In all of our years of DIYing, I don’t assume we’ve ever used a stable stain earlier than. However we just lately had a mission that was *completely* suited to it and, nicely, stable stain rapidly gained us over. It was beneficial by knowledgeable home painter to us, particularly as a result of he thought it might be nice for our out of doors bathe. And we discovered it simple to use, it gave us nice protection, and we acquired an even-better-than-we-expected end result (which is all the time one of the best form!). So right here’s a put up that covers all the professionals & cons and hows & whys of stable stain.
As you may see, the “canvas” for this staining mission was our out of doors bathe. We gave it a mini-makeover proper after shifting in, however we knew it could want extra consideration and care down the road. Actually, we dreaded the duty of stripping and restaining it – so many nooks & crannies! – however utilizing a stable stain ended up being a fairly painless course of – and there was no sanding required. All the mission took two afternoons and we have been utilizing it once more a day later!
Not solely was it simple, it’s going to be a lot extra sturdy for us. We should always’ve carried out it years in the past!
Strong Stain Earlier than & After
Earlier than we dive into the stable stain FAQs, listed below are some earlier than & afters – as a result of they actually present you what it may do. As a reminder, this bathe regarded fairly unhealthy when we first toured the house. We have been just a little apprehensive it was a misplaced trigger – particularly after our contractor prompt ripping it off the home. Fortunately we instructed him we needed to revive it.
Cleansing it up with a stress washer helped lots, and we’ve been doing that yearly to maintain it from getting too scummy together with oiling the wooden in an try to guard it. It has all the time been a considerably weathered and timeworn look, which has a lot appeal to us, however we just lately needed to face the music that it was time for some spongy, rotten, and damaged cedar boards to be fully changed. And we knew we would have liked a greater long-term answer to maintain that from taking place once more.
You possibly can see the changed boards trying brighter & much less grey within the image on the left under, which prompted our stable stain replace (proper picture under). It is going to find yourself being a lot much less upkeep and can maintain any extra boards from rotting like those we needed to have changed, so it looks like an enormous win. Extra on all the stable stain perks in a second.
Listed below are those self same images, a bit greater so that you can see. Once more, this primary image was taken just a few days earlier than we utilized the stable stain. You possibly can see just a few new boards among the many extra worn sunbleached ones (high and backside on the appropriate facet, and a bunch on the left wall within the center and backside). There have been additionally different boards that have been changed on the door wall, which is behind me on this picture.
The repairs turned out nice however they left the bathe trying mismatched. Many seams and holes needed to be crammed with wooden putty or out of doors caulking, which led to a good patchier end result. We additionally knew we needed to do one thing to seal the brand new cedar, however an everyday stain wouldn’t conceal the colour variations.
Fortunately we consulted with a neighborhood painter (and good friend!) who came to visit to have a look at it with us in individual and strongly beneficial stable stain. We have been nervous at first, having by no means used a stable stain, however he instructed us we might simply do that ourselves. And he was proper. Now we’re 1,000% satisfied it was the appropriate alternative, and we’re so glad he beneficial it.
Higher than any picture is a video. So here’s a rundown of the way it seems to be in movement, with some large photographs and a few close-ups for you too. You actually get a sense for the way our out of doors bathe flows into our entrance porch at giant on this video, so take a peek if you happen to can. It supplies lots of context for the way this works with our total exterior:
For a easy earlier than & after picture comparability, right here’s the out of doors bathe because it regarded once we purchased this home in February of 2020:
And right here’s the out of doors bathe at present. Nothing beats the heat of fresh lovely cedar, however you may see how the stable stain has given our siding a extra protected and uniform look. It’s lots much less porous (three cheers for much less grime increase and fewer rot down the road!) and it has by no means felt so clear in right here.
Wider images actually don’t seize the pure wooden texture that comes by in individual (the video does a greater job I feel!), however this picture helps to indicate the way it seems to be up shut & private… like whenever you’re really in right here having a shower.
I also needs to point out that a few winters in the past we changed the bathe’s outdated wooden flooring with Trex, which has been one other large enchancment. It’s rot-proof & water-friendly since droplets can acquire on that flat floor for just a few hours after a bathe. Now it matches the flooring on all of our different porches and decks too, which is nice. To not maintain saying “watch the video”, however that additionally reveals the way it all flows collectively.
Why Select A Strong Stain?
Strong stains are someplace between paint and conventional semi-transparent stains. They are often utilized to any unpainted wooden floor and, like different stains, they add coloration & defend the wooden with out hiding the wooden grain texture. Nonetheless, the ultimate result’s a good and really protecting coat. That is why it was so nicely suited to our out of doors bathe’s points & particularly why a paint professional beneficial it.
Though in photos just like the one above, it’d simply appear like a stable brown paint when it goes on, it permits extra wooden grain to indicate by. So as soon as it’s dry you’ll possible discover that it seems to be extra like stained wooden (versus brown paint).
Strong Stain Vs. Paint
Strong stain might offer you an analogous end result to color, however listed below are some key variations to know when choosing one over the opposite:
- Strong stain can solely be utilized over uncooked or beforehand stained surfaces, usually simply wooden and concrete.
- Paint works on loads of surfaces together with beforehand painted ones, from wooden and concrete to drywall, plastic, metallic, and many others.
- Strong stain doesn’t require a primer coat on uncooked wooden, paint does.
- Paint is available in seemingly countless coloration choices, stain usually doesn’t.
