Why Does Outdoor Wood Turn Grey With Time?

Ever noticed how people start working on “brightening” their wooden porches, decks or fences after a number of years; trying to get rid of the dull, dead-gray color the once shiny deck floors suddenly took on? While not uncommon, why does outdoor wood turn grey? The explanation is in a way, similar to how we humans shed old skin; if we were to stay outside for long periods of time sans sunscreen, we would get sunburns and start to peel; with dead skin flaking off to give way for new skin to come to the surface. Pretty much like how humans shed dead skin cells every day, weathered outdoor wood turns grey as time passes because the wood’s dead fibers resurface, no thanks to harmful UV rays from the sun, even if you are using sealed wood. And because wood cannot get rid of dead fibers and regenerate new fibers on its own, you need to work on getting rid of the dull grey, dead fibers to reveal fresh layers of fiber.

This is why it is important to regularly maintain outdoor wood even if you like the rustic, weathered look since untreated or uncared wood would get damaged easily. And this means you have to learn how you can go about maintaining and getting rid of the grey color that weathered outdoor wood takes on. While it is easy to have the wood replaced by a professional team of restorers, you can also do the wood stripping and finishing yourself to save money. For hard-core DIY-ers that choose to use a chemical wood restorer, you have to use gloves to protect your hands before coating a rag with a chemical wood stripper. What you need to do then is to start rubbing the cloth on the areas where the dull grey color is most evident until said grey color disappears.

Should there be any grey spots that the chemical did not remove, you need to sand these areas down, wiping off dust with a dry and clean rag before applying the wood stain of your choice. Allow the wood stain to dry completely before applying a coat or two of waterproofing onto the wood and letting it dry for at least a couple of days before you expose the wood to the outdoor elements once again. Wood fences, sheds, porches and furnishings require care to last a long time, and keeping this tips in mind, you would not have difficulty doing exactly just that. If you plan doing this project for the first time, ask help from friends or relatives that can help you.