- 1). Remove all hardware and lighting fixtures from the ceiling.
- 2). Prepare the ceiling by sanding it thoroughly. Remove all of the varnish or sealer on the pine for the wood to evenly accept the espresso stain.
- 3). Wipe the dust off of the ceiling thoroughly with a damp cloth.
- 4). Allow the ceiling to dry completely.
- 5). Tape off the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling. This will help prevent unintentionally staining the walls. Likewise, cover the floor and furniture with plastic drop cloths to protect it.
- 6). Apply the espresso stain using a cloth. Wear latex gloves (or something similar, if you are allergic to latex) to avoid staining your hands and fingernails. Dip the cloth into the can of stain and rub it onto the ceiling, moving in the direction of the grain of the pine. Another option is to apply the stain using a brush; oil stains work best with natural-bristle brushes, as latex stains work well with synthetic-bristle brushes.
To achieve a uniform look, it is important that you don't allow sections to dry before blending into the next section, otherwise, you will end up overlapping wet stain onto dry stain, which will create darker spots on the ceiling. - 7). Remove excess stain using a clean, dry, lint-free cloth after 15 minutes. You have the option of doing this as soon as you wish, however, allowing it to soak into the wood for as long as 15 minutes will help to create a deeper color. Do not skip this step, as doing so may prevent the finish/varnish coat from sealing evenly.
- 8). Allow the ceiling to dry completely. This could be anywhere between two and 24 hours, depending on the product you use. If you are happy with the darkness of the wood, you can move on to varnishing. If you would prefer to have a darker look, repeat steps six and seven, allowing it to dry completely before varnishing.
- 9). Apply the varnish, using a stain brush. Varnish is a clear coat that will add shine and will also help to seal the wood.
- 10
Allow the varnish to dry thoroughly before reinstalling light fixtures and hardware.
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