How to stain cathedral ceiling beams?

CeliaS

Hi workshop,

Im painting cathedral ceilings and theres one main cross beam in a walnut stain which is really nice but the beams coming put from the centre to the sides are pine with an orangey stain that are splotched with ceiling paint and have rills on all timber faces (see photos).

  

How would i go about staining the pine to be the same walnut colour and remove  the paint within the rills? Would i just have to sand? And what would be the best type of sander to use if I do? I dont have much experience with sanding so any suggestons would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much

Celia 

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @CeliaS. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about finishing beams.

Sanding the timber is likely going to be the most effective way of removing the paint from it. Given this work is at height, I'd strongly recommend you consider having professionals come in to complete this work. If you were to attempt this yourself, you'd likely need an orbital sander for the larger surfaces and a detail sander for the corners. You'll also need scaffolding to provide a stable surface to work on at that height. Working on a ladder would be very dangerous, and I'd encourage you not to put yourself at risk.

Once the timber is sanded you can apply a Walnut stain.

A concern I have about the sanding process is that once you start sanding the milled lines to remove the paint between them, you're likely going to have to sand the full timber lengths to get a consistent finish. If you sand some sections smooth and leave others with milled lines, it could affect the appearance of the stain.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell