Whitewash or white washed finish - materials and techniques

A whitewashed finish, or whitewash, as it's already known, uses white not to cover the wood but to enhance it even more. Lately there seems to be a craze for this finish, with it being chosen for furniture as well as flooring and wood cladding. Perhaps it's the desire to have a bright interior without hiding the wood that many prefer this type of finish. The finish can also be used to transform old pieces of furniture, giving them new life. It looks great on reclaimed wood, and the contrast between the dark color acquired over time and the fresh white is much appreciated.

Characteristics of a whitewash finish

The term white washed finish is used for several types of finishes. What they all have in common is that the white does not completely cover the wood. A washed white finish is also considered to be a finish where the entire furniture is covered with a semi-transparent white coating, but also where natural wood design is marked by a white patina. If you want the furniture or flooring you order to be white washed, it is best to exemplify this with a photograph. Otherwise you may be in for surprises because the difference in techniques makes the final look very different.

The most common choice for parquet flooring is to mark the pores and the natural pattern of the wood. Long elements of oak, frasin or other large-pored woods go very well with this finish. The look is nice and bright. It has caught on so well that it is also used as a print (pattern) for laminate flooring.

For furniture, the washed effect is often used on the borderline with efect distressed. Sometimes they are even confused as there is not a very clear demarcation but more of perception. A distressed finish done evenly over the entire surface of the furniture can look very much like a whitewash finish.

The effect is best emphasized by the flader cuts of the wood, where the annual rings create that cathedral-like pattern as it is also known. In wood without pores, such as resinousThe different absorption in the latewood and earlywood areas of the annual ring give the difference between the wood hidden under the paint (earlywood, which absorbs more) and the visible wood (latewood). The effect is visible immediately after staining, but looks better with a light sanding.

Materials used

Best behaved skates or paints. Stains generally color the wood, without achieving the contrast between the coated and "clean" wood. You can try using a smoothing varnish followed by sanding, but it is better to use a paint.

The main problem with the effect is the clear product with which the final coating is made. There are few materials that manage to keep that pristine white at the end. Many of them give a yellow or cream tint, more or less pronounced, which is unpleasant for those who want that bright, clean white.

Those who prefer waxes and oils should know to look for those that don't change color, as these products generally yellow. Oil of The linseed in the contents (present even in the composition of the skies) turns yellow over time and changes the appearance of the finish. But there are also skies that retain their natural color wood or finish. As for oils, there are even semi-transparent white oils that protect while also creating the washed white effect.

The varnishes that keep their effect best are those ofsolvent-based acrylics or some of the water-based ones. The recommendation is that the gloss level of these lacquers should be low, as the finish is not one of those that looks good when glossy. It's a finish that comes into rustic category and rustic, as I said before, has nothing in common with aggressive gloss.

Techniques and tips for achieving the whitewash effect

There are different ways to achieve the whitewash effect, with different end results. Of these 3 are the most commonly used. Let's take them one at a time.

1. Coloring with a semi-transparent paint

Not one of my favorites because I don't like the end result. But it is a favorite effect with others because it is simple to do. Basically, a paint is used that doesn't totally cover the wood. There is no sanding or any other artifice to achieve this effect.

It is recommended to apply 1-2 coats of clear primer before painting. This allows sanding in between coats to obtain fine surfaces with a pleasant touch. Finally apply a coat of semi-transparent white paint. To achieve the desired degree of transparency, use a normal white paint and dilute it 1:2, 1:1 or 2:1 with thinner (or water if it is water soluble). It is not a good idea to go too far with the thinner as you will get a very fluid paint that is difficult to apply. If you want more transparency, use semi-transparent paints or an even varnish over which you apply a transparent varnish.

Too little dilution can result in total coverage of the wood and you will need sanding. In this case the effect will be different and we will deal with it immediately. But you'll no longer get that uniform semi-transparent layer like a white veil covering the wood.

2. Using white skates

This is the recommended method for marking the pores and the natural design of the wood. The patina is best applied over a coat of primer. This way you can sand to a surface that is pleasant to the touch and you can also control the amount of patina deposited.

The patina is applied to the dry and sanded primer with a brush, a squeegee or a spray gun. After drying it is sanded. The patina will remain in the pores and areas of wood where absorption is higher. The effect is very interesting and one can obtain discreetly patinated surfaces (in the pores and on the contours of the flanges) or have a fairly balanced proportion between coated and cleaned areas.

The effect should be protected with a coat of wax or clear varnish.

3. Painting followed by sanding

This method is very similar to distressed. The difference is distressed the effect is that of the passage of time, of a layer of paint destroyed by use, whereas with whitewash there is a partial covering of the wood, as if the lime applied to a wooden surface had been washed away by rain.

It is best achieved using white paint. To save a lot of work in removing it, you can dilute it a little more than in a normal application. The application can be done with a brush, a paint brush or a spray gun. After drying sand the wood along the grain removing more or less paint, depending on the desired effect. Finally the surface is protected with wax or varnish.

The method can also be used if you want to change the look of an old piece of furniture. The condition is that the furniture is in the natural color of the wood. This is the only way to achieve the whitewash effect. On furniture that has been painted or stained in dark colors, the distressed effect will be obtained.

Conclusions

Whitewash or white washed finish brightens rooms and brings out the natural design of the wood. Depending on the method used, different results are achieved. The effect should be achieved on wood in its natural color, not stained. Protecting the effect is done with non-yellowing varnishes or waxes so that the color does not change to cream or yellowish. Glossy varnishes are not used because the effect falls into the rustic category, and gloss does not "go" well with rustic at all.

I hope these recommendations are helpful to you when deciding that a whitewash finish would suit your home very well.