# Protecting Walnut from fade



## gbinco (Sep 30, 2014)

I'm going to be building a bed, dresser, and pair of nightstands out of walnut. I want the end result color/tone to be about like walnut+oil. I'm going to be staining it all to cover up any sapwood and match the plywood which really needs the stain.

My experience is pretty limited, especially with finish. I do have the equipment to spray. My last few projects have been finished with mineral oil or water polyurethane. I want to avoid finishes/techniques that aren't suited to my inexperience.

My concern is with how walnut ages. I love the look of walnut and want to preserve it as much as possible. It's obviously all in the bedroom, it won't be getting a ton of light. I'm learning that it's quite difficult to find a solution that blocks uv from the wood.

There's 2 issues here, of course I would like to solve both. Finishes turn yellow as they age and obviously the wood fading.

Am I worrying needlessly? Will indoor furniture ever see enough enough light to see these problems? I want this stuff to outlast me and I would rather not have to strip, stain, and finish this stuff every few years.

I've done some searching and see spar finishes (epifanes and sikkens) which block uv. Both of these are supposed to be redone annually but I'm not sure if that's just in a marine environment. Maybe indoors it wouldn't ever need to be refinished? They're also quite expensive. I would rather not spend $100's on finish for this project.

Are there uv blocking/restisting stains or dyes that might help?

What's the best way to go here?

Thanks in advance!


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I think you might be needlessly worrying. I've only seen walnut get dramatically aged from being left right under a south facing window that never had a shade over it. In a bedroom especially I would think the UV exposure would be minimal. I also wouldn't use anything on interior furniture that was suited to a marine environment, too much stuff has to be added for that level of protection for me to be comfortable finishing in door furniture with it.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Some woods get darker and some mellow over time.Thats the way Mother Nature wants it and she always gets what she wants.Are you sure you want to go against her.
Some of those spar varnishes are modified resin and take a long time to dry. I have brushed a few doors with spar varnish and it's quite the undertaking.Sorry if I sound like abuzz kill.Good luck Aj


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

I don't think Walnut generally has a problem fading in color as it ages. I've seen plenty of antique walnut pieces that still look nice.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I typically finish walnut with a walnut-colored oil stain like Watco Dark Walnut. It's one more layer of color that the sun has to break down before getting to the wood. Plus, oils tend to darken with age which may help counteract the tendency for walnut to lighten.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

It takes a pretty strong direct hit to lighten the color. I have an example, in the pic, the distinct line between the light and dark walnut is not a shadow, the cabinet had molding covering the dark area, while the faded part had direct exposure to strong UV (in this case from a flourescent lamp). The lamp was right next to the cabinet and on about 20 hours a day for a few years, hence the exaggerated fading. In your case I think you have nothing to worry about. As for the finish, this cabinet was topped with BLO to get the dark color, and that was then topped with a waterborne (one of Target Coatings products). The BLO will yellow some over the years, but the waterborne will not…..you will need something with oil to darken the walnut (if that's the goal), Waterbornes (or shellac) are light fast, no yellowing. Another approach would be to first apply dewaxed shellac, the top coat with a waterborne. Anyway, the pic:


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## gbinco (Sep 30, 2014)

This is great info, and quite a relief. Thank you all for the info.

Fred, thanks for the picture. That is quite a difference!


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## wfedwardsjr (Sep 14, 2012)

Just saw this thread and wanted to add my experience. I have used Epifanes with very good luck on interior walnut. Yes, it's expensive but nothing like the cost of the walnut. I like 2:1 clear varnish/accelerator, and can top with woodfinish matte for a low gloss finish.


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## Ghidrah (Jan 20, 2015)

Have you checked for UV rated stains?


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