Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. (And happy Thursday to everyone outside the U.S.)
I milled a bunch of ash into nickel-gap T&G to cover the walls and ceiling of a small home office. I really like the creamy color of the unfinished wood and would like to keep it that way after finishing.
I originally bought some water-based wipe-on poly that seemed promising but has actually yellowed noticeably over just a few months. Thankfully I made some test pieces before using it on the whole project.
I am looking for something that will offer enough protection for walls and ceiling (i.e. not much) but will not change the color of the wood. I especially don't want anything that will accentuate the open structure of the grain.
I have a decent spray set up and would be willing to try spraying, but wipe-on is also an option. I don't want to mess with brushed finishes for a project this size.
So, my questions are:
- What clear finish should I use that won't alter the color, won't accentuate the pores, and won't look like plastic?
- Should I finish the pieces before putting them on the wall, or install everything and then spray or wipe?
- Anything else I should be thinking about?
Thanks.