How to Whitewash Knotty Pine

Update knotty pine paneling with a whitewash.

Knotty-pine paneling is thick tongue-and-groove paneling made from real wood planks, rather than photo-laminate, which is why many people do not like to replace it. But you can save it while also transforming it. Whitewashing, also known as liming or pickling, can transform dated knotty-pine paneling for far less than installing new tongue-and-groove paneling. Newly whitewashed knotty pine generates light and lends a fresh, contemporary mood to paneled rooms.

Things You'll Need

• Coarse- and medium-grit sandpaper
• Soft wire brush
• 220 grit paper
• Tack cloth
• Cheesecloth
• Liming wax
• Ultrafine steel wool
• Lint-free cotton rag
• Mineral spirits
• Clear paste wax
• Finishing oil

Instructions

1. Sand the paneling to remove old sealer and grimy build-up. Start with coarse sandpaper and work down to a medium grit.

2. Work open the woodgrain with a brass-bristled brush. Pine does not have a pronounced grain but brushing it can help to open up what grain there is, especially around the knots in knotty pine.

3. Sand the paneling with 220 grit garnet sandpaper until it is smooth.

4. Wipe the paneling with tack cloth until it is clean and smooth. Tack cloth, which is resin coated, works better than vacuuming.

5. Work in manageable sections of a few panels at a time, and use a wad of cheesecloth to rub liming wax into the wood's grain, using overlapping circular motions. The wax collects in the crevices between the panels and in the grain.

6. Rub the paneling with ultra-fine steel wool to remove excess wax immediately after applying it. Repeat process of applying and removing to the next few panels.

7. Use a lint-free cloth and mineral spirits to buff away any residual haze. Apply the mineral spirits to the cloth, and then rub it into the paneling after letting the initial coat of wax dry for five minutes.

8. Apply clear paste wax, according to the directions on the can, after you have finished whitewashing and buffing all the paneling. Allow to dry for four hours.

9. Wipe finishing oil onto the paneling after wax has dried to give the paneling a protective coat. More coats will result in a shinier surface.

Tips & Warnings

• A harsher grade of steel wool may discolor the wax.

References

• This Old House: How to Lime a Table
• Wood Finish Supply: A Limed Wood Finish

Resources

• New York Times: Designers Say Knotty Is Nice