# Oil on knotty pine paneling



## rjgorman (Feb 13, 2010)

I have recently purchased a home that has 4" tongue & groove paneling and it hasn't had any treatment for 20 years. What is best kind of oil to use. I have been reading up on tung and linseed. What is best?


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Neither one is as durable as a good urethane finish. Theres a few guys here that can probably tell you the best finish to use on this and how to treat it to get the best results.


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## jlhaslip (Jan 16, 2010)

add Danish Oil and 'Boiled' Linseed Oil


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## shopsmithtom (Nov 3, 2009)

When you say it hasn't had any treatment in 20 yrs, do you mean that the wood is bare, or that it has a 20 yr old finish that hasn't been updated or redone in 20 yrs? If the wood has no finish, I'd want to try any oil "in the wood" material on an inconspicuous spot to see how it looks. It may darken & you'll want to know how many coats it will take to seal the wood....how much work you're in for. Do you want a satin or gloss finish? If there's an old varnish on the wood, you'll probably have to scuff before you coat it. Also, after 20 yrs, other things to think about include: smoker household? there may be a residue to clean before finishing.
While I love boiled linseed oil as a finish in furniture making, I have some real reservations about using it as a finish for paneling. It won't give the protection that a polyurethane will, and I don't think it will be maintenance free in the long haul. I used a poly varnish on both new knotty pine and to re-coat and match the older pine in my place about 12 years ago. It still looks like I just finished it & no maintenance whatsoever. I don't believe you'll get that with an oil finish.


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## rjgorman (Feb 13, 2010)

thanks for the help shopsmith.


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