Installing plank ceiling....staining help...

[Dr. Jim]

Greetings,

I am planning to do our kitchen ceiling in knotty pine tongue/groove planks.
These are Home Depot planks. LINK HERE (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100097559&N=10000003+90176+501736&marketID=176&locStoreNum=4645)

I can handle the installation. But I am a complete novice at staining. We wish to just give these a slight stain. Nothing too dark at all. It is a rustic mountain home.

I have read alot regarding sanding first? Using a clear coat first to help seal the pores so it doesnt take too much stain? And using Minwax stains vs polyshades?
I would also assume to stain the boards before I put them up so as to get the tongues stained as well??
We are looking at roughly 450 sq ft of boards.

Anyone care to give there opinion of how they might best handle this process? Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[threecreeks3]

Greetings,

I am planning to do our kitchen ceiling in knotty pine tongue/groove planks.
These are Home Depot planks. LINK HERE (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100097559&N=10000003+90176+501736&marketID=176&locStoreNum=4645)

I can handle the installation. But I am a complete novice at staining. We wish to just give these a slight stain. Nothing too dark at all. It is a rustic mountain home.

I have read alot regarding sanding first? Using a clear coat first to help seal the pores so it doesnt take too much stain? And using Minwax stains vs polyshades?
I would also assume to stain the boards before I put them up so as to get the tongues stained as well??
We are looking at roughly 450 sq ft of boards.

Anyone care to give there opinion of how they might best handle this process? Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Well I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions on this so heres mine.Deft waterbased wiping stain,I'd use the white so that you'll get a light whitewashed type look,you could mix a bit of the blue with the white too etc for more colors.Then zipguard poly...2 coats sanded between coats..All done before installing it..but then I dont like doing much labor over my head.
Sam

[K. L. McReynolds]

Use a preconditioner---a one pound cut of shellac is what I like---that helps block blotching and irregular staining.

A wiped on stain is much easier to control--any stain can be wiped. I have never use a gel stain however, so do not know if that can be wiped on. Use a lint free cotton rag---or the blue towels.

Finish with a coat or two of varnish and install.