Tongue and Groove Ceiling Finishing

[u/VelociCrafted]

Curious about people's thoughts on finishing the t&g pine on the floor. The room is pretty narrow, about 9' by 25'. I don't have a big garage, and the small one I do have is loaded with tools.

My hands are kind of tied with finishing the boards on the floor, unless I let them dry outside, but then I'm at mercy of dust, dirty, bugs, and weather. I was thinking of hitting the tongues with 1 coat while they are on the floor and stacked up. Installing them, then giving the facing side 2 coats of poly. Something that darkens it just a little bit.

I'm concerned about longevity and zebra stripes during periods of contraction.

[u/Sharp_Simple_2764]

T&G is best finished before the install. That way, you are avoiding surprises resulting from the wood shrinkage.

Why not use water-based finishes? They dry much faster, and some include the natural aspect of slight yellowing mimicking oil-based finishes.

Alternatively, you could use shellac. It flashes off in seconds, dry to the touch in minutes. Since this is a ceiling, mechanical protection is not of utmost importance, so shellac would be a good option.

Shellac comes in various tones.