White wash on Baltic Birch - pale white stain

[laura vianello]

Hello, I want to keep my BB as clear and natural (light wood color) as I can. I was thinking to give it a very light white wash (either with a diluted white GF milk paint or just a BM diluted white water base, then sanding with 220 grit, then GF sanding sealer, sanding again and finallyGF high performance flat (2 coats with 320 sanding in between. Any alternative to this? Any other process that would be faster (less steps)? Thanks

[John TenEyck]

If you want clear and light, why would you use white stain of any kind? I would just use a WB clear coat. Nothing is more natural than that. If you use matte or flat sheen, it will look like there's no finish at all.

John

[Wayne Lomman]

Laura, just skip the 220 sanding after the white stain application. It will take the white off any high spots however small they are. Instead, apply the stain with a cloth pad finishing with the grain, apply your sanding sealer and then 320 sand for the first time. Do a test piece to make sure you get the look you want. Cheers

[laura vianello]

John, I do not want the wood to change color over time. My understanding is that the WB clear coat will prevent the wood from becoming yellow (vs. Oil based clear coat) but the wood will eventually "age" and get darker with light. The room has 16 big drawers (knee walls) and dark wood would make it feel smaller. It is already an attic with slated ceilings. Thanks for helping.

[laura vianello]

Wayne, thanks for your suggestion. Do I have to sand with 80 grit to raise the wood before the staining? Thanks so much...this way will be much faster!

[Jim Becker]

John, I do not want the wood to change color over time. My understanding is that the WB clear coat will prevent the wood from becoming yellow (vs. Oil based clear coat) but the wood will eventually "age" and get darker with light. The room has 16 big drawers (knee walls) and dark wood would make it feel smaller. It is already an attic with slated ceilings. Thanks for helping.
There are a number of clear, water borne finishes available that provide UV protection. They will help with your desire to minimize darkening, but...you cannot stop the darkening forever. You can only slow it down. Nature of the beast.

[Wayne Lomman]

Laura, check with a test piece as to whether 80 is ok. Sand with the grain. If too many sanding marks are visible after staining, use 120 instead. Your understanding is correct. Fine sanding just repels the colour when you are working with white.

What you are doing is a good idea. It delivers a finish that is light and fresh. It opens up a room while still revealing the figure in the timber. Cheers

[John TenEyck]

As Jim said, there are several WB clearcoats that have excellent UV stabilizer packages that will prevent the finish AND the wood underneath from aging for a very long time. The three I'm most familiar with are General Finishes High Performance Poly, Target Coatings EM-9300, and Sherwin Williams Kem Aqua Plus. Of those, GF's HP Poly is the one I have the most experience with and I highly recommend it as long as you don't need high chemical durability. It will give you years of UV protection whether you put if on raw or stained wood. It sprays beautifully and goes on with a brush very well, too.

John

[laura vianello]

i used GF high performance and love it. thank you all for the great suggestions!