# Siding: Stain vs Paint Debate



## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Didn't we have a go-around on this lately? Can't find that thread. 

There seems to be three common denominators around here for me....1. Lots of older homes 50-100 years with wood siding (I can't always tell what type of wood the siding is) 2. Collage Pro is the other bidder 3. They are ALWAYS recommending a solid stain (Super Paint by ICI I believe? - if I got that right?...I don't know the product) 

I'm a scrape, sand, prime paint 100% acrylic (Duration, Aura, A100) kind of guy......the last comment by the Collage Pro guy to the HO was I'm "old school". 

Just did a google search and I can't seem to find a definitive answer. 

To be honest, I've never used a solid stain on a vertical exterior siding.

I'm not asking for a pissing contest, but can someone try to put this debate into a nutshell.


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## JoseyWales (Jan 8, 2011)

Paint and Hammer said:


> Didn't we have a go-around on this lately? Can't find that thread.
> 
> There seems to be three common denominators around here for me....1. Lots of older homes 50-100 years with wood siding (I can't always tell what type of wood the siding is) 2. Collage Pro is the other bidder 3. They are ALWAYS recommending a solid stain (Super Paint by ICI I believe? - if I got that right?...I don't know the product)
> 
> ...


I depends on the condition of the wood...On one job the wood was in terrible shape with tannin stains,cracks everywhere etc,so I used an oil basd primer and topped it with a nice acrylic paint...

Most of the time I use an acrylic stain,always 2 coats...I spray and backroll the first coat and spray the second...The acrylic stains they have out today are fantastic.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

the solid stains are generally not as film forming (even though they do) as your typical prime and paint job. Therefore, maintenance down the road will be more intensive with the later, but it will last longer. 

Solid stains are generally flat in sheen, and they don't last as long as the prime and paint. On brand new wood, I think the solid stain does accentuate the grain better, because it is less mil dry than prime and paint. 

When its a toss up, I offer my client the options and tell them the pros and cons of each.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Older home with smooth siding, many layers of paint, etc = paint, not that place for stain.

Newer home with rough cedar exterior siding = stain Less film build over time which helps delay the onset of condition from example above. film build offers more protection, but at the cost of breathability and ease of future maintenance. 

Newer home with smooth siding: Toss up. I can see either way with this type.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

Who cares. I've done both and see damned little difference especially if we're comparing latex stains to latex paints. Most of the time you end up priming anyways no matter what you choose - maybe latex stains don't need priming, but they don't kill tannin bleeds. 

Stains have less film build - so you can't cover as well with them - and they don't offer multiple sheens. Eureka!


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

If it's been previously painted, then i'll go with 100% acrylic paint. Aura exterior low luster is by far my favorite, but not everyone can afford it. 

If it's been previously stained (solid stain, I mean) then I prefer to stick with stain. My go-to is SuperStain by Duckback, you can get it from General Paint. It's an alkyd/acrylic hybrid product, seals in stains, doesn't build a thick film, low sheen, looks terrific, lasts forever.


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

Rcon said:


> If it's been previously painted, then i'll go with 100% acrylic paint. Aura exterior low luster is by far my favorite, but not everyone can afford it.
> 
> If it's been previously stained (solid stain, I mean) then I prefer to stick with stain. My go-to is SuperStain by Duckback, you can get it from General Paint. It's an alkyd/acrylic hybrid product, seals in stains, doesn't build a thick film, low sheen, looks terrific, lasts forever.


Doesn't seal in all stains though.

It's my go to exterior stain as well, but I had to prime about half of the back of a house I was working on, wherever the finish had gone to bare wood cause the tannin bleed looked like sh*t


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## AztecPainting (Jan 28, 2010)

Depends on what kind of siding, I just finished a house that was previously stained (Cedar shakes and wood siding) very rough condition though, I had to do a lot of scrapping and spot prime (You kinda have to prime to avoid any bleeding or moisture trapped). I used solid stain as my rep recommended: Woodcraft from General Paint (Solid latex/oil hybrid stain). He also mentioned that this stain is suitable for previously stained or painted wood. 
The reason I also decided to go with this solid stain versus acrylic paints is because stain like this is dead flat and some acrylic paints still have some sheen even if it's flat, I believe that for an older house that is far from being smooth or perfect, with the least amount of sheen you minimize showing any imperfections due to age (walls only)

I just added some before and after pics.


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

Thanks, excellent points. 

"SuperStain by Duckback"....yes, that's the stuff I meant. I have a General Paint account, but haven't used that product, maybe I'll stop in today and talk to them.


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## BreatheEasyHP (Apr 24, 2011)

AztecPainting said:


> I used solid stain as my rep recommended: Woodcraft from General Paint (Solid latex/oil hybrid stain). He also mentioned that this stain is suitable for previously stained or painted wood.


Even though it's a thin coating, would the application of the hybrid lead to alligatoring if the previous coat was latex? One thing that isn't clear about the hybrids is if they have any flex to them.


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

I was just talking to a manger about this. VOC laws have change the solid body stains here to a acrylic paint. It says solid body stain on the labels, but its not the same anymore here. 

In regards to that, I'd go with prime and paint.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I just talked to a manufacturer rep today and he said the flat paint and stain are different. The resin in the stain does not form as tight of a film to allow greater breathability compared to paint.


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## AztecPainting (Jan 28, 2010)

BreatheEasyHP said:


> Even though it's a thin coating, would the application of the hybrid lead to alligatoring if the previous coat was latex? One thing that isn't clear about the hybrids is if they have any flex to them.


I didn't feel like it was a thin coat actually. I thought it was just as heavy as some acrylic paint around, to me it almost felt like I was using Breeze from GP. (Although I used solid stain not semi-transparent)


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## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

I gave the estimate, specing SuperStain, by Duckback, we'll see Friday if I got it. 

To add, I have to say the "Hammer" part of biz is what seems to be getting me exterior paint jobs this summer. EVERY job so far I'm getting has "window sill replacements, wood repair, soffit boards replacement etc...."

What I'm learning, which is nice is if the weather is just a touch too wet to paint....(every freakin' week so far) I'm can still do some repairs moving from one house to the next. 

What's kind of dumb is I currently have 4 exteriors at various stages of repair and prep...but not completed due to rain.


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