In all of our years of DIYing, I don’t suppose we’ve ever used a stable stain earlier than. However we not too long ago had a undertaking that was *completely* fitted to it and, properly, stable stain shortly received us over. It was really helpful 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 bought an even-better-than-we-expected outcome (which is at all times the perfect sort!). So right here’s a submit that covers all the professionals & cons and hows & whys of stable stain.
As you possibly can see, the “canvas” for this staining undertaking 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. Truthfully, 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. Your entire undertaking took two afternoons and we had 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 executed it years in the past!
Stable Stain Earlier than & After
Earlier than we dive into the stable stain FAQs, listed here are some earlier than & afters – as a result of they actually present you what it may possibly do. As a reminder, this bathe appeared fairly unhealthy when we first toured the house. We had been a bit of anxious it was a misplaced trigger – particularly after our contractor instructed ripping it off the home. Fortunately we advised him we wished to revive it.
Cleansing it up with a stress washer helped rather a lot, 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 appeal to us, however we not too long ago needed to face the music that it was time for some spongy, rotten, and damaged cedar boards to be utterly changed. And we knew we would have liked a greater long-term resolution to maintain that from taking place once more.
You’ll be able to see the changed boards wanting brighter & much less grey within the image on the left beneath, which prompted our stable stain replace (proper photograph beneath). It would 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 number of days earlier than we utilized the stable stain. You’ll be able to see a number of new boards among the many extra worn sunbleached ones (prime and backside on the fitting facet, and a bunch on the left wall within the center and backside). There have been additionally different boards that had been changed on the door wall, which is behind me on this photograph.
The repairs turned out nice however they left the bathe wanting mismatched. Many seams and holes needed to be full of wooden putty or out of doors caulking, which led to an excellent patchier outcome. 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 good friend!) who came to visit to take a look at it with us in individual and strongly really helpful stable stain. We had 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 fitting alternative, and we’re so glad he really helpful it.
Higher than any photograph is a video. So here’s a rundown of the way it seems to be in movement, with some broad 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 in case you can. It gives a variety of context for the way this works with our whole 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 lovely cedar, however you possibly can see how the stable stain has given our siding a extra protected and uniform look. It’s rather a lot 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 in individual (the video does a greater job I feel!), however this photograph helps to point out the way it seems to be up shut & private… like while you’re truly in right here having a shower.
I must also point out that a few winters in the past we changed the bathe’s previous wooden flooring with Trex, which has been one other large enchancment. It’s rot-proof & water-friendly since droplets can gather on that flat floor for a number 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 coloration & defend the wooden with out hiding the wooden grain texture. Nonetheless, the ultimate result’s an excellent and really protecting coat. For this reason it was so properly suited to our out of doors bathe’s points & particularly why a paint professional really helpful it.
Though in photos just like the one above, it’d simply seem like a stable brown paint when it goes on, it permits extra wooden grain to point out by. So as soon as it’s dry you’ll possible discover that it seems to be extra like stained wooden (versus brown paint).
Stable Stain Vs. Paint
Stable stain could offer you an analogous outcome to color, however listed here are some key variations to know when choosing one over the opposite:
- Stable stain can solely be utilized over uncooked or beforehand stained surfaces, sometimes 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.
- Stable stain doesn’t require a primer coat on uncooked wooden, paint does.
- Paint is available in seemingly infinite coloration choices, stain sometimes doesn’t.
- Stable stain tends to put on outdoors by fading, and will require recoating (though the stain we used mentioned it was assured to final for 25 years on siding or fences!).
- Against this, paint tends to put on outdoors by peeling, which requires sanding and priming earlier than recoating.
- Stable stain soaks into wooden, higher preserving the wooden grain look.
- Paint sits on prime of wooden, which might cover extra of the wooden grain.
- Stable stain tends to be extra reasonably priced. For instance, Behr’s prime stable waterproofing stain is $30 cheaper per gallon than their prime exterior paint.
For us, the first advantages of utilizing a stable waterproofing stain had been:
- utilizing one thing that permits the wooden grain to point out by extra
- not needing to do a primer coat in every single place first
- not having to cope with 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 not possible at worst (previous cedar that’s freshly sanded doesn’t at all times match new cedar as a result of how the wooden ages over time, and the bench truly 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 checklist:
You’ll be able to 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 coloration “Cedar Tan,” because it was closest to our stain coloration. We had been a bit of nervous about it displaying by the stain ultimately, however it didn’t!
How To Apply Stable Stain
Stable stain goes on identical to paint, if not a bit of simpler. And it’s MUCH less complicated than a conventional clear or semi-transparent stain. You don’t need to wipe off the surplus stain or fear about uneven protection as a result of overlapping coats or the stain soaking in splotchily. Principally, in case you can paint a room, you need to use 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 previous 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 advocate working in sections (you possibly can see that we did the bathe door first within the photograph beneath). Begin by “reducing in” the perimeters/corners of 1 wall or part along with your paintbrush. This was essentially the most tedious a part of our undertaking as a result of we brushed beneath 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 vital 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 method, reducing 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 subsequent day, simply to be secure. A number of the corners, particularly the place they’d been caulked, required a fast third coat to attain full stable protection. Typically while you’re utilizing paint, smaller touchups like these can depart brushmarks or could cause flashing (a visual distinction in sheen), however we had NO ISSUES like this with the stable stain.
As soon as every thing was totally dried for one more 24 hours, we loaded our stuff again into the bathe. And by stuff, I imply largely crops.
Stable Stain Colour Choices
Paint manufacturers sometimes supply a smaller palette of stain coloration choices in comparison with common paint. For instance, Behr provides hundreds of paint colours however solely 60 stable stain colours (beneath). You’ll sometimes 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 variety 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 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 coloration known as Havanna Gold (once more, try the video that’s greater up on this submit 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 possibly can check a number of colours earlier than committing. I’d advocate 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 remains 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’ve it: our first use of stable stain – and a bunch of causes that it’d work properly for a undertaking chances are you’ll be tackling.
We’ll be sure you replace this submit 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 tasks with stain that you just is likely to be thinking about testing:
*This submit comprises affiliate hyperlinks, so we could earn a small fee while you make a purchase order by hyperlinks on our web site at no extra value to you.