Comments on: How to Paint Knotty Pine

By: Elaine

Elaine — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:15:35 +0000

I live in a house that was built in 1865, in 1959 my father put up knotty pine in the kitchen, cabinets, walls, backspash. I have put ceramic tiles over the backspash, and now I want to get rid of the knotty pine look, , thinking of painting it….how do I do this without taking the walls down, want to bring the house back to the era the house was built, pre-knotty pine????????would painting the cabinets help? and what do I do with the walls???? HELP

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:05:22 +0000

Cheryl,
Oil and shellac based stain blocking primers do a better job of keeping knots from bleeding through than latex primers. It’s not advisable to use exterior paints inside, as they may contain strong chemicals that are not suitable for an indoor environment.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:37:47 +0000

I have a knotty pine bathroom. I would like to paint it.
Should I use a oil base primer or a water base primer. I don’t want it to mildew. I am using a semi-gloss exterior paint after priming. Is that ok?

By: Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:48:39 +0000

Hi Alison,
To fill knot holes in flooring, I would use a mixture of epoxy glue and a dark sawdust such as walnut. To darken the patch even more, mix in a drop or two of universal colorant.

By: alison miller

alison miller — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:29:59 +0000

have this home where four of the bedroom floors
are knotty pine with holes of different shapes and sizes.
How can I get these holes filled in…

By: Barbara McCann

Barbara McCann — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:34:19 +0000

I have had good luck painting 50+ year-old knotty pine by priming with two coats of Kilz Premium water-based primer and two coats of Benjamin Moore paint. A small bedroom that was once a dark cave now has a very cottagey look.