How to Refinish a Ponderosa Pine Wall

Open the windows in the room. Keep them open when you're working. Close them while drying layers of finish if it is raining or the weather outdoors is humid.

Tape plastic sheeting over the doorways and vents. Only tape the sheeting at the top of the doorway to create a flap that you can easily walk in and out of.

Remove the existing finish with a chemical wood paint stripper or a rotary sander and 80-grit sandpaper. Both methods have pros and cons. Chemical paint strippers go on and off as easily as paint. However, they emit noxious odors and must be handled with care. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for safety and application guidelines. Rotary sanders are easy to use, but they take away thin layers of wood along with the paint. You'll need block or sheet sanders to get into corners or indentations in the paneling. Sand just enough to remove the paint. Follow the 80-grit sanding with another pass with 120-grit sandpaper just enough to smooth out the grooves made by the 80-grit sandpaper.

Wipe the wall down with a tack cloth to remove any sanding dust. Wear rubber gloves to prevent transferring your hand's oils to the wood. Pay special attention to the spots near the corners and the baseboards.

Apply a coat of the finish of your choice with a paintbrush. Always paint up and down the Ponderosa pine panels, not across them. Allow it to dry for the manufacturer-recommended amount of time. If you wish to apply more than one coat, roughen the previous (dry) coat with your rotary sander and a fiber buffing pad. Sand just enough to make the paint surface rough to the touch. Then wipe with a tack cloth to remove any buffing dust before applying the next coat and allowing it to dry.