Want to know how to lime wood? Helaine Clares simple, step-by-step instructions will help transform old wood furniture and exposed timber surfaces
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If youre wondering how to lime wood for a white wash effect, youve come to the right place. It works in all kinds of schemes – particularly cottage homes or Scandinavian-style schemes – and is very easy to do with the right preparation and advice.
Liming is a technique that has long been used as a finish on exposed timbers, flooring and furniture. Especially as sometimes after stripping an item, the wood revealed may be disappointing.
This can be improved by applying a limed finish, which is like a white wash that will enhance the overall appearance of the wood, while still highlighting the beauty of the grain. In this project, we lime a pair of timber doors, but the technique can be used on any suitable wood surface.
Decided you would rather paint in solid color instead? Check out the best wood paints for more.
Apply liming wax to clean wood
Vacuum the wood, adjacent areas and floor to get rid of any sawdust. Wipe over with a tack cloth to remove surface dust. Apply liming wax – we used Liberon Liming Wax – with a rag, working into the grain of the wood. This is best done with a circular motion or following the grain, depending on the type of wood.
Rub in wax and remove excess
Applied to exterior wood, lime wax offers some protection against the weather and is believed to discourage attack from wood-boring insects. Inside the home, limed wood has mild antiseptic properties so was traditionally used for hygiene reasons.
Take a cloth and rub hard to remove most of the excess lime wax lying on the surface. Keep changing the face of the rag as it becomes clogged with wax. At this point – to make the job less strenuous – we used various scouring pads along with toweling rags. A wad of hessian rubbed across the grain proved effective too.
Fill and smooth any holes
If there are any nail heads showing in the wood, knock them just below the surface and push the wood filler firmly into the holes leaving it slightly proud of the surface. Allow to dry, then smooth flush with glasspaper. To avoid unsightly scratches always sand with the grain. Fill any gaps that may detract from the finished look.
To help raise the grain, new wood can be wiped with a damp cloth and allowed to dry. Take a bronze brush and rub vigorously following the direction of the grain. Some woods have a chemical reaction with steel, so avoid using a steel brush. Fragments left can blacken the wood and disfigure the finish.
We used some timber offcuts of the doors as test pieces to try out different finishes. You may decide to dye or stain the wood before applying the lime wax, or to add pigment to the liming wax. If you haven’t got any offcuts, test on an area that doesn’t show in the first instance.
FAQ
How do you make pine less orange?
Can you lime pine wood?
