Does wood change Colour in the sun?

Wood continues to change color years down the road. It fades in the sunlight, but some woods also undergo chemical changes that change the wood color. The one thing you can count on is the color will change. Additionally, expect that matching an existing wood may take months or years to do as the wood ages.

What wood changes color in the sun?

What Wood Changes Color in The Sun?

Wood Type	Color Change in The Sunlight
Maple	Darken in the sunlight
Red Oak	Lighten in the sunlight
Hickory	Lighten in the sunlight
Walnut	Lighten in the sunlight

How does sunlight affect wood?

UV radiation actually damages wood fibers. This process renders them less resilient and more prone to cracking or sloughing off. If left long enough, UV radiation will cause board warping, cracking, and cupping. Water gets into the wood and causes rot, fiber deterioration, mold issues, and also cracking the wood.

What causes wood to change color?

The two main culprits for this mysterious color transformation are exposure to air (oxidation) and light. When the wood surface interacts with air and ultraviolet light, the process is set in motion, and it can’t be stopped (unless you live in a dark cave), but it can be sped up a bit, especially with cherry.

Does oak wood change color over time?

Oak wood may darken slightly over time, taking on more amber tones. This happens due to exposure to oxygen and UV light, making it a largely unavoidable process. When it comes to oak furniture, most people won’t even realize the change is happening, as the color change is fairly subt.

Can wood color be changed?

For pieces where you have a dark finish and want to go lighter, you will need to remove the existing finish first. Then, determine what undertone your wood has and counteract it with an appropriate stain color. For pieces that are a light finish, and you want to go darker, you can simply apply a darker stain!

Is sun bad for wood furniture?

As discussed, sun exposure can be one of the most damaging elements on wood, causing permanent discoloration. Wood can fade as well as darken, depending on the type. However, it’s best to be avoided on coarse grain wood, such as oak, or soft wood, like cedar.

Can sun lighten wood?

Exposure to the sun can cause fading, bleaching and darkening of the wood in your flooring.

Does wood stain fade in the sun?

Many, probably most, store-bought stains are made with both dye and pigment. If wood stained with these stains is exposed to sunlight or fluorescent light for a while, the dye color will fade away, but the pigment color will remain. The effect is that the stained wood changes color.

Why does oak furniture turn orange?

Tannin dissolves and escapes from the wood. Wine barrels are made from oak and it is the tannin that helps to give the wine its’ colour.

Does cherry wood change color over time?

The simple answer is yes. Natural cherry wood oxidizes when given exposure to UV lights, causing it to gradually darken over time. Natural cherry wood will appear as a light, pink-toned wood at the beginning of the oxidization process and will naturally darken to a medium, red-toned wood with exposure to sunlight.

How does the sun affect wood furniture?

Some wooden furniture will become darker in the sun, for example maple and cherry, while pieces crafted from walnut can become lighter. If your wooden tables or shelves have ornaments or other objects on them, remember to reposition them regularly to avoid marks developing on the surface of the wood.

How does UV light affect wood color?

UV light has the most impact on color change of the actual wood. Wood is extremely photosensitive – which means it reacts to sunlight. You only have to put a piece of unfinished wood out in direct sunlight for a short time with part of it covered to see how the sun’s ultra violet rays affect it.

Does sunlight change the color of cherry furniture?

When the top of this cherry dresser was blocked by the valet, it darkened unevenly. Cherry’s color eventually stabilizes so a sunlight bath will even out the color. To test their color-changing characteristics, we subjected 13 woods to nine months of sunlight and air—a “living room” test.

Should you stain or dye your wood furniture?

Dyes and stains might make pieces match for a short time, but eventually the natural color changes will alter them further. Again, use sunlight to bring the unfinished board closer to its final color before making the decision to add color.