7 Tips for Painting and Staining Pine Lumber

Pine lumber is a softwood that has a beautiful grain and texture and is an excellent choice for making light duty furniture or keepsake cabinets. However, like other types of Pinewoods, it can be difficult to get the best finish when painting or staining. If you will not be using Radiata Pine in its natural state with a clearcoat finish (recommended for best results and to preserve the natural appearance of the wood), you will need to properly prepare the wood and follow some tips in order to achieve the best paint finish on the wood. Therefore, here are a few helpful tips that will help you achieve the perfect paint finish om Radiata Pine.

Pre-Treat the Surface of the Wood

Before painting Radiata Pine, you should always treat the surface of the wood with Benzole or alcohol to help open up the pores of the wood in the resin, sap filled streaks that are often in most types of Pinewoods. Use a soft cloth and dampen it with the Benzole or alcohol and gently wipe down the entire surface of the Pinewood to be painted. Then, allow the benzole or alcohol to sit in the wood for about 30 minutes to one hour before you begin painting.

Treat Scratches or Dents Before Painting

If the Radiata Pine wood has scratches or dents, you should fill and seal them before you start painting. You can use a high-quality wood filler to fill dents or scratches, and then use a high grit sandpaper to sand the wood to a smooth finish. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times in order to completely hide the scratch or dent. However, working with the scratch or dent before painting the Radiata Pinewood will result in a much cleaner and more professional paint application.

Oil Based Enamel Paints May Need to Be Treated

If you're going to be painting the Radiata Pinewood with an oil based enamel paint, you should treat the paint with a linseed oil and turpentine mixture. Create a mixture that is about one fourth linseed oil to three parts turpentine. Then dilute the oil based enamel paint so that it is about three parts paint and one part of the linseed/turpentine mixture. This will help to create a much better bond between the wood and the first coat of paint.

Use Dark Paint Stain Colors for Best Results

Like any other type of Pinewood, Radiata Pine wood looks best in its natural state. However, if you do need to paint or stain the Pinewood a different color, you should choose darker paints and stains to cover the Radiata Pine. Because of the deep yellow tint of the original wood grain, it is very difficult to get good results with white or other light colors. Dark stains such as Walnut or Cherry can be applied to Pine fairly easily, and almost any darker color will work well when painting Radiata Pine.

Treat Knots in the Wood Before Painting

Knots in any type of Pinewood can absorb too much surface paint overtime and cause the wood to darken in the area where knot is located. Therefore, you should treat any knots in the Radiata Pine Wood before you start painting. Take an old rag and cover the knots with a half linseed oil/turpentine solution, and then wipe it off. Allow the solution to soak in and dry overnight before you start painting. This will help to keep the knot from bleeding through and being too dark once the wood has been painted or stained.