4 Stains That Actually Look Good on Pine Tongue & Groove
Ever see a stain you love in pictures but when you try it on your pine t&g (tongue and groove) you HATE it? WHY can’t all woods just stain the exact same - wouldn’t life be so much easier!? Well, Jesus said life on Earth wouldn’t be easy and I’m pretty sure this is one of the things he was talking about. The good news is - I’ve been through my fair share of stains and I’m here to tell you 4 stains that actually look GOOD on yellow pine t&g.
Hi! I’m Bekah, Certified Home Stager and Master Color Consultant. I’m hoping to make your life a little easier today! You see, I do color consultants locally and virtually with Sherwin Williams products so I’ve been down the rabbit hole on stains. I understand your struggle! So take some stain tips from me below but ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get samples before committing to a color.
BONUS: At the end of this post, I’ll hook you up with some links to tools for the DIYers AND give you a very important tip on how to make sure the stain looks consistent on t&g!
Before we get started - here’s some boring disclosure stuff. You’ll find some links (noted as affiliate links) below to order stains and materials. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may make a small commission. This is at no cost to you! Just helps support my small business and the family that stands behind it :)
Early American
Minwax Early American is up first! Did I mention these aren’t in any particular order besides the order of the pictures I took? Ha, typical me! Early American is labeled MW 230. It translates so well on pine! There are definitely homes and woods that Early American will look a bit “orangey” in (it’s a word, dont worry about it), but on yellow pine and in this natural lighting - its super dreamy!
*Affiliate link to order below*
2. Special Walnut
Minwax Special Walnut - I have a SERIOUS obsession with this stain color. Labeled as MW 224. It shows a bit “dusty” on this yellow pine t&g and honestly thats one of my favorite things about it. It flows really well with other stain colors throughout a house when they have the same “dusty” look. There’s something about wood tones like this that make a house feel like a home.
*Affiliate link to order below*
3. English Chesnut
Minwax English Chesnut - Labeled MW 233. This stain is a tad darker than Special Walnut above and looks amazing on pine! Since its darker, it would be a good option if you’re trying to match a stain on a cedar beam thats right next to it. Since cedar soaks up stain quite a bit, choosing a stain thats a few shades lighter than this one would likely do the trick. Again - SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE!
*Affiliate link to order below*
4. Provincial
Minwax Provincial - Last but definitely not least! This one is labeled MW 211. Its the darkest of all 4 stains! & if darker is what you’re looking for, you NEED to check into this stain color. It still gives that natural wood feel and just translates super nicely to the yellow pine t&g.
*Affiliate link to order below*
As promised, here are some tools AND a very important tip on staining!
Staining Towels - Don’t grab your hubby’s old t-shirt like I used to do, ha! Grab these instead. Lint free is the key!
Lint Free Staining Towels! * affiliate link *
Staining Gloves - Yall, I promise you if you do not wear gloves you will smell like stain until the end of time!
Gloves for Staining! * affiliate link *
& of course, make sure you use a sealer when you are done! I recommend using a water based sealer so the stain doesn’t yellow over time. Sealers come in different sheens (aka levels of shine) so make sure you pay attention to that when ordering!
Okay, Bekah, can you tell us what’s SO important now?
Why yes I can lol.
Here’s the tip - when you’re staining pine wood you HAVE to make sure you use a wood conditioner first! Follow the directions on the can for how long you should wait before applying stain. This makes a WORLD of difference and will keep you from getting splotchy looking, inconsistently stain wood.
I hope this post helps you in some way on your stain journey! If you need a little extra hand holding, I offer color consultations for stain AND for paint colors. Feel free to reach out to me on social media or check out my Etsy shop to book below! Happy staining, ya’ll!
