How to Refinish Knotty Pine Walls

Knotty pine walls are beautiful when newly finished. Over the years, the finish can become dull, dirty, and damaged. When this happens, there is no need to take down the knotty pine and replace it---you can refinish it to give it new life. Choose stain to enhance or add to the color of the wood, and apply polyurethane as a protective, washable top coat.

Things You'll Need

• Electric handheld sander
• Fine grit sand paper
• Soft cloths
• Shop vacuum
• Wood filler
• Stain
• Polyurethane
• Paint tray
• Roller
• Small paint brush or edger

Instructions

1. Sand the entire surface of each wall using an electric hand-held sander that collects the dust. Open all of the windows in the room if you do not have this type of sander. Wear a face mask when sanding. Using the electric sander will remove all of the old finish from the knotty pine, exposing the natural bare wood. Sanding will also remove minor damage to the wall surface.

2. Remove dust particles from the wall using a soft cloth or shop vacuum. Dust can get trapped under the stain and poly, creating bubbles and bumps.

3. Fill in any cracks or holes with a wood filler. Using a wood filler eliminates the holes and flaws and can be stained over, which makes it invisible. Allow the wood filler four hours to dry before applying stain. Sand the filler with a fine grit sandpaper, then wipe particles away with a soft cloth.

4. Apply a coat of stain using a soft cloth. Wipe all excess stain off of the wall promptly to avoid dark spots. Use a second coat of stain to deepen the color, if desired. Do not wait between coats of stain, no wait time is required.

5. Apply a coat of polyurethane to the wall using a roller and paint tray. Pour the poly into the tray slowly to avoid creating air bubbles. Fill in the edges of the wall with the poly by applying it with a small paint brush or edger. Allow the poly 12 hours to dry.

6. Add a second coat of polyurethane over the first, using the roller and tray for the main surface area of the wall, and the edger or paint brush for the edges. Allow the poly 24 hours to dry before putting furniture against it.

Tips & Warnings

• Use care and caution, and wear a mask when sanding.

References

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