The Best Way to White Wash Wood

Whitewashing allows the grain of the wood to show through

Simple and affordable, whitewash wood isn’t just for farmlands any longer. For those looking for something different besides staining or painting and a desire a bit of added elegance, whitewash wood delivers a bright and clean appearance. Find out below how to bring the character of whitewashed wood to your living space.

Whitewashing Wood Using Conventional Whitewashing Methods
Conventional whitewashing is done with water, salt, and masonry lime. It has antibacterial properties, stops mildew and mold from forming, repels bugs, disguises odors, making it well-liked on farmsteads. Quick-drying, simple to work with, and low cost, it remains well-known today.

Here’s how to go the traditional route. You’ll need:

• Masonry lime/Hydrated lime/Builder’s lime
• Water
• Fine grade salt
• Gloves
• Protective eyewear
• Dust mask
• Big bucket

Mix
Use ¼-cup of salt with 2-cups warm water, making sure the salt dissolves. Add the hydrated lime (6-8-cups) until dissolved. The mix should be thinner than normal paint.

Paint
Apply with a sprayer/roller/brush. You might need several coats. If you begin to paint and discover rotting wood, fix the wood damage before you go on.

Dry
Let the wash dry fully. As it dries, it will turn white.

Whitewashing Wood with House Paint
While this technique doesn’t have the same advantages as a custom whitewash, it has one thing going for it: It’s simple. It also produces a white smooth finish, ideal for bringing an air of sophistication with this classic color.

Whitewashing is best done on unfinished, raw wood. This means you’ll have to sand off an existing finish if you’re bringing new life to old furniture. After sanding, wipe with a dry tack cloth to get rid of sawdust.
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A Very Weathered Whitewash Look
You can have a very weathered whitewash look by rubbing candle wax on the wood in the places you don’t want the paint to stick. You can also put paint on unsmoothed wood and spread it with a wide putty knife or a big plastic scrapper. You can also apply the wax with a rag, mixing water with the white paint and applying it.

If you want to liven up your house with whitewash wood, but don’t have the time, let an experienced house painter bring your desired whitewash wood look to fruition.

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