Lime washing a dining table

[elliza88]

 

 

Hi everyone 

I am after some help to lime wash my dining table to create a more rustic look. Could anyone help me? I have attached a photo. Would I need to stain the wood before attempting to lime wash? As I don’t want the red colour of the wood to come through. 
Thank you 

[prettyliving]

This is mine, I wanted it quite light though so I did a couple of coats to get it this way. 

[redracer01]

Hello @elliza88 

I don't think staining will be necessary as you mentioned you did not want the current finish to push through the lime white finish. Using a lime white stain and varnish it should produce the effect you were looking for. I understand that you may have some hesitancy about this project. One of the things you can do is to test it on one of the table legs. If the finish is not satisfactory then you can start thinking of doing different techniques. Perhaps a lighter sand? Just be aware that some tables specialty those from overseas websites use a Liming wax and not a Liming paint. Thus getting a totally different effect on the finish of their table. 

Cheers, 

Red

[elliza88]

Wow that’s amazing! What colour was it originally? 

[elliza88]

Thank you that’s very helpful. How do I know when how much sanding is enough? 

[redracer01]

Hello @elliza88 

You will know you've reached bare timber when the stain on your timber is no longer visible. Like I mentioned if you test in a hidden spot you will know when to stop as it will be bare timber that you will see.

Cheers,

Red

[elliza88]

Thanks Red I will give it a go. I did attempt to bleach a small section however nothing happened. Will try sanding over the weekend. Could it be possible the colour of the table is natural and not a stain? Sorry silly question perhaps! 

[redracer01]

Hello @elliza88 

You can ask anything you like there are no silly questions, we are here to help. Bleaching is only effective to deep stained timber. Your correct when you say what if the timber colour travels all the way down like Tassie oak. The only way to find out is to sand it. You could try some of the waxes at the store and see what kind of effect you get. Just remember that if you use it on a certain spot and decide not to go with it you will have to sand it off. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask.  

Cheers 

Red

[MitchellMc]

Hi @elliza88,

I just wanted to add that unless you start with pine or something of a lighter shade, the colour of the timber will show through unless you lay a completely opaque coating. However, I don't think this is necessarily a negative thing. I understand you don't want the colour to show through, though you might be happier than you think with the finish. I believe you'll get an amazing result with the liming white being offset by the darker timber tones. You'll need to decide during the process when you are happy with the coverage of the timber whilst still retaining some of its natural beauty.

Keep us updated and reach out if you have any more questions. 

Mitchell

[elliza88]

Yes I agree. It will be interesting to see the colour once I begin sanding. Who knows I could like the colour once sanded back a little and not have to paint at all (fingers crossed) but doubt it  

[elliza88]

Hello again 

If I end up liking the shade after I sand it.. what type of sealer should I use on the table to prevent the red colour coming back? The lime wash stain? 
thanks