Understanding your material and substrate is key to picking the right stain, says Ray Rahni, owner of Paint Track Painting Services, based in the greater New York area. Dominguez handles exterior and interior residential and commercial projects and relies on referrals for business, so choosing the right stain is key. Their easy application and durability help these products rise to the top of his list. For those projects, he has a few go-to stains: Sikkens’ ProLuxe Cetol Log & Siding, Sikkens’ ProLuxe Cetol SRD, and Sascho’s Capture Log Stain (used with the Cascade Clear Coat).
Luis Dominguez of Dominguez Expert Painters in Colorado has been painting for more than 15 years and handles a lot of log-home projects. “And it lasts longer than the semi-transparent.” “I also like that I can usually do one coat,” he notes. The Arborcoat, Lