Of course, the nature and time are the best for aging wood. Whether it’s a barn wall board burned by the sun and embossed by rain, or a piece of log found on the seashore and shaped by stones, water and sand. Time ages everything and does not save anyone or anything.
Wood aging gives the wood a dignified old look. Wood aging or brushing is a mechanical treatment of wood that removes softer parts of the wood. As wood consists of sapwood and heartwood, the first one always being softer, sapwood is removed with brushing, revealing the interesting surface of wood.
Wood can be aged with sandblasting as well. Aged wood in this case means that the surface of wood becomes embossed – the harder part of the grain of the wood is higher and forms a network like pattern.
A grey or brownish shade of the old wood can be given with a cuprous- and ferrous vitriol solution. Processing with sulphate solutions also increases the resistance of wood to weather conditions.
To achieve an antique look, wood can also be processed with colours. For example, cover the surface after brushing with a dark colour and sand it so that the paint stays in the grain of the wood only. The dark colour gives the wood an antique look.
Wood with burned surface renders a rustic impression. After burning the wood slightly with open flame, it should be covered with lacquer or wax to increase its durability. An even more archaic appearance can be created by carbonizing the outer surface of wood.
An antique look can also be created with the use of tar, cracking lacquer, chalk colour and others.
By giving an ancient look to new wood, we honour the old.
