{"id":3209,"date":"2015-07-13T10:11:32","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T09:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/?p=3209"},"modified":"2025-03-03T16:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T16:41:56","slug":"its-summer-can-you-stop-wood-going-grey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/its-summer-can-you-stop-wood-going-grey\/","title":{"rendered":"Its summer – Can you stop wood from going grey and dull?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plus how to protect new timber and restore old timber.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some people think silvered wood is gorgeous, all worn and vintage-looking, mellow and warm. Others hate the look, since it makes \n\ndecking<\/a>, \n\ngarden furniture<\/a>, \n\nfences <\/a>and \n\nsheds <\/a>look old and uncared for. It’s horses for courses. So what causes it, does it damage wood and what should you do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Silvered
Silvered Wooden Shingles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How UV exposure affects wood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sunshine, rain, snow, mist and fog are the culprits for exterior woodwork misery, and we get plenty of them in Britain. Under this constant battering, wood acts very like human skin. When sunburn and windburn peels dead skin flakes off it gives way to new skin, and the grey patina you get on untreated or neglected wood is caused by layers of dead wood fibres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even sealed wood will go silvery over time and because dead wood can’t regenerate fresh fibres, you need to do the job on its behalf. But do you really have to? Can you just leave your wooden decking, fences, sheds and so on to age gracefully, or is it important to keep up a decent standard of maintenance and try to stop wood going grey?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does silvering damage wood?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Effects of Daylight according to experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood will gradually degrade when it is exposed to sunlight. This is because one of its components, cellulose, undergoes auto-oxidation in the presence of UV radiation in sunlight, leading to surface bleaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cellulose itself does not absorb UV, but lignin, hemi-celluloses and some dyes and pigments cause cellulose to deteriorate because they act as photo-sensitisers, absorbing UV radiation and transferring the energy. As a result some of the long molecular chains of cellulose break up. weakening the material. As this only occurs at the surface, it generally does not affect the structural integrity of the timber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it really is mostly a matter of aesthetics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can grey wood be avoided?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is, no. But you can delay the greying process by using UV-resistant wood finishing products and keeping the finish of your exterior wood in good condition. These UV-resistant products are ideal for providing extra protection for wooden cladding, garden sheds, wooden decking and garden furniture against the elements.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Hit
New Hit and Miss Fencing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Does interior wood go grey?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although greying timber is usually a problem for exterior timber that is exposed to rain and UV rays, interior wooden furniture, floors and fixings, especially in areas such as conservatories and kitchens that are exposed to strong sunlight, will eventually start to lose colour and fade too, albeit at a much slower rate than garden wood. If these areas are also subject to high moisture, such as condensation and steam, this could accelerate the greying process if the wood isn’t protected properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Tip:<\/strong> If you spray house plants near or on wooden furniture, make sure you dry it afterwards. Not realising in the past, I’ve ended up with one side of a wooden table slightly warped, all grey and crispy. Lesson learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to prevent and treat grey wood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While it appears that leaving wood silver-grey doesn’t necessarily shorten the wood’s useful life, what if you feel it’s more shabby than chic, preferring gleaming, fresh, colourful wood in all its glory? Here’s some information and advice about how to protect wood’s glorious natural colour and sheen…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting new timber<\/h3>\n\n\n\n