In all of our years of DIYing, I don’t suppose we’ve ever used a stable stain earlier than. However we lately had a venture that was *completely* fitted to it and, effectively, stable stain shortly received us over. It was really useful by an expert home painter to us, particularly as a result of he thought it could be nice for our out of doors bathe. And we discovered it simple to use, it gave us nice protection, and we bought an even-better-than-we-expected end result (which is at all times the perfect variety!). So right here’s a publish that covers all the professionals & cons and hows & whys of stable stain.
As you’ll be able to see, the “canvas” for this staining venture was our out of doors bathe. We gave it a mini-makeover proper after shifting in, however we knew it might 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 reasonably painless course of – and there was no sanding required. Your entire venture 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 must always’ve performed it years in the past!
Stable 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 might probably do. As a reminder, this bathe appeared fairly dangerous when we first toured the house. We have been a bit nervous it was a misplaced trigger – particularly after our contractor prompt ripping it off the home. Fortunately we advised him we needed to revive it.
Cleansing it up with a strain 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 at all times been a considerably weathered and timeworn look, which has a lot attraction to us, however we 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 wanted 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 photograph under). It can 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 seems like a giant win. Extra on the entire stable stain perks in a second.
Listed here are those self same images, a bit greater so that you can see. Once more, this primary image was taken a couple of days earlier than we utilized the stable stain. You possibly can see a couple of new boards among the many extra worn sunbleached ones (high and backside on the proper 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 photograph.
The repairs turned out nice however they left the bathe trying mismatched. Many seams and holes needed to be stuffed with wooden putty or out of doors caulking, which led to an excellent patchier end result. We additionally knew we needed to do one thing to seal the brand new cedar, however an everyday stain wouldn’t cover the colour variations.
Fortunately we consulted with a neighborhood painter (and pal!) who came visiting to take a look at it with us in particular person and strongly really useful stable stain. We have been nervous at first, having by no means used a stable stain, however he advised us we may simply do that ourselves. And he was proper. Now we’re 1,000% satisfied it was the proper alternative, and we’re so glad he really useful it.
Higher than any photograph is a video. So here’s a rundown of the way it seems in movement, with some large pictures and a few close-ups for you too. You actually get a sense for a way our out of doors bathe flows into our entrance porch at giant on this video, so take a peek in the event you can. It offers a whole lot of context for a way this works with our complete exterior:
For a easy earlier than & after photograph comparability, right here’s the out of doors bathe because it appeared once we purchased this home in February of 2020:
And right here’s the out of doors bathe right this moment. Nothing beats the heat of fresh stunning cedar, however you’ll be able to 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 build up 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 way of in particular person (the video does a greater job I feel!), however this photograph helps to indicate the way it seems up shut & private… like once 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 huge enchancment. It’s rot-proof & water-friendly since droplets can accumulate on that flat floor for a couple of 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 exhibits the way it all flows collectively.
Why Select A Stable Stain?
Stable 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 shade & defend the wooden with out hiding the wooden grain texture. Nevertheless, the ultimate result’s an excellent and really protecting coat. For this reason it was so effectively suited to our out of doors bathe’s points & particularly why a paint professional really useful it.
Though in footage 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 way of. So as soon as it’s dry you’ll seemingly discover that it seems extra like stained wooden (versus brown paint).
Stable Stain Vs. Paint
Stable stain might provide you with an identical end result to color, however listed below are some key variations to know when selecting one over the opposite:
- Stable 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 so on.
- Stable stain doesn’t require a primer coat on uncooked wooden, paint does.
- Paint is available in seemingly infinite shade choices, stain usually doesn’t.
- Stable stain tends to put on exterior by fading, and will require recoating (though the stain we used stated it was assured to final for 25 years on siding or fences!).
- Against this, paint tends to put on exterior by peeling, which requires sanding and priming earlier than recoating.
- Stable stain soaks into wooden, higher preserving the wooden grain look.
- Paint sits on high of wooden, which might cover extra of the wooden grain.
- Stable 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 way of 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
Observe: we didn’t select a transparent or semi-transparent stain as a result of sanding each nook and cranny to attempt to make totally different wooden tones match appeared time-consuming at finest and unattainable at worst (outdated cedar that’s freshly sanded doesn’t at all times 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 photograph above that we used exterior caulk to fill some corners and nail holes earlier than starting. We selected an exterior caulk within the shade “Cedar Tan,” because it was closest to our stain shade. We have been a bit nervous about it exhibiting by way of the stain in the long run, nevertheless it didn’t!
How To Apply Stable Stain
Stable stain goes on similar to paint, if not a bit simpler. And it’s MUCH easier than a conventional clear or semi-transparent stain. You don’t need to wipe off the surplus stain or fear about uneven protection attributable to overlapping coats or the stain soaking in splotchily. Mainly, in the event you 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 simply clear the floor with a stiff-bristled brush and shop-vac to take away any mud or particles.
We suggest working in sections (you’ll be able to see that we did the bathe door first within the photograph under). Begin by “reducing in” the perimeters/corners of 1 wall or part together with your paintbrush. This was essentially the most tedious a part of our venture as a result of we brushed underneath the sting of every cedar plank to make sure that it was properly lined.
After reducing in that facet wall with our brush, we used a small foam curler to roll stain onto every plank. A better nap curler (3/8″) is necessary for tough surfaces like wooden. Stable 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, reducing in first with the comb after which rolling. At took possibly 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 protected. A number of the corners, particularly the place that they had been caulked, required a fast third coat to realize full stable protection. Generally once you’re utilizing paint, smaller touchups like these can depart 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 things was absolutely dried for an additional 24 hours, we loaded our stuff again into the bathe. And by stuff, I imply largely vegetation.
Stable Stain Shade Choices
Paint manufacturers usually provide a smaller palette of stain shade 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 bother discovering an appropriate 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 shade known as Havanna Gold (once more, try the video that’s increased up on this publish to see the way it all flows collectively). We’ve chosen a extra colourful stain prior to now too, so don’t really feel boxed into browns and tans.
Some paint manufacturers promote pattern sizes of their stable stains so you’ll be able to check a couple of colours earlier than committing. I might suggest testing them on a scrap piece of matching wooden or siding, or in an not easily seen spot in your siding or deck.
Would We Use Stable Stain Once more?
Sure! We’re actually pleased with each the appliance 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 through the years, however our out of doors bathe is a superb 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 largely 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 thus far, and it’s proving to be much less porous and extra waterproof.
So there you could have it: our first use of stable stain – and a bunch of causes that it’d work effectively for a venture chances are you’ll be tackling.
We’ll you should definitely replace this publish as soon as we’ve seen how our stable stained cedar is holding up. However thus far 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 here are another initiatives with stain that you simply is perhaps thinking about trying out:
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