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When painting contractor Mike Ryan came to estimate a job for Joyce Sudak and Chris Carretta six years ago, he was surprised at the project they had in mind. To restore the exterior of their early 20th-century Colonial Revival house, Joyce and Chris had decided to remove the aluminum siding, strip the multiple coats of old paint, and renew the finish with solid-color stain. Chris had been pleased with the results of using stain on a troublesome side of a previous home and was convinced stain was the best option for this house, too. Joyce and Chris were aware that stain might have to be applied more often than paint, but were convinced that long-term costs would be less because preparation and maintenance tend to be easier. Solid-color stain is frequently pitched to new-house owners as a solution to exterior paint problems and a less labor-intensive coating to apply and keep up. For old houses, stain can certainly be an alternative to paint, but it is not a panacea. Looking at the nature and use of exterior stains can help you decide if they are right for your old house. What are Stains? Solid-color stain is a heavier bodied opaque stain that covers
the grain of the wood but allows the texture to show. Also available
in both water- and oil-based formulas, solid-color stain is, simply
stated, thin paint. It performs exceptionally well on new or old rough-sawn
surfaces, but its use on the smooth clapboards and trim of older houses
is a recent practice. To Prime or Not to Prime? Old paint can be removed by scraping, sanding, chemicals, heat guns and plates, or a combination of these methods. If the removal leaves a rough surface, it must be smoothed with a random orbit or pad sander. At the Sudak/Carretta job, Mike and his crew removed the paint with heat guns-which in experienced hands are clean and quick and inflict minimal damage -before sanding. Stripped areas should not be exposed to the weather longer than necessary. It's best to prime or stain the day of stripping so the coating can bind to fresh wood fiber, not a dirty or oxidized surface. Oil-based stains, which predate water-based stains by many decades, don't required priming. Two coats of solid-cover stain will block disfiguring stains (say, from rust) and provided a uniform coating. Priming is important, however, when topcoating with water-based or acrylic stains, says John Stauffer, technical director of Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute, a raw materials supplier and testing agency. Priming seals tannin stains, water stains, and knots that often blemish water-based stains, especially those that are light colored. Whether you are using oil-based or water-based stain, you need to coat any potential sources of new rust stains, such as nails, with a rust inhibitive primer. You can apply the primer by brushing, rolling, or spraying. When rolling, you might need to go over the surface again and "back-brush" the stain to remove roller marks and runs or sags. If spraying, back-brush or roll the primer to work it into the wood. Choosing and Applying Stain Oil-based stains feed the growth of mildew so if you've had a mildew problem, it might be better to use a 100 percent acrylic stain. You should also consider a pure acrylic if your house has had a peeling problem related to interior moisture, as moisture can pass through the acrylic film more readily than through oil film. Acrylic stains also retain their color longer and maintain flexibility in the coating film much better than the oils. An advantage of oil-based stains, in addition to not requiring a prime coat, is what at first appears to be solely a disadvantage. Although they fade more quickly than acrylics, this deterioration of the coating film prevents excessive film build-up in areas exposed to the sun and rain. Initially, Mike and his crew primed the Sudak/Carretta clapboards with oil-based primer and stained the house with two coats of oil-based solid-color stain. He inspected the house every year and usually recoated one side, thus working his way around the house every four years. The goal was to ensure a pristine appearance and spread out the maintenance costs. Although the oil stain held up well, the medium- to-dark color faded, especially on the south. Two years ago to remedy the problem, Mike lightly sanded and washed the existing stain and switched to a 100 percent acrylic, which today looks freshly painted. It appears that the acrylic stain will need touching up only every three to five years. Many manufacturers claim that one-coat coverage is possible, but whether you go with oil or acrylic stain, you'll get a more uniform appearance and more weather protection with two coats. The first coat should always be brushed or rolled over the bare wood or primer to cover every nook and cranny. Working the stain into the substrate prevents random failure around cracks, board joints, nail heads, and other breaks in the surface. If you apply the second coat within a few days of the first you can spray it on the second coat without back-brushing or rolling. Staining an older house may or may not be the best solution to solve
paint problems or to restore the appearance of a historic exterior.
The cost to strip off all the old paint and prepare the siding is a
major expense. On the other hand, paint is also most durable when applied
to bare wood, and stain will give you easier preparation and application
when you recoat. In any case, the expense of materials isn't the deciding
factor; the cost of top-quality stain is insignificant compared to the
labor. Your decision may come down to assessing your own personality:
If you tend to procrastinate and put off chores, paint might better
adapt to your schedule. If you're a stickler about maintenance who keeps
up with every job that arises, stain might be the choice for you.
Cabot Glidden Olympic Sherwin-Williams UGL |
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