Treating knotty pine T&G

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  • dvd1955

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    We are redoing our sun room, turning it into a four season room. Plan on using knotty pine t&g carsiding on the interior. The walls are approx 80% windows, so this will only be a small area above and below the windows. We want the wood to have a little bit of color, but not much. Put some water based clear satin on a sample, and don't really like that. I was wondering about using zinzer amber shellac. I think that will give us the color we want, and I will probably buy a small can and put it on a sample piece.

    My question is about ageing and yellowing (darkening). Got a different answer at Menards than I did at Lowe's, so am a little confused. Menards guy said oil based will yellow, water based won't. Didn't know if the shellac would. Lowe's lady said neither the oil or water based will yellow. She said the shellac would. The can of shellac says it wont. I get all kinds of answers on the Google search, so am not sure what is true. One even says the shellac won't darken, but the underlying wood will.

    Can anyone shed some “light“ on this for me?


    Oh, and maybe a little darkening with age isn't a big deal, since the room is mostly windows anyway.
     

    bigretic

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    All of it will change over time when exposed to light. - Reality. Do your samples and pick the one you are happy with and don't over think it. Yes, oil based will be more dramatic.
     

    Born2vette

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    Agree with the above. Oil based clear gives the wood a “warmer” tone, water based a cooler tone. the pine will darken with age. If you use an exterior rated spar varnish (oil or water based) most have UV blockers (should say on the label) which will reduce the darkening with age but not eliminate.
     

    MRockwell

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    I was wondering about using zinzer amber shellac.
    Amber shellac is just that, an amber color. It all has to do with the amount of shellac in the solvent. I use it occasionally when trying to match an old stain, because it gives it an aged look.

    If you want to use amber shellac, but don't want as much amber color, you can reduce it with Denatured Alcohol. I would start with a 1:1 ratio, test, and go from there.

    When it comes to oil-based stains, always remember that with age light stains will darken and dark stains will lighten over time. I don't use water-based because of past experience(water-based will raise the grain of the wood, too much of a PIA...as well as other issues). And when putting a stain over pine, it is best to use a sealer/conditioner before staining.

    Another thing to think about with shellac is drying time. Are you going to brush it on? Roll it? Alcohol flashes off pretty fast, which can make brushing challenging.


    After saying all that, and re-reading your post to get a handle on what it is you are trying to achieve....I would suggest one of two things.
    1. Use a water-based polyurethane(I prefer Varathane) that is tinted with a dye such as TransTint.
    2. Or use a oil-based spar urethane(because of the UV inhibitors).
    With the dye, you can go with a color that is not amber. I use it in lacquer top-coats to tweak the color when stain just doesn't want to cooperate. Spar urethane is going to have an amber color, but shouldn't yellow as bad over time.


    One other thing to think about is if your new space is conditioned like the rest of the house. If it is not, I would stick with an exterior product. The constant temp and humidity changes can wreak havoc on interior finishes. And remember, wood is always moving(shrinking and swelling).
     

    ancjr

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    As an example.... I wanted to warm up the color and used 50/50 Zinser amber shellac / denatured alcohol to get the color I wanted, and topped it off with Helmsman Spar Varnish which also adds a little tone and is a little more durable than shellac alone.
     

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    HoughMade

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    Everything will darken over time. Water-based will darken less, but the wood itself will darken. I think shellac and water-based will work, but perhaps try different water based. Some have more color than others. and at least Bona and Varethane sell water-based poly with an amber cast. For walls, I like water-based. For furniture, I like oil-based poly.

    Having just put up a bit of knotty pine T & G, here are a a pics that show regular water-based floor poly (Pro-Finisher by Parks) on the walls (in my basement) and oil-based Minwax semi gloss on pine for the bases of the end, coffee and console tables. There is a slight difference, but not huge.

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    MRockwell

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    As an example.... I wanted to warm up the color and used 50/50 Zinser amber shellac / denatured alcohol to get the color I wanted, and topped it off with Helmsman Spar Varnish which also adds a little tone and is a little more durable than shellac alone.
    Perfect example of what I was trying to convey, that looks nice.
     

    MRockwell

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    Everything will darken over time. Water-based will darken less, but the wood itself will darken. I think shellac and water-based will work, but perhaps try different water based. Some have more color than others. and at least Bona and Varethane sell water-based poly with an amber cast. For walls, I like water-based. For furniture, I like oil-based poly.

    Having just put up a bit of knotty pine T & G, here are a a pics that show regular water-based floor poly (Pro-Finisher by Parks) on the walls (in my basement) and oil-based Minwax semi gloss on pine for the bases of the end, coffee and console tables. There is a slight difference, but not huge.

    View attachment 158481

    View attachment 158482
    Was wondering when you were going to get around to showing pics. :stickpoke:
     

    dvd1955

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    As an example.... I wanted to warm up the color and used 50/50 Zinser amber shellac / denatured alcohol to get the color I wanted, and topped it off with Helmsman Spar Varnish which also adds a little tone and is a little more durable than shellac alone.
    That's nice and is close to what my wife wants. I think she wants just a little lighter tone.
     

    dvd1955

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    Apr 10, 2013
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    Everything will darken over time. Water-based will darken less, but the wood itself will darken. I think shellac and water-based will work, but perhaps try different water based. Some have more color than others. and at least Bona and Varethane sell water-based poly with an amber cast. For walls, I like water-based. For furniture, I like oil-based poly.

    Having just put up a bit of knotty pine T & G, here are a a pics that show regular water-based floor poly (Pro-Finisher by Parks) on the walls (in my basement) and oil-based Minwax semi gloss on pine for the bases of the end, coffee and console tables. There is a slight difference, but not huge.

    View attachment 158481

    View attachment 158482
    Really nice. That is similar to what the wife wants, but a little bit darker. Maybe about halfway between that and what ancjr shows in his pic. Room is windows on three sides, so doesn't have to be extra light colored.
     

    Drewski

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    I was always bad with colors myself, and the variability in wood and stain and varnish multiplied my issues. Doesn’t seem like this is what you want to do, but the weathered rustic look especially with knotty / distressed woods, was a godsend for me. The variation only added to the appeal. I did an office in that style and stained the raw pine wainscoting wood with a random combo of reduced coffee, rust vinegar, and red wine. Finished it with Minwax Polycrylic. I can’t say if the Polycrylic protected the color since the color was so inconsistent already.

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