How to Whitewash Knotty Pine

Sand the paneling to remove old sealer and grimy build-up. Start with coarse sandpaper and work down to a medium grit.

Work open the woodgrain with a brass-bristled brush. Pine does not have a pronounced grain but brushing it can help to open up what grain there is, especially around the knots in knotty pine.

Sand the paneling with 220 grit garnet sandpaper until it is smooth.

Wipe the paneling with tack cloth until it is clean and smooth. Tack cloth, which is resin coated, works better than vacuuming.

Work in manageable sections of a few panels at a time, and use a wad of cheesecloth to rub liming wax into the wood's grain, using overlapping circular motions. The wax collects in the crevices between the panels and in the grain.

Rub the paneling with ultra-fine steel wool to remove excess wax immediately after applying it. Repeat process of applying and removing to the next few panels.

Use a lint-free cloth and mineral spirits to buff away any residual haze. Apply the mineral spirits to the cloth, and then rub it into the paneling after letting the initial coat of wax dry for five minutes.

Apply clear paste wax, according to the directions on the can, after you have finished whitewashing and buffing all the paneling. Allow to dry for four hours.

Wipe finishing oil onto the paneling after wax has dried to give the paneling a protective coat. More coats will result in a shinier surface.