Picking the perfect stain for your outdoor build is about more than just browsing the aisles at your local lumber store and selecting the most attractive color. Your choice of stain can have a major impact on how long your wood looks great and remains protected.
If you’re trying to decide on the best wood stain for your outdoor project, this article gives you the rundown on how to make the right choice.
What’s the purpose of the stain?
Quality wood stains serve three primary functions: moisture protection, UV protection, and improving the look of the wood. Knowing what you want your stain to accomplish will give you a major head-start on picking the perfect product.
- Will your stained lumber be in frequent contact with water (rain, rain runoff, or sprinklers)?If so, you’ll want to select stain with moisture protection and may need to reapply these areas more frequently.
- Will your lumber be exposed to direct sunlight?In this case, your stain should feature strong UV protection.
- Will your lumber be seen from a distance (ex. fence) or up close (ex. bench)?If either, your stain is primarily for aesthetic purposes.
Why is a wood stain’s moisture protection important?
Wood is a porous natural material, so it absorbs moisture as it gets wet, causing the wood fibers to expand. As the wood dries out, those pores contract smaller than their original size. This expansion and contraction are what cause paint to chip. Applying a quality stain to your lumber reduces the amount of moisture that penetrates the wood in the first place.
How does a wood stain’s UV protection work?
The stain’s chemicals penetrate deep into the wood fibers, delivering moisture protection, but it’s the stain’s pigment that creates ultraviolet (UV) protection. UV rays are extremely harsh to wood fibers, steadily breaking them down. The pigment in stain acts as a “shade” against UV rays. Therefore, the darker the stain color, the more UV protection provided.
How stain works
Wood stain does more than “tint” the wood a different color. It penetrates the pores of the wood, delivering treatment and protection directly into the wood itself. This is why staining wood is about more than improving the way it looks – staining your lumber improves its longevity and ability to withstand environmental conditions.
Wood stains come in three types: oil, resin, or alkyd. These varying chemical compositions bind to the pigments (colors) that initially lay on top of the wood, then penetrate the wood itself.
In contrast, varnish (usually clear) sits on the surface of wood, providing some protection against the elements, but doesn’t penetrate the wood’s pores. We generally recommend against using varnish for outdoor projects, as it doesn’t deliver enough protection.
What type of wood will be stained?
Though there are many stain choices available at the lumber store, certain stains feature specific ingredients that work best with certain species of wood. Knowing the species of lumber you are planning to treat will point you in the right direction for picking stains.
The pores in hardwoods are closer together, so they’re harder for the stain to penetrate. Oil-based based stains work better with hardwoods or those with denser wood fibers (Mangaris Red, Ipe, Oak, Alaskan Yellow Cedar,) while softer woods (Western Red Cedar, Doug Fir, Redwood) can accept the full range of stains.
Water-based stains may look nice, but we recommend against their use outdoors because they don’t offer the UV or moisture protection required from outdoor applications.
Our favorite wood stain products
We carry a few proven brands at our Southern California J&W Lumber store locations.
Penofin Transparent Satin Finish (TSF) stain or Transparent Matte Finish (TMF) are perfect for hardwoods and are available in natural and Ipe tones. PPG ProLuxe (formerly called Sikkens SRD), Stain offers water- and weather-resistant products for outdoor applications like windows, doors, and decks. Penofin’s Verde Low VOC Stain is an environmentally friendly wood stain that provides 99% UV protection and has no odor or petroleum distillates. Ultra Premium Red Label Penofin wood stain is a reliable stain available in ten attractive colors. Finally, Messmer’s UV Plus is a high-performing, long-lasting deck stain that comes in your choice of twelve hues.
We can also special-order stain products that look like paint but feature all the benefits of stain. These may be the ideal option if you’re trying to match existing painted lumber. The team at your local J&W Lumber store can provide more information and place the order.
Nothing lasts forever
Though the protection provided by today’s lumber stains is as good as it’s ever been, no stain will last forever. Sanding and re-staining your lumber is an unavoidable part of standard outdoor wood care and maintenance. However, selecting the right stain for your application and wood type will help ensure you’ve chosen correctly to achieve the most benefit and biggest bang for your buck.
Ready to chat about wood stains? Visit any Southern California J&W Lumber location and let our specialists help.