- for the vaulted ceiling in our dining room/kitchen area , material chosen is Southern Yellow Pine . It has beautiful grain patterns , with very light overall coloration . We don't want it yellowed like a regular varnish would do , nor do we want it to darken with age . I decided to go with Minwax's Polycrylic crystal clear water based protective finish in satin gloss - they don't call it varnish ... and I like it ! It's milky in the can , but goes on so clear you may have a hard time seeing where you put it . Using a good brush (Wooster 3" synthetic) I had no problem applying a thin uniform coat . It dries fast and sands well between coats , 2 coats produced a nice soft glow . At 60 bucks a gallon it ain't cheap , but quality seldom is . I need to mention , I'm working under less-than-optimum conditions . I've enclosed a part of our deck with plastic sheeting -including under the floor - and have a propane heater to warm it . It works well enough , but takes a while to get things above 50° when it's in the low 20's outside . I give this product 2 thumbs up for ease of use , coverage , and appearance . I'll probably use it for all my interior trim .
We decided to go with 6" "car siding" - basically T&G V-groove boards