We have installed new pine paneling. Can we stain the new pine to match the existing pine woodwork that is much darker?
You can, but we don’t recommend it because pine, like all wood, is photosensitive. This means that it will change color with exposure to light. Therefore, if you stain the new pine now, in a few years it will darken and be a different color than the original. The best method to match old wood to new is to determine what finish is on the old wood, (shellac, lacquer or polyurethane.) Finish the new wood the same way and be patient. In a few years any difference will be imperceptible.
