Considering staining a project with White Wash? Did you know that this stain looks different on every wood species? That should be a big factor before you buy the stain or wood.
Here is everything you need to know about it, before making the purchase.
White Wash by Varathane
White Wash is a premium wood stain by Varathane, a sub-brand of Rustoleum. It is an oil based wood finish. You can use it on hardwood floors or wood furniture or DIY projects.
It is white in color with creamy undertones.
This is a super thick stain that really doesn't enhance the natural wood grain - it covers it up a bit. Think of it as a mix between a paint and a stain.
It is really semi-transparent and is best used to create a whitewashed effect on your wood surfaces. You can use it on bare or stained wood. Painting it over a darker stain can have a cool, aged rustic look.
You can find this stain on Amazon or at your local hardware store. A can of stain lasts a long time, so it can be used for several projects.
In general, it is always a good idea to do a test stain on a piece of wood to verify desired color.
We tested this stain on five types of wood to see how it looks - whitewood, poplar, plywood, pine, and oak.
How does White Wash look on pine?
Pine wood tends to absorb stains differently in the different parts of the natural grain. This stain varies between pure white and creamy wood on pine - which is a great look if you want to still see the wood grain.
How does White Wash look on plywood?
This plywood didn't have much grain to it - so it takes the stain in a really uniform way. I actually love the whitewash on the plywood for cases when you want it to be apparent that a piece is wood, and not MDF, but you still want a white look.
How does White Wash look on poplar?
Poplar has some interesting wood grain to it, but the white wash totally covers it up. So, if you want to highlight the grain, this isn't your best bet. If you want to grain to still be there but just barely - it's a great option.
How does White Wash look on whitewood?
Whitewood is the hardest of these woods to cover up the grain - it tends to get pretty striped looking. However, white wash does a great job and only lets a bit of gain show thru.
I don't like most stains on whitewood because of the streaking - but I don't mind this combo at all.
How does White Wash look on oak?
Oak is a beautiful, and expensive, hard wood. It has a nice reddish undertone and very attractive natural grain.
White wash really covers most of that up. I guess I could see a use for this, but I don't think I'd pay a premium for oak and then slap it with a coat of white wash.
Projects using White Wash
Want to see White Wash in action? Here are some projects featuring this color:
We love how White Wash looks and think that it is a great option if you are building furniture or DIY projects for your home. Try to pair this together with similar colors and tones in your home.
Click here to shop White Wash on Amazon!
Want to check out more stain colors? We tested 10 types of stain on 5 types of wood - check out the whole project!
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Hey there, I'm Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I've been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
William says
wow you guys really know the white stains, thanks for all the info and work .I kind of mastered Sherwin-Williams pickled white but its discontinued as you know .If you know of a white stain like that it would be awsome. varathane whitewash is the closest i found but I have to mix some clear in for it to soak in the way I like .I cant have yellowing. I'm usually not wiping it off and I like when it stays white on the hard grain and soaks into the softer grain and disappears. Does anyone else make the wood classics that you know of .oil base only.