HOW TO RESTORE OLD KNOTTY PINE TONGUE AND GROOVE?

[Andrew Tucker]

Any ideas for restoring the beauty of old knotty pine tongue and groove. It’s actual T&G and not paneling. I’m uncertain about if it was ever finished but it’s looking pretty dull. I grabbed some Murphy oil soap but now I’m reading mixed reviews. Anyone have any suggestions from experience?  Thanks

[Joel Forsythe]

Hey there. If it’s truly “old” , hard to know what’s built up on the surface layer of the pine. Oxidation at the least; old finish + oxidation likely worst.  Murphys is a temp solution, but lasts longer on overhead surfaces, then a little longer vertical, then short on floor/flat surfaces. It’s just a surface/partial penetrator that eventually fades. Problem is its just combining with whatever is already on the surface layer of the wood, not removing or really covering it up.

So, you probably didn't want to hear the obvious answer because it’s the most labor intensive and incredibly messy; sanding. It’s solid wood, and if it wasn’t stained previously, it’s a thin outer layer that needs to be removed to refinish it properly. It will be dusty as hell. I would test an area with very fine paper to see if it’s working well enough and evenly enough. The finer the better.  Forget the V Grooves, those are toast and are what they are, unless you really want to add tedious exponential hours to the job.

This is why most people give up on refinishing and just remove or paint over.  You could test a water based clear coat on a section to see how it looks, that could even out and enhance it longer than Murphy’s. Go Low Luster though, stay away from gloss. Whatever you do, you can’t mix and match approaches, the finish will not match evenly.