- Strong stain tends to put on exterior by fading, and will require recoating (though the stain we used mentioned it was assured to final for 25 years on siding or fences!).
- In contrast, paint tends to put on exterior by peeling, which requires sanding and priming earlier than recoating.
- Strong stain soaks into wooden, higher preserving the wooden grain look.
- Paint sits on high of wooden, which might conceal extra of the wooden grain.
- Strong stain tends to be extra reasonably priced. For instance, Behr’s high stable waterproofing stain is $30 cheaper per gallon than their high exterior paint.
For us, the first advantages of utilizing a stable waterproofing stain have been:
- utilizing one thing that enables the wooden grain to indicate by extra
- not needing to do a primer coat in every single place first
- not having to take care of peeling paint down the road, which requires sanding and priming once more earlier than repainting
Word: we didn’t select a transparent or semi-transparent stain as a result of sanding each nook and cranny to attempt to make completely different wooden tones match appeared time-consuming at greatest and not possible at worst (outdated cedar that’s freshly sanded doesn’t all the time match new cedar attributable to how the wooden ages over time, and the bench really isn’t cedar, it’s beforehand stained pine).
Instruments & Provides Wanted
Making use of a stable stain requires just about the identical instruments and provides you’d want for normal paint. Here’s a supplies listing:
You possibly can see within the picture above that we used exterior caulk to fill some corners and nail holes earlier than starting. We selected an exterior caulk within the coloration “Cedar Tan,” because it was closest to our stain coloration. We have been just a little nervous about it exhibiting by the stain in the long run, however it didn’t!
How To Apply Strong Stain
Strong stain goes on similar to paint, if not just a little simpler. And it’s MUCH less complicated than a standard clear or semi-transparent stain. You don’t must wipe off the surplus stain or fear about uneven protection attributable to overlapping coats or the stain soaking in splotchily. Principally, if you happen to can paint a room, you should utilize a stable stain.
Relying on the state of your wooden, chances are you’ll want to make use of a chemical cleaner or stripper to take away the outdated end. Ours had worn off sufficient that we determined to only clear the floor with a stiff-bristled brush and shop-vac to take away any mud or particles.
We suggest working in sections (you may see that we did the bathe door first within the picture under). Begin by “chopping in” the perimeters/corners of 1 wall or part together with your paintbrush. This was essentially the most tedious a part of our mission as a result of we brushed beneath the sting of every cedar plank to make sure that it was properly lined.
After chopping in that facet wall with our brush, we used a small foam curler to roll stain onto every plank. The next nap curler (3/8″) is vital for tough surfaces like wooden. Strong stain has a paint-like consistency, so it was simple to unfold with out dripping. Rolling went in a short time and was suuuuuuper satisfying
We tackled every wall of the bathe the identical approach, chopping in first with the comb after which rolling. At took perhaps 4-5 hours one Saturday afternoon. We let the primary coat dry in a single day after which did a second coat the following day, simply to be secure. A number of the corners, particularly the place that they had been caulked, required a fast third coat to realize full stable protection. Typically whenever you’re utilizing paint, smaller touchups like these can go away brushmarks or may cause flashing (a visual distinction in sheen), however we had NO ISSUES like this with the stable stain.
As soon as all the pieces was absolutely dried for an additional 24 hours, we loaded our stuff again into the bathe. And by stuff, I imply principally crops.
Strong Stain Coloration Choices
Paint manufacturers usually supply a smaller palette of stain coloration choices in comparison with common paint. For instance, Behr presents hundreds of paint colours however solely 60 stable stain colours (under). You’ll usually discover your choices in a booklet or pamphlet within the stain part of the shop, or on-line.
Stains have a tendency to return in darker, earthier colours that complement a spread of exterior purposes like decks, fences, siding, and out of doors furnishings. So regardless of the restricted palette, most individuals could have no hassle discovering an acceptable hue. We selected Behr’s Tugboat as a result of it’s an in depth match to our entrance porch decking which is a Trex coloration known as Havanna Gold (once more, take a look at the video that’s increased up on this put up to see the way it all flows collectively). We’ve chosen a extra colourful stain previously too, so don’t really feel boxed into browns and tans.
Some paint manufacturers promote pattern sizes of their stable stains so you may take a look at just a few colours earlier than committing. I might suggest testing them on a scrap piece of matching wooden or siding, or in an not noticeable spot in your siding or deck.
Would We Use Strong Stain Once more?
Sure! We’re actually pleased with each the applying course of AND the ultimate results of our stable stain. It has solely been a few months, so the jury continues to be out on the way it weathers and wears over time, however our out of doors bathe is a good testing floor as a result of it will get a number of moisture and the highest will get a number of solar whereas the decrease areas are principally within the shade. We anticipate some quantity of upkeep it doesn’t matter what, however we’re actually inspired by how clear it has stayed to date, and it’s proving to be much less porous and extra waterproof.
So there you may have it: our first use of stable stain – and a bunch of causes that it’d work nicely for a mission chances are you’ll be tackling.
We’ll be sure you replace this put up as soon as we’ve seen how our stable stained cedar is holding up. However to date our verdict is 2 thumbs up! And once more, on the can, the declare is fairly spectacular! See the way it says it holds up on siding and fences for 25 years?!
Different Initiatives Utilizing Stain
Listed below are another initiatives with stain that you just may be eager about trying out:
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