Varnishing the Frame and Ceilings

The sanded white pine wood of the post and beam timber frame and the 2x8 tongue and groove ceilings looks light and soft after it has been sanded clean and smooth.

When it takes on a coat of varnish, the surface of the wood has a bit of a sheen and a darker richer appearance that lets the knots and grain and spalting stand out.

We rolled on then brushed smooth two coats of a water based varnish that lets you recoat as soon as it is dry, so that the (scary) scaffolding would not have to be moved as much. As a recovering acrophobe, I prefer to stay closer to the floor. The boys, who include rock climbing as one of thier chosen hobbies, were glad to clamber up (scary) ladders and climb up to work from the (scary) scaffolding that was sitting on (scary) boards over the (scary) opening to the floor below. I worked only from the lower ladders, mostly on the ground floor.

The water based varnish does raise the grain a bit. So in areas where people will touch the posts and beams, we plan to give is a quick sanding later to smooth it back out, then add one more coat.