Interior or exterior, staining is a great way to add a personal touch to any piece in your home. And with any improvement, there are several things to consider before settling on any one project.

What kind of stain are you using?

Exterior stains are typically broken down into two different types – solid-color stains and semi-transparent stains. Solid-color stains can go on bare wood without a primer, but don’t last as long as paint does. However, you don’t have to prime your surface before painting. Color pallets associated with solid-color stains go well with homes that have exterior wood. You can also get almost any color tint at Sherwin Williams.

The most popular stains are semi-transparent stains. Semi-transparent stains allow you to see the grain within the wood. They come in a variety of colors, including greens, yellows and reds. However, the wood has to be treated every 3 to 5 years.

Interior stains arguably allow you to have much more flexibility with your projects because there are numerous stains and surfaces to work with. The stain itself should be your primary concern – is it a thicker stain? What color are you using? Is your stain oil or latex based? The properties of the stain can influence what kind of wood you use, how long your project will take and what the project ends up looking like.

What kind of surface are you using?

Any wood is able to hold stain. But we encourage you to know what kind of wood you’re working with because every wood holds a stain differently. For example, staining pine will sometimes create blotches, so using a wood conditioner will create an even stain. Stains can also look different depending on who’s staining the wood. Leaving a stain on any surface for any different amount of time will produce different results. We would caution you to consider that once you stain a surface, there’s little you can do to reverse the stain.

To get a product closest to your vision, Sherwin Williams offers stain samples so you know exactly what your wood is going to look like.

Where are you using the stain?

Knowing where your finished product is going to be can influence what type of stain you use. Many stains for exterior surfaces aren’t actually meant to be walked on, but typical marketing doesn’t make that distinction. So when you’re selecting a stain for an exterior deck, keep in mind how much foot-traffic that particular area is going to see. That’s going to influence how much life you get out of a stain and how you treat your surface.

With more than 10 years working with stains and paints, we have the knowledge and skill set to make sure any job is done timely and to your expectations. Contact us today to get started on your next project.