Selecting Stains

Exterior stains are available in latex- or oil-based formulas. Unlike paint, no primer is needed. However, exterior stains will need to be reapplied more often than paint. There are two types of exterior stain:

Solid color or opaque stains have less pigment than regular paint but more pigment than a transparent stain. These stains allow the wood's texture to show, but not the wood grain. They are the consistency of a thin paint.

Semitransparent or transparent stains are thinner than opaque stains. These penetrating stains are formulated to allow the texture and the grain to show through. Differing degrees of pigmentation from clear to dark allow you to change the color of the wood. These products are close to the consistency of water. Some contain stain as well as a wood preservative.