Finishing Wooden Floors with White Wash Effect

This modern finish is getting more and more popular for both wooden furniture and wood floors. Usually, people would go for the whitewash staining effect on the floors to match lighter furniture or to achieve a feeling of a larger space in smaller sized rooms.

There are few ways to achieve a whitewash effect on your wooden floors. Depending on the sealant you have decided to use on the floors you can either go for wax-based stains, solvent-based stains or using acrylic colourant mixed with the lacquer you will be sealing.

Liming Effect with Osmo Polyx-Oil

After the floors are sanded down to a minimum of 80G, prepare the floors for staining with a light buffing round. Apply a coat of Osmo Polyx-Oil White (3040) - recommended brush application for a thicker, better covering colour. Application with a soft pad and rotary machine will have a slightly lighter effect but may save time if that's acceptable, as the coat applied with the soft pad will be dry within an hour.

Apply another coat or 2 coats of clear Osmo Polyx-Oil in Satin or Matt finish, to your preference. These should be applied by brush.

White Wash Effect with Shots of Acrylic Colourant

Another tested way of doing the whitewash effect is mixing shots of colourant directly into the floor lacquer. Take a 1L bottle and fill it with 0.9L lacquer. Add a shot of acrylic colourant - white, these are widely available in 25 ml bottles through decorators merchants such as Leyland SDM or Bona.

Add another shot to achieve a more intense colour. You may also go for a double coat of coloured varnish or seal the colour from the first coat with another 2 coats of clear satin, matt or gloss.

The acrylic colourants are available in a wide range of colours, meaning you can achieve not only a "white" wash effect with them.

Probably the easiest way of completing the effect.

White Wash with Junckers Prelak White

Junckers Prelak White is a primer, which has white colourant already diluted into it. The amount of colour is well balanced and allows starting with a pale shade and going more solid with every additional coat of the product. It is recommended after applying one or more coats, to overcoat with lacquer in the preferred sheen.

Probably the best effect with this type of stain will be achieved with Matt finish.

The same type of white tinted foundations/primers is available from Bona and Woca as well.

White Wash with Bona Create Ice

Using the unique and wide colouration system Bona Create, you can achieve the whitewashed effect on your sanded wooden floor. Bona Create offers modern colours for various types of wooden floors. Having a long open time, Bona Create leaves an even and beautiful colouration. Besides, it is easy to apply.

The benefit of Bona Create is the way it was developed: at it is compatible with all Bona’s finishes and oils. The cobalt-free low VOC formula guarantees healthy indoor air and safe working conditions.