Written by Terry Smith
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Best wood knotting (Summer 2021 Updated Review)
This article was last updated on March 2nd, 2021 at 8:42 am
Table of Contents
Top 7 Wood Knotting Products
If you’re looking for the best wood knotting products then you probably already know what the product is for. For those who are not quite sure, here is a quick breakdown of what it’s used for and how I usually apply it. If you have furniture, skirting boards, architraves around doors, basically any bare wood you need to paint or varnish, including wood outdoors, then the wood used will often have knots.
This is particularly a problem with pine which is also a very popular choice of wood in construction because it’s fast-growing. This issue is pine usually has lots of knots. These knots do not affect the structure and are where the branches have grown out of the tree. The problem that these knots often cause little brown circle patches to come through your finished paintwork or varnish. To help prevent this you need to apply a couple of coats of knotting solution to seal the knots.
Now to apply the knotting solution, all you need to do is make sure you have shaken the bottle well and then apply with a brush or cloth, lightly over the Knotts. Make sure the solution does not run down the wood as you apply it, if it does, just brush the run into the wood. We recommend applying two coats to ensure it does an effective job.
Now, there are many brands to choose from so we have narrowed it down to just 6 picks I recommend depending on whether its for outdoor or interior use and depending on the paint type you use. Not all knotting solutions can be used with all paint types or varnishes. Let’s get started with out favourite pick below.
Comparison table: Best wood knotting (Summer 2021 Updated Review) | ||||||
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| Product | What We Think | Price | ||||
Liberon LIBKIP125 Knotting Pale 125 ml
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Rustins Knotting White 250 ml RUSWK250   |
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Rustins KNOT125 125ml Knotting
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Barrettine White Knotting Solution Wood Knot Treatment 250ml
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Barrenttine Patent Knotting Treatment 500ml
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If you are looking for the best quality wood knotting products, you are in the right place. In this article, we have listed 7 of the best wood knotting products for you to choose from.
1. Liberon LIBKIP125 Knotting Pale 125 ml
Our top choice when it comes to knotting solutions is this knotting product by Liberson, the Liberon LIBKIP125 Knotting Pale. Now, the reason we recommend this product before most others is that it can be used on most types of woods to prevent seepage from knots in resinous woods.
It’s also one of my favourite choices because it can be used with most paints, and because it’s almost clear, it’s perfect for using before applying varnish which is not the cause with all knotting products so do check first if you plan on using varnish as the finish. We always recommend testing a small patch first to test.
We also recommend applying 2 coats and it usually takes around 15 minutes for each coat to dry but this obviously varies depending on the conditions. You can usually begin to paint over in around 90 minutes so you also get the advantage of not having too much downtime.
I personally have come to really trust Libero products and they have one of the best reputations. With this in mind, we think for most people, this will be perfect for what you need as it’s effective at sealing all woods and can be used with most paints and varnishes afterwards.
- Can be used on all types of woods making it the best choice for most jobs.
- It is pale in colour and dried almost clear so can be used with most paints as well as varnishes
- Prevents seepages from knots that leave brown stains on painted or varnished woodwork if not treated beforehand.
- Quick-dry in 15 minutes, can usually paint or varnish treated wood after only 90 minutes.
2. Rustins KNOT125 125ml Knotting
So second on our list is perfect for indoor and outdoor use but we think it’s a good choice for using outdoors for sealing knots in wood and on resinous and creosoted timber. This is my go-to for sealing knots in wooden garden gates, playhouses, sheds, benches, mostly any wood outdoors. That being said it can be used indoors and seals well on oak as well as pine.
One of the main advantages of using this product is that it dries quickly too. A little word of warning, it’s not suitable for applying under polyurethane clear varnishes, water-based varnishes or water-based paints. I personally have found this not to be a problem as most of the paints I use outdoors are not water-based anyway but its just something to keep in mind when choosing a paint or knotting solution.
