Asked on Apr 28, 2019

How can I make new cedar fence planks look old?

Debby
by Debby

I need the look of reclaimed... old.... cedar fence planks for my outdoor birdhouses. What can I do to make the new cedar look like years old cedar fencing (that should be replaced).....so it looks old? H E L P !!! This is the look I prefer. Thanks......... ♥

  8 answers
  • Gathered In The Kitchen Gathered In The Kitchen on Apr 28, 2019

    Here is a great post explaining how to age wood! May have some of the looks you are going for! https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/make-new-wood-match-old-2366122


  • Mitchmom Mitchmom on Apr 28, 2019

    You can use a chain or a hammer and beat it up a bit, then wash the boards with different shades of light/medium gray. or brown then gray wash over the top and sand a bit. That should give you what you want.

  • Leesa Osborne Leesa Osborne on Apr 28, 2019

    I like to leave my brand new boards out in the weather to get this look. You could also stain them and use a little bit of paint. Then sand them some.

  • Sandra N Leon Rollins Sandra N Leon Rollins on Apr 29, 2019

    To get the weathered color on new wood, shred a fine steel wool bun in a container (i.e. plastic coffee can) with a lid. Cover the steel wool with about half a large bottle of white vinegar; the steel wool dissolves. The resulting liquid is painted on whatever cedar wood surface you want to age and don’t forget any cut edges of the wood. Let the wood dry outside or in a well ventilated area to dissipate the aroma. This is some of my husband's projects.

    • John Biermacher John Biermacher on Apr 29, 2019

      This is a very valid technique but also very dependent on the amount of tannins in the wood you are aging. The more tannin the darker the wood gets. Testing a small area is about the only way to know.

  • Robyn Garner Robyn Garner on Apr 29, 2019

    "Paint" with strong black tea, dry and then use the steel wool/vinegar solution.

    https://gadgetsandgrain.com/2016/04/08/oxidize-getting-a-vintage-wood-look/

  • Debby Davidson Debby Davidson on Apr 29, 2019

    I used a product called ECO wood treatment. It comes in powder form and you mix it with water and paint it on the wood. The sun will turn the color of the wood to a beautiful Silvery gray color in just a couple days. It preserves the wood too.Easy Peasy.

  • Jim Cox Jim Cox on Apr 29, 2019

    A buddy uses steel wool and kerosene and swears by it. I use Minwax espresso on my projects and you can hardly tell the weathered wood and the new apart. Weathered isn't always gray. In this pic the bottom face of my kitchen light is 35 yr old privacy fence, and the four sides are new pine with Minwax stain. I ignore the directions and rub it on with a clean old sock.


  • Genie Genie on Apr 30, 2019

    I read this in Sunset magazine quite some time ago. I have never tried it, but since it is so simple and inexpensive, i would try it first: simply put some baking soda into a bucket with some water, then brush it onto the wood. The Sun will turn it into the aged silvered look in a short time. I hope this works for you. I have always wanted to try it, but haven't needed to.