Changing Dark Wood Stained Siding To Lighter Color

For lightening the natural color of wood or evening out the variation in color between heartwood and sapwood use a two part bleach of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide available as a kit.

Changing dark wood stained siding to lighter color.

Now you can reapply the lighter stain that you prefer. Most likely you will need to use a solid color stain or paint. I have had partial success by combinations of pressure washing and sanding but lots of work. Allow it to soften the finish for about 10 minutes or as directed by the manufacturer.

Scrape off the gelled finish with sharp flat sticks. However if you wish to lighten the color it is not as simple as applying a light color of polyshades over it you will need to strip the existing finish first. How to lighten a dark wood stain hunker. The most effective way to lighten the color of your stain is bleaching the wood with chemicals.

Otherwise if you have stain in the can that s too dark you can dilute it to change the color before applying it. Thoroughly clean the surface you want to paint. If you paint a dirty wall you are really painting the dirt not the wood. Steel wool and mineral spirits can lighten your wood stain by a small amount if you don t need to adjust the color much.

If not you can sand down the wood to remove the rest of the color. Even if you simply want to change the tone of your color e g. Apply a small amount of stripper to the wood. Make it more red or brown without darkening it polyshades can help.

Remove the polyurethane finish by sanding the wood using a power sander equipped with 50 grit. How to change dark wood stains to a light color. Changing the kitchen cabinets from dark to light can be a tedious process. Doors that are stained a dark outdated shade can be lightened up by stripping off the old finish and applying the new light hued stain.

Wear a protective respirator and gloves. If you want a more mild espresso not as dark but still dark enough use it mixed half and half with another lighter color such as walnut or tudor. However the entire project from start to finish is not too difficult for the average do it yourselfer preparing cabinets to stain. Apply a varnish remover to the wood and rub it in with steel wool or a wire brush.

Once you ve removed the existing stain the dark color will likely be gone. Work from the center and allow the finish to fall. They have variations in hue reddish brown etc so go with the one that best matches your finished desired look.