Bleaching Wood and Stain

[Fergmiester]

Has anyone used bleach to wash wood or wash out stain? The reason I ask is I've stained my trestle bridge and now want to lighten it up in areas. I could use a thin white wash but am curious as to the effects of bleach.

Fergie

[SpaceMouse]

I would think you would want to use wood bleach--muraitic acid. I've used it on weathered sundecks to remove the dark stains, but I've never used it on freshly stained decks. They do make antiquing stains for wood that will give a white-washed look. Since different stains act differently, I think you are i for a little experiementation.

If it were mine I'd be working on scraps.

[Anonymous]

If you're near a Home Depot, or somewhere else that sells Behr Products, they have a four step system to prepare decks and such for a staining. It consists of four different solutions you apply to the wood. One of those steps is "wood lightening," so you can apply any stain you like.

I bet if you just read the labels on the four solutions at the store, you would learn what common chemicals do what to previously stained wood.

Just a thought.
Kenny

[Anonymous]

Oops ..... I see from your profile that you live up in God's country ....Nova Scotia.

I'm sure at Behr's web site they must have MSDS's (Material Safety Data Sheets) that would give product contents on their wood cleaners and conditioners. It must be some weak acid.

Ken

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kenny2005

Oops ..... I see from your profile that you live up in God's country ....Nova Scotia.

I'm sure at Behr's web site they must have MSDS's (Material Safety Data Sheets) that would give product contents on their wood cleaners and conditioners. It must be some weak acid.

Ken

Why Thank You! It's one of our best kept little secrets [^] Oh, and thank you for the info on Behr's website.

You must of heard about the "world traveller". Every church he went into there was a phone to God and everytime he asked the Minister how much? He got the same answer. "$10,000". He got this answer everytime except when he got to Nova Scotia....

When he asked "how much?" the Minister said "Why it's free!" The Traveller couldn't believe it and of course asked "Why" to which he got the reply..... It's a local call.

Fergie

[Bikerdad]

You can use regular household bleach, just test to make sure that it won't act as a solvent for whatever glue you used. DO NOT dilute the bleach. You can also use hydrogen peroxide. The problem with most of these is going to be the fact that they contain water, which will raise the grain of the wood.

Oh, one thing: what type of stain did you use? If its a water based dye stain, basically all you need to do is "wash" it with clean water and it will remove some of the dye. Likewise if its a alcohol based dye, just use alcohol. Knowing the stain used will get you 90% of the way to an answer.

Probably the best place to get a good definitive answer for this would be over at one of Kalmach's sister forums, Fine Scale Shipbuilder or some such. Those guys do a lot of micro-tiny woodworking, and have probably encountered this challenge more than once. The dollhouse folks are in a similar situation.