How to make new wood look grey and weathered?
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| Posted in GBA Pro Help on
I am building a modern home and planning to use weathered cosmetic beams to add a touch of rustic. I have found some old beams that I am going to use in the kitchen (very expensive) and I want to age the rough sawn to match the weathered beams.
I have read that the grey aging color can be achieved by using vinegar soaked with steel wool, with eco wood treatment, with India ink with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, even show polish with wax and paint, along with numerous other methods.
I am writing in hope you can offer some tried and true methods to grey weather new wood. Thanks for your help.
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Replies
Put it outside for a few months.
The vinegar and steel mix makes a browning/blackening stain that works great on red cedar. It is not a weathered look, though-see the pic, the shingles and cedar trim were done this way. What you might want to try is Cabot Bleaching Oil and Weathering Stain (two different products). If you go to a professional paint store and ask, they will steer you, as they have heard it before.
There's a product called Lifetime Wood Treatment that turns wood a weathered gray. This may use iron sulfate, which is sold as a soil amendment for gardening. It's also possible to use iron sulfate as a colorant for concrete, as discussed here.