We’ve had perfect weather the last few days so I was finally able to seal my cedar porch with pine tar and linseed oil. The rain stopped and then I gave it a few sunny, dry, hot days to dry out completely. And with some sunny and dry days forecast, yesterday seemed like the perfect day to tackle this project.
Before I could even begin the pine tar application, I had to do quite a bit of prep work. I had already sanded the porch a few weeks ago, but only to paint it, so it still looked pretty stained and a lot of old stains remained. I also didn’t take the time to sand the visible areas between the boards.
After changing my plan, I basically had to start all over again. As you probably know, sanding to prepare primer and paint is very different than sanding stains. When sanding primer and paint, the only goal is to make sure everything is smooth. However, when sanding stains of any kind (including pine tar and linseed oil) that penetrate the wood, the boards require a lot more sanding.
And then I sanded the whole thing again with 60-grit and 80-grit sanding wheels. This time I made sure to preserve the visible areas between the boards and I removed as many old stains from the boards as possible.
Before applying the pine tar and linseed oil, I water tested the boards to make sure they were suitable for a penetrating product. To do the water test, you simply drip water onto the boards (I tested it in about three places) and see if the water penetrates or rolls off the boards. If the water runs off the top, you will need to sand even more, because if water runs off the boards, the boards will not soak up the surface. However, if the water penetrates the floorboards, you are ready for the penetrating finish.
The wood filling, sanding and cleaning process was the most difficult and longest part of the process. Since I don’t have a fancy dust container on my hand sander, it made a huge mess and left dust everywhere. After everything was sanded, I used my vacuum to vacuum the porch boards and siding to remove all of the dust. I then swept the boards really thoroughly to make sure all the dust was removed.
This is the pine tar I used that I purchased from Earth + Flax and I chose the color Authentic Brown. It’s available in a more natural color if you prefer, but I love a dark stained porch. Every time I’ve painted my porch in the past, I’ve always chosen a dark color. I just love the high contrast of the dark boards and white trim.
I’ve never used pine tar before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. In my opinion, something called “tar” would be very thick, but as it turns out, it was actually very thin. It must be mixed very well before mixing the pine tar with the linseed oil.
This is the linseed oil I used and also purchased from Earth + Flax.
Originally I mixed pine tar and linseed oil in a 1:1 ratio. The paint was very solid, so after testing it on a small board in the back corner, I mixed it again with one part pine tar and two parts linseed oil. It was still very dark (which is what I wanted), but with the new ratio it looked a lot less solid.
I applied the pine tar and linseed oil mixture with a 3-inch brush. It’s meant to be applied in thin coats, but I noticed some buildup in certain areas over time. So I worked crosswise on two boards at a time, let the whole thing work in really well, and then went back and wiped off the excess with paper towels.
Note: Paper towels or rags with linseed oil must be placed in a bucket of water after use. Linseed oil can spontaneously ignite because the oil oxidizes if the heat cannot escape during drying. Therefore, never leave a used, crumpled rag filled with linseed oil lying around. After use, simply add it directly to a bucket of water.
Unfortunately I ran out of time and wasn’t able to apply the pine oil/linseed oil to the entire porch and steps. Last night I worked under the porch lights until 9:30 p.m. and then decided to call it a day. But I love the way this is turning out.
It’s really dark at the moment, but I’m pretty sure it will fade a bit over time.
I would compare the appearance to a semi-transparent stain. You can still see the grain and knots of the wood, but the color is incredibly even across the entire surface. And even though I had read that the pine tar/linseed oil wouldn’t penetrate the wood filler I used, it actually did. I was fully prepared to go back and do the wood-filled screw holes separately, but I’m relieved I don’t have to do that.
Since this was my first time using pine tar and I agreed to be the guinea pig for those of you who are curious about it, here is my honest opinion.
- The application is incredibly easy. I find it much easier to use than any other stain products I’ve used before. I was very surprised at the even color across the entire area, which is sometimes difficult to achieve with a standard stain product. Stains often result in darker areas if you have already colored an area and then try to blend a new area. The color builds up and becomes darker where the brush strokes overlap. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s fairly common with stains. That never happened with this pine tar and linseed oil mixture.
- It has a very strong smell, which I was warned about several times. But the smell is different than previous products I have used. The previous stains and other products I have used have an unnatural chemical smell. This is what I’m used to. Pine tar has no chemical smell, but it smells like a campfire. After applying it, you will will It smells like you’ve been standing by the campfire all day. Honestly, I’d rather smell a campfire than strong chemicals.
- The only downside to pine tar and linseed oil is that it takes much longer to dry. After I finish this coat, I have to wait 72 hours to apply the next coat. And then it takes weeks for it to fully cure. You don’t have to wait that long to walk on it, but it is a very slow drying and slow curing product. So this is definitely something to consider if you want a quick turnaround so you can start using your deck or porch right away.
So far I’m a big fan of pine tar. I think it’s beautiful and incredibly easy to use. And most of all, I love that everything is natural. I will not coat my porch with chemicals. That’s a big plus.
