Wood turning yellow/golden

[Cheers]

I am replacing some pine in my house due to a remodel . Over the years the knotty pine has yellowed a lot .I am wondering if all wood yellows as much or is pine more susceptible ?

[Alagnak]

It probably has more to do with an oil based poly. I use water based most of the time and it doesn't yellow much at all.

[leechlake]

it yellows because an oil based finish was used. I have a hard maple kitchen table and originally finished with oil base poly and it yellowed and we didn't like it. We stripped it and used water based polyacrylic and it kept the white color of the wood.

If you don't like the yellowing water based will solve the problem. There are pros and cons of water vs oil but if you don't want it darkening over time do not use an oil based finish.

[hydro]

I have to disagree a bit here. While the comments about oil based finishes are true, the wood itself will tend to darken with age, due to the effect of oxygen on the wood itself. Pine is well known for that, just look at an old 2X4 in the attic of an old house. An oil based varnish will have the same issue and add to the effect.

If you want that light color to last, I suggest staining with a "natural" color stain, or something like "platinum" which is a light beige color. The stain will moderate the yellowing of the wood. Also, modern polyurethane based varnishes will yellow much less than the older alkyd and resin based varnishes.

[snowfighter]

I have to disagree a bit here. While the comments about oil based finishes are true, the wood itself will tend to darken with age, due to the effect of oxygen on the wood itself. Pine is well known for that, just look at an old 2X4 in the attic of an old house. An oil based varnish will have the same issue and add to the effect.

If you want that light color to last, I suggest staining with a "natural" color stain, or something like "platinum" which is a light beige color. The stain will moderate the yellowing of the wood. Also, modern polyurethane based varnishes will yellow much less than the older alkyd and resin based varnishes.

X2- Did my second home in a lot of pine, white at first then turned through the years, Make sure where you hang pictures and stuff where you want them because when you move them it will be white behind.

[PurpleFloyd]

I have to disagree a bit here. While the comments about oil based finishes are true, the wood itself will tend to darken with age, due to the effect of oxygen on the wood itself. Pine is well known for that, just look at an old 2X4 in the attic of an old house. An oil based varnish will have the same issue and add to the effect.

If you want that light color to last, I suggest staining with a "natural" color stain, or something like "platinum" which is a light beige color. The stain will moderate the yellowing of the wood. Also, modern polyurethane based varnishes will yellow much less than the older alkyd and resin based varnishes.

[Tom7227]

If the OP has to match things - take a sample of the older material and go to a quality paint store and have them mix you some stain to match. If they have a piece of the old material and some of the new stuff they can come up with something that will match so close you won't be able to tell. I had to do it and I think there was a $20 or so fee for the custom mix.

There may also be something about using shellac vs a poly finish. I don't know about that for sure but I think that I've read that shellac yellows.

[delcecchi]

Since we are on the topic, I have a question for the experts. My cabin is paneled in tongue and groove pine, like carsiding. It doesn't appear to have any finish although we were told it had sanding sealer applied.

Over the years it has darkened considerably. Is there something I could use to lighten it up? We like the way it looks so don't really want to get into paint or stain type things, and wife isn't keen on me sanding it. So would some sort of wood bleach work? Any ideas?

[PurpleFloyd]

Since we are on the topic, I have a question for the experts. My cabin is paneled in tongue and groove pine, like carsiding. It doesn't appear to have any finish although we were told it had sanding sealer applied.

[delcecchi]

It is the whole inside of the cabin, except for part of the kitchen. The cabin is 24 by 26 so I have basically 150 feet of wall, 8 feet high (approx). 3 times 24 and 3 times 26, minus some doorways etc. So maybe 1000 square feet (is that right?) not counting the ceiling which is also pine.

Is there any way to tell if there really is sanding sealer on the wall?

And I might settle for just doing the (not so) great room which is maybe 16 by 14. (dimensions from memory).

The wood looks like pine that has been there for 50 years which this has. I will see if I have some pictures.

[PurpleFloyd]

The sealer would have more than likely been applied by brush or roller and you should be able to see the tell tale signs of lap marks, drips, runs etc and there should be some sort of sheen on it. One thing that crossed my mind is potentially they could have applied something like a thompsons water seal on it with a hudson sprayer but if the wood has been on there for 50 years my experience with wood coatings tells me that it is very unlikely they used any type of sealer like is used today because they just weren't available on a widespread basis and if there is anything on there it's probably a varnish.

If you have an inconspicuous area or scrap of something laying around you can try putting water on it and seeing if it beads and repels or if it soaks in. You can try some mineral spirits or some stripper on an inconspicuous area as well. If the siding has the fuzzy texture and appearance of a 2x4 that you get from the lumber yard it is probably not sealed.

[delcecchi]

Thanks. It pretty much feels like bare wood, no gloss at all. I just vaguely recall the people we bought it from (used to be part of a resort) saying something about sanding sealer.

Here is about the only pictures of the wood I can find. Different rooms, different lighting.

[PurpleFloyd]

Personally I love the patina that your paneling has developed and wouldnt change it. That being said I do know that bleach has the ability to lighten the wood but it is pretty toxic to breathe and hard to contain. If I were forced to do it I would take some of that poly sheeting and duct tape that Tom Ridge told us to buy to guard against terrorism and would mask off everything that you didnt want bleached,everything as far as furniture etc would be moved outside or out of the room and i would apply a bleach/water solution with a hudson type sprayer and pretend you are killing dandelions.just a very thin coat at a time so you dont get runs. Wear a respirator and tyvek suit.opem every door and window.

Other than that it is not really possible to make it lighter unless you sand it.

[PurpleFloyd]

What are those 2 light spots by the door handle?

[delcecchi]

What are those 2 light spots by the door handle?

Some kind of filler from when a door handle/latch was replaced many moons ago, before we bought it. The cabin used to be part of a resort that dissolved when the owners retired.

Sounds like the wood will stay as is. If SWMBO doesn't want me sanding, I can't imagine sheets of plastic and sprayers of bleach.