# Questions about doing a Knotty Pine room



## Gary L (Nov 24, 2008)

I have to do a room in Knotty pine for a good friend and would like some advice and tips to get it right.

The material is 6 inch wide, tongue and grove and beaded on one side. The flat, non beaded side goes out.

I am concerned about sealing and staining to guard against major expansion and contraction of the wood with the weather and seasons here in the NE.

The front side will be stained and then varnished, pollyed or shellacked but I think I should seal the entire boards.

I am trying to figure out the best and easiest process.

Do I stain the fronts first before any cutting and then seal both sides?

What about any touch up after installing where the stain won't take after sealing?

Would it be better to seal the backs, install and then stain and seal the fronts in place?

I have a Wagner Crew, 2 gallon hopper sprayer machine but am not sure if this will be a good choice for this job. Possibly, seal the backs outdoors with it but do the stain and final front sealing inside with conventional brush or sponge.

This is a pretty large room with fire place and all new construction right now and I am fastening the pine on to flake board walls.

Any help sure will be appreciated and if anyone has suggestions of stains and sealing liquids they have used and had good results with I am open to follow the leaders here.

Thank you

Gary


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## AJAX (Sep 12, 2009)

Personally I would pre-finish everything. In the event of contraction you don't want to see the tongue unfinshed. And any bordering pieces such as 1x's you wouldn't want to see any non-stained parts from contraction on that either. 

Unless it's in a screened porch, or in an area where water may come in contact, I would not bother with the back. Otherwise pre-cut and finish all 6 sides. As far as material we use Sherwin Williams products.


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## Meetre (Nov 2, 2007)

make sure you let the wood acclimate to the house before installing it. You may want to watch the moisture content in it also. And I would finish it first, then install.


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

Meetre said:


> make sure you let the wood acclimate to the house before installing it. You may want to watch the moisture content in it also. And I would finish it first, then install.


While I agree with you 100% and yes he should dry it excessively, it is not going to matter since it will still shrink. Prefinish all of it including t&g

I have committed any time with interior pine to go get the knotty pine ply which holds up real well to shrinking. Expensive as he'll though and of course your edges are exposed ply so your applications are limited.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

make sure its dry, install it and spray it.


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## Gary L (Nov 24, 2008)

Thank you all!

Nice rooms Mics54 and just about what I am looking to do.

I think AJAX & Framerman have the right idea for my job since I have to stain and darken the wood before it goes up and I can't end up with unstained areas showing when it is dry & shrunk.

I did get a response from the manufacturer who also highly recommends that all surfaces be stained and sealed before installation.


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## Meetre (Nov 2, 2007)

Gary, just a side note for you...please put your location in your profile. It helps in situations like these when we answer questions. (it won't shrink as much here in Boise ID as it would in Houston TX, we have MUCH less humidity to deal with) Just a suggestion. :thumbsup:


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## Gary L (Nov 24, 2008)

Thanks Meetre, I'll figure out how to add my location later.

Here in the NY Catskill mountains we get the full mix from dry heat all winter to very humid a few weeks in spring & summer. Raised panel cabinet doors are pretty interesting in January when things are dry as popcorn farts but they are perfect in the summer when our humidity returns to normal.

Gary


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## eisert (Jan 31, 2009)

I use tongue and groove from a company called Pyramid Peak Premium Pine Products. It comes pre-finished, and the ends are also tongue and grrove, so no need to break on a stud, joist, or rafter. Color is very consistant, and the finish is really smooth. It's relatively inexpensive around here (Minneapolis). If I remember corectly around $1/lf ?


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