# knotty pine paneling



## Guest (Apr 5, 2004)

*My knotty pine paneling experience*



Unregistered said:


> I have knotty pine paneling in one room of my home. I have sanded it all down to the bare wood. I saw a show somewhere that used some sort of pigmented wax to finish it off and give it a warm glow. Seems like the wax was used after applying some kind of a milk stain. Any ideas on how this was done or what I can use. I want a nice light warm color. thanks


I imagine a milk based stain will smell sour for some time, there are better modern day water and oil based methods to stain wood. Finishing walls with wax will be high maintenance as it will require frequent cleaning and rewaxing to keep the finish looking fresh. This method is best left for fine furniture.
I refinished my 30+ year old knotty pine paneling in my den last month. I also paneled another room w/ new panneling and matched it to the old stuff nicely with oil based stains.
The old paneling did not require staining. The wood has aged with nice colors that came out with the finish. Much, much nicer than I anticipated. I sanded first w/ 80 grit to get to bare wood and then w/ 200 grit before finishing w/ Minwax oil based semigloss polyurathane. Three coats brought out a rich golden color with red highlights in the knots and deep grains. I sanded with 200 grit in between coats.
The new paneling is white, blank of personality, so I stained the wood first w/ Golden Pecan for the golden glow and then w/ cherry stain. The cherry stain highlighted the knots and wood grain with a nice reddish tint and matched it to the old paneling. I waited about an hour between stains, and used an old teeshirt to wipe the cherry on to blend the colors to my liking. I used some scrap pine first to learn the balance of the stains before applying them to the walls..

You may want to try a satin finish instead of semigloss; test the finishes on a scrap boards to see if it fits your tastes.


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## Ajidahk (Mar 22, 2010)

*Knotty Pine*

So, okay, I just want to make sure I understand you right, is this the same process I would do if I want to lighten the wood and get it back to it's original light, sandy color instead of the darker stain that the pervious owner used? Do I hand sand or use an electric sander? Is there a such thing as going to rough with the sanding? How do you know if you're doing it right?


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