How to Whitewash When Painting Wood

Prepare the wood. Sand off old paint or stain with a medium, 80- to 100-grit sandpaper. Smooth the surface with a fine, 120- to 150-grit sandpaper. Wipe down the surface of the wood with a damp cloth to remove any remaining particles.

Apply a layer of the whitewash to the wood, painting in the direction of the grain. Allow it to fully dry. The dry time depends on the type of whitewash used, ranging from 15 to 30 minutes for alcohol-based whitewash to 24 hours or more if it is oil-based.

Repeat Step 2 until the desired look is achieved. Each additional coat will make the surface whiter and reduce the amount of grain that shows through.

Gently wipe the freshly painted surface with a clean, dry cloth if you desire a more rustic look. This will remove excess paint and allow more of the wood’s grain to show through.

Sand any spots where you desire extra grain to show through or at which extra paint had pooled, once the last layer of whitewash has dried. Use a 150-grit sandpaper to remove extra paint or a 240-grit sandpaper to smooth away bumps in the whitewash itself. Wipe the wood with a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess particles.