Best stain for knotty pine wood

Want to add a stain to your pine wood – but it has a ton of knots? Here are the best stains for knotty pine and tips for staining it!

Pine is a super popular wood to work with because it is beautiful, accessible, and relatively inexpensive.

Pine has many unique characteristics like a wide grain and a soft density. It also can have a lot of knots. These knots are dark and can really stand out from the rest of the wood.

Whether you have pine furniture, paneling, or furniture, you might be contemplating staining your wood.

It’s important to understand the knots in your pine wood when deciding how to stain them!

Tips for staining knots in wood

Knots are a natural part of the wood, formed from a branch in the mother tree. But, they can often be a different color and density than the surrounding wood.

Because knots are so dense, they are sometimes hard to stain – they just don’t absorb like the surrounding wood. You may need to spend extra time specifically staining the knots, or even give them additional coats of wood stain.

Additionally, if you are painting over wood knots, you might want to consider applying a sealant over the knot before painting. This will help to prevent discoloration from seeping through from the knot!

Best stain for knotty pine wood

To determine the best stain for pine with lots of dark knots in it, you need to first decide if you want to hide the knots or highlight them.

To give knotty pine a natural look

Want your pine to look as natural as possible? Stick with a water-based polyurethane in a matte or satin finish. Aim to do at least 3 coats, with light sanding in between coats.

Pine changes color as it ages or is exposed to UV light, and poly will help to protect it!

See all of our favorite non-toxic wood sealants here!

Best wood stains to camouflage knots in wood

If you want to hide the knots, you are going to want a dark wood stain, and possibly one that is more opaque or “solid”.

Remember that pine is a very light, soft, porous wood. To get good results with a dark wood stain, you are going to want to be diligent with your sanding and definitely use a wood conditioner.

This will give the surface of the wood a more even start and cut down significantly on blotchiness.

Here are our favorite dark wood stains on pine wood:

• Varathane Dark Walnut
• Minwax Jacobean
• Varathane Ebony
• Minwax Phantom Gray
• Minwax Ebony

Best wood stains to highlight knots in wood

If you want to highlight or embrace the knots in your pine, you are going to want to choose a lighter wood stain, and one that is transparent (sometimes called semi-transparent as well).

This will let the knots show through and still shine, while adding color and/or changing the tone of the surrounding wood.

Here are our favorite light wood stains on pine wood:

• Minwax Classic Gray
• Minwax Tinsmith Gray
• Minwax Weathered Oak
• Varathane White Wash
• Minwax Puritan Pine

Knotty pine is beautiful, and picking the right stain can enhance the wood and help it better flow with your home and aesthetic.