathered look. This site http://www.rapidtruevalue.com/fauxfurniture has some great tips on how to create a faux weathered finish.
Toni
Does this technique have to be used with new wood or will it work on sanded wood?