Aging and Weathering Wood Using Steel Wool and Vinegar

2 Materials
$8
1 Hour
Easy
In this short 2 minute video we will show you how to age and weather wood beautifully using 2 common household items: vinegar and steel wool. This is a trade secret in wood finishing and painting. We discovered that the tannins in the wood react perfectly with the mixture of vinegar and steel wool to age and naturally weather any species of wood. It gives an amazing reclaimed wood and patina effect perfect for many styles of homes including farmhouse, shabby chic, French country, mid century modern and traditional designs.

Step 1: Watch the short 2 minute video for full details on how to age and weather wood with 2 easy-to-get materials.
Weathered Wood DIY Table using this process
Step 2: Get some vinegar - whatever you can find at your local hardware or grocery store. Any basic vinegar will work. We usually buy 2 gallons to start depending on size of project.
Step 3: Buy steel wool. We like Grade 0000 because it's the softest wool.


Put one pad of steel wool into one gallon of vinegar. Let sit for 1-2 hours or longer for a deeper concentration of aging mixture. Test an area and see if you like the weathering intensity. As Jeremy explains in the video, you can let it soak overnight for a stronger and more intense treatment. If you do that and don't like it you can always add more vinegar to lessen the intensity. Also, if you leave it soak together for longer it will rust and give you a rust color. We suggest letting it sit for an hour and test it and let it soak longer as you desire a deeper weathering effect.
Before and After of Pine Wood
Step 4: Paint the wood using the mixture. Paint one coat and let it dry. See if you like the color. Paint more coats for intensity of weathering effect.












Try it on an end table, small accessory like magazine holder or basket. Works great for modern farmhouse, mid century modern, traditional and shabby chic styled homes!
Enjoy this amazing trade secret technique to age and weather any kind of wood.


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Suggested materials:
  • Steel Wool   (Lowes/Home Depot/Local Hardware)
  • Vinegar   (Grocery or Lowes/HD/Hardware)
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