Wood for internal carpentry

[Ric]

I want to make some internal modifications but would like the wood to match my existing wood. Is it possible to buy matching ready-varnised wood? Or do I just have to match it as best I can with wood stain and varnish?

 

[prv]

A good start would be to identify what timber you have, and try to get the same species. It's unlikely to be a perfect match, but it gives you a fighting chance of matching.

Robbins Timber's brochure has some pictures of different types of wood.

Pete

 

[oldfatgit]

You will get a very good match with the same species then treated the same once fitted. But don't be tempted to use a water based varnish if the original was oil based and visa versa. The only problem will be if your original has either darkened or bleached since it was fitted. The only way to get that to match would be to strip it all back to new wood and re-varnish the whole lot. As for pre-varnished wood, well not readily available unless you can find some second hand. Even then any cut edges will be awful to look at unless concealed.

 

[Searush]

My boat had wooden panels fitted in the saloon before I bought it. Later, more careful examination revealed that they were actually only veneered MDF.

No worries, I decided I could replace them with real wood when they rotted.

That was in 1996ish & the panels are still in good condition today & don't need replacement yet! The point is, you don't need to stress too much about interior trim if the boat doesn't leak.

 

[bedouin]

I wouldn't recommend wood stain. Get wood of the correct species and varnish it will the right sort of varnish (probably oil based). It is likely to come out darker than the existing wood but to lighten over time.

For a better match you could take the original down to bare wood and varnish both together.