What You Need to Know When Refinishing Pine Furniture
Pine is a soft wood that is often used to make furniture. It is most common in rustic or country styles, but it is also a budget-friendly wood used for other styles too. There are some truly beautiful antique pine pieces out there! However, when refinishing pine furniture there are a few unique characteristics that you need to keep in mind. One, it is a soft wood that is highly susceptible to dents and dings. And two, pine has lots of wood knots that can bleed into your paint or finish.
How to identify pine furniture
Raw pine is yellow in color, has a straight grain pattern, and a whole lot of knots (if it’s knotty pine). The growth rings and knots are generally darker in color. It is also soft – you can often scratch or dent it with your fingernail (especially if the finish has been removed). And becuase pine is a soft wood (and less dense) the furniture will be lighter than a hardwood peice of furniture of similar size.
Characteristics that are important when refinishing pine furniture
1. Softness
As I have mentioned a few times already, pine is a soft wood. It dents and scratches very easily. Chances are, if you have an antique or vintage piece, it will have lots of these. Personally, I love the character this adds. It can’t be replicated and truly gives the piece a one-of-a-kind, old-world feel. Below is an example of two pieces I did where I embraced the character – one painted and one not.
However, some pine pieces don’t have that antique or vintage feel to them. They have a different style. Maybe you want to have a smooth, painted finish. In that case, you are going to have to fill in a lot of imperfections when you are prepping your piece for paint. Also, keep in mind the piece will likely get dented and scratched in the future. No matter what products you use to paint/seal the piece, the underlying wood is soft and there is nothing you can do to change that. Below is an example of this type of piece.
2. Knots
The knots on a pine peice can be a painter’s worst nightmare if not treated properly! They will bleed through your paint and you will have brown or yellow spots in your finish. Sometimes they can take weeks or months to appear, so don’t think you are in the clear if you don’t see them immediately.
The solution is to seal the knots with shellac or a high-quality stain-blocking primer. I generally do both. I will brush on shellac over the knots themselves (several coats). Once that has completely dried, I will use a stain-blocking primer over the entire piece. I have a whole post on what primers I use, and when, if you want more information on that.
If you are not planning on painting your peice, then you don’t have to worry as much about knots and bleedthrough.
Summary
Pine furniture can be truly beautiful furniture that is worth refinishing or painting, especially if you love that old-world style with all that character. Just remember that it is naturally soft and will show marks and that you need to be sure to take care of those knots if you’re painting! Questions about pine furniture? I’d love to hear them, so ask away.
Other Helpful articles:
- Priming Furniture: Everything You Need to Know
- How to Paint Wash Furniture
- Project Recap: Painting an Antique Pine Dresser Black
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