Applying liming wax requires a bit of preparation and a careful process, but the resulting vintage look makes the effort worthwhile. Here, we present the technique in a comprehensive guide that covers every step, from preparation to final buffing. Necessary Tools and Preparation for Applying Liming Wax

How to Use Liming Wax - Cedar Hill Farmhouse How to Use Liming Wax - Cedar Hill Farmhouse

If you have a piece of wood with a strong, visible grain to it – something like oak – you can really bring out this wood grain with liming wax. This isn’t a difficult technique to learn. You don’t need to bring out any paints – all you need is White Chalk Paint™ Wax, a Wax Brush and a lint-free cloth.

How to Use Liming Wax: A Step-by-Step Guide

You can choose to apply one or several coats of stain, depending on how dark you want the color to be. The darker the stain layer, the bolder the contrast will look when you apply the liming wax. The second method is layering paint to bring out the grain pattern. For a high traffic piece such as this dining room table, I prefer this method because high traffic furniture needs a durable topcoat to fully protect it, and you can’t use wax under a polyurethane coat. This is the method that I detail below. Best Wood Types for Cerusing Liming wax looks great on hardwood such as oak or other open-grained woods because it enhances the natural grain of the wood. This is why limewashing is a good solution if you want to preserve the wood while also adding interest to it. First you need to open the soft grain of the wood by brushing the piece of furniture with a Liberon Liming Bronze brush working with the grain.

What is Liming Wax and How To Use It - Real Milk Paint

This step layers the color that contrasts with the white cerusing and what to do is up to you. You can use any color of stain, paint, or use a clear coat. This step also will help the grain expand for your cerusing layer. If you want to adjust the amount of White Wax anywhere, you can do this using Clear Chalk Paint™ Wax – it acts almost like a magic eraser! Dip a lint-free cloth in your Clear Wax and then use it to rub off any White Wax where you don’t want it. Do this while the White Wax is still soft. Once all the old finish has been removed, it is important to neutralise the wood to remove any excess residue left behind from the stripper as this can cause reactions in the newly applied finish. To do this, use Liberon Wax and Polish Remover with a clean cloth and wipe over the entire piece in the direction of the grain. Once this is dry, remove any blemishes using a sanding pad or paper, again in the direction of the grain. Use Liberon Wax and Polish remover to neutralise the wood This shows the residue removed after neutralising Strip and/or stain light-colored wood. The classic white cerused wood finish isn’t noticeable when applied to bare, light-colored hardwoods like poplar or woods painted white or cream. If you want to ceruse light-colored bare hardwood, your best bet is to stain the wood first with a dark-colored wood stain. If you want to ceruse painted wood that’s currently a shade of white, use a wood stripper to strip the wood, then either ceruse the bare wood or stain the wood and then ceruse it.Prepare the Wood: Start by ensuring the wood surface is clean, dry, and free from old finishes. Use a mild detergent or wood cleaner to remove dirt and oil. Rinse thoroughly and allow it to dry completely before proceeding.

Liming Wax - FIDDES FIDDES Supreme Liming Wax - FIDDES

The application of the stripper also affects how uniform the stripping will be. Apply Citristrip evenly and in the same direction, with the grain. If you wish to enhance the effect, colour the wood with Liberon Palette Wood Dye before applying the liming wax. Liberon Palette Wood Dyes are available in a wide selection of wood shades. So the very first thing you need to know for the project is what the base color you are looking for. I was going for an aged pine look with the liming wax adding even further age to the overall appearance. Starting off with raw pine, it looked anything but aged.

Open Wood Grain: To allow liming wax to penetrate deeply, you need to open the wood grain. Using your brush or coarse sandpaper, gently brush along the grain until the texture feels slightly rough. Remember, the goal is to open the grain without damaging the wood, so be gentle when you sand, especially when using a wire brush or coarse sandpaper. Achieving the best possible result with liming wax requires careful attention to these details. Where to Buy Real Milk Paint’s High-Quality Finishing Waxes If you are applying several layers of stain, make sure the first layer is completely dry before applying the second coat. Keep in mind that the color will look darker when it is wet. The next step is to strip and remove the old tired finish. This needs to be done in a well ventilated area and we recommend to wear personal protective equipment. Apply Liberon Fine Wood Stripper onto the surface and wait for around 15 to 20 minutes until the finish starts to react and bubble. You may now need to apply another fine coat of stripper to wet the area again and then use a scraper to remove the first layer. Re-apply the wood stripper and again wait around 15 minutes. Now use a very course wire wool ( grade 4 Liberon Steel Wool is ideal) to remove the last of the stripper and finish. Always wire wool in the same direction of the grain of the wood. You will start to see the natural colour and grain show through the wood. Scrape Off the old finish with Liberon fine wood stripper Steel wool the excess stripper

How to lime wood to get that white wash effect | Real Homes

You may choose to sand if you have a sander. If you don’t have one, you can skip this. All my sander did was take off some dried Citrustrip clumps. For a successful application of liming wax, you’ll need a few tools: a soft cloth or brush, sandpaper, wire brush, and protective gear or gloves. Preparing your workspace with a well-ventilated area, and ensuring the wood is clean and bare, is crucial too. The Process of Applying Liming Wax Liming wax has long been used as a finish on exposed wood. This method is especially useful when you want to improve the look of wood by lightening the grain. The result will highlight the grain while giving your timber a more uniform, aged appearance that can look quite expensive without much effort. Stripping furniture is messy business, for sure. I like to use a large garbage bag, cut open, so that way I can just scoop it all up and throw it away! For a few projects now I’ve used a mix of Minwax stains to get a rough approximation of aged pine that isn’t too red or orange but a nice medium toned down brown. The formula is roughly 2:3 Provinicial and Ipswich Pine stains mixed together. It’s not as interesting as DIY home chemistry like melting steel wool in vinegar overnight or melting down your kids toys and mixing it with their tears, but it’s the most effective mix I’ve found.

Ensure the surface is clean, dry and free from any previous finishes. Open the grain with a Liberon Bronze Liming Brush. On softwoods such as pine, use a wire brush or coarse abrasive paper to score the timber. Allow the wax to harden. This curing process can take between 5-21 days at which stage the wax will be completely hard. If you need to clean your waxed finish once it has cured, simply do so with a damp cloth.