I am making raside panel exterior shutters from western red cedar. I planned to paint them, but I’m wondering about a colored latex stain, like what is used on wood siding. Ultimately I have two questions:
1. Will it provide weather resistance as well (better?) as paint?
2. What could be done, if anything, to get a glossy finish like you would have with paint? Could they be shellaced over the stain?
Replies
I'd have to check my manufactorers spec sheet to be more precise, and they're all at work where I won't see them until Monday morning. But, an exterior siding stain will give reasonable protection. How well in comparison to exterior paint depends on what type and line of each is being compared. Not all exterior paints, even within the same family such as latex or enamels are comparable in terms of quality or longevity of the paint job. That said... I would expect an exterior enamel or a top quality exterior latex to outlast an exterior siding stain.
Yes, you could use shellac over exterior siding stain. But, you'd need to give the stain enough time to cure our properly.
My house is sided with cedar.. I have no idea what kind.. I used stain on most of it and the trim was a EXPENSIVE latex paint..
The stain lasted the paint did NOT! Just my 2 cents...
Edited 10/23/2005 7:06 pm by WillGeorge
Will, I have had similar experience, which is why I considered the stain. Less maintenance in terms of scraping, sanding, etc as the paint wears. Although I may not even be here when that time comes. But it got me thinking about whether I could get the traditional look of a semi or gloss paint w/ the latex stain. Hmmmmm.
I have some latex stain (Olimpic? I forget) on a swing set made from cedar.. Has held up pretty well.. But looked sort of flat as I recall.. Not a semi-gloss.. Maybe they have it??By the way.. Do not look at a Big-Box.. Go to a Pro paint store.. You will pay a bit more but at least you can get good advice on different products and it's uses etc... Just me..
If you want color and not a natural finish or weathered finish, then paint is better than stain because the opacity of paint provides better UV protection.
Stains don't form a hard film, and they are intended to weather off over time, avoiding the problems of flaking and the need to scrape before refinishing. If you want a glossy finish you should use paint, staining and then putting a sealer coat on it wouldn't work nearly as well and would be more work.
John W.
Ohcomeon,
If you are looking for a semi-gloss or gloss finish, siding stain is not the finish you want to use. Most siding (house) stains dry very flat and generally don't last any where as long a good quality trim paint, they are made to wear off the siding (at least that's the theory). From my own experinces (your mileage can vary) 3 to 5 years with a siding stain is pretty good vs. 10 to 12 years with a good trim paint.
Best of Luck and happy painting
From my own experinces (your mileage can vary) 3 to 5 years with a siding stain is pretty good vs. 10 to 12 years with a good trim paint.
I don't doubt that's pretty accurate for most exterior siding stains. But, there are exceptions. Pratt & Lambert has a variety of exterior siding stain options and one of them, the StainShield "Solid Hide" latex stain reportedly has a lifespan of 8 to 12 years. Much of that is likely due to it being their only exterior siding stain that's listed as being UV-resistant. Either way it appears that it was designed to last as long as the premium trim paints or very nearly so.
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