- Our go-to knotting solution for exterior use but also suitable for indoor use too
- Fast-drying so you can paint over not too long after
- Prevents discolouration of paints from seeping knots
3. Rustins Knotting White 250 ml RUSWK250
We have yet another product from Ruskins and this is equally as good as the previous one but this time I prefer to use this one indoors under Acrylic paint but it can also be used outdoors too.
First thing to note, you should not use it under polyurethane clear varnishes or water based varnishes, or water based paints. For this we recommend our top pick the Liberon LIBKIP125 Knotting Pale, but for under Acrylic paint this is a good choice.
As with all knotting solutions, this product is ideal for sealing knots in resinous and creosoted timber in order to stop bleeding through the paint film which causes those brown stains we want to avoid.
If you are not sure about applying the product, don’t worry as it is very easy to use. All you need to do is smoothen the surface with sandpaper and then apply the product over the knots with a brush or cloth or explained in the introduction, remember to do at least two coats before applying primer or paint.
- Perfect for using under Acrylic paint to seal knots
- Suitable for both exterior and interior purposes
- Great for sealing knots in resinous and creosoted timber
- Easy to apply by brush or cloth
- Quick-drying which means less downtime
4. Barrettine White Knotting Solution Wood Knot Treatment 250ml
This is another alternative to the Liberon LIBKIP125 Knotting solutions in that is can also be used under most paints and varnishes. Where this may be a slightly better alternative is that sometimes with knotting solutions, including the Liberon pick, if you use under very light varish sometimes it can show through varnish. However this is totally translucent and so maybe a better choice for under lighter varnishes as well as lighter paints.
- Ideal for using under lighter coloured varnishes and paints
- Suitable for sealing knots on wood both exterior and interior use
- Can be used under most stains, varnishes, and paints
- Translucent, colourless knotting solution
5. Barrenttine Patent Knotting Treatment 500ml
The next product we have on our list is another Barrentine Patent Knotting treatment but this time more suited to darker paints or varnishes where you don’t need to use white knotting solutions.
This is basically shellac in alcohol which can simply be applied over knots and resinous areas in wood in order to seal it before painting just like all knotting solutions. What you don’t want to use it on water based lighters colours as it will show through, for this you should always use clear white knotting solutions as mentioned several times already.
You can use the product both externally and internally which I like. With the use of this product, you can prevent the resins found in woods (the sap from the trees) from getting dissolved by the solvents in paints. In other words, it prevents the discolouration of the paint finish.
- Suitable for both exterior and interior use to seal knots
- High-quality product from a trusted well respected brand
- Easy to apply by brush or a cloth to apply a couple of coats
- Do not use with water based and lighter coloured paints
6. Ronseal 32104 Colron knotting solution 125 ml
Ronseal needs no instruction as a brand and this Ronseal Colron Knotting Solution is very effective as sealing knots but it’s for indoor use only which is the only real limitation. It is really effective in sealing weeping knots and is a good choice for using under varnish, wood stains, most paint, wax and even oil.
We also like that it comes with a built in brush attached to the cap (lid), no other products on our list have this feature so it stands for something. This means no cleaning brushes afterwards, it also makes using it that little bit easier to use as you just need to carry the tin around and you have everything you need.
- Perfect for interior use varnish, wood stain, paint, wax and even oil
- Built-in brush attached to the cap makes life much easier
- Prevents discolouration of woods through seeping knots
7. Liberon KP250 Knotting Pale
Lastly, we have Liberon KP250 knotting pale on our list. As you may already know that Liberon products are known for their quality. With the use of this product, you can prevent seepage from knots. It can be used both externally and internally.
It is advised you to use the product before painting. This will reduce the discolouration of the paint finish.
The liquid is pale in colour and thus, it can be used with clear varnishes.
- High-quality product
- Can be used with clear varnishes
- Pale colour liquid
- Suitable for exterior and interior
So these are some of the best wood knotting products listed on the market. You can avail all the products both online and offline. These are all high-rated products that can provide you with the best results. Now that you know about them you can pick according to your choice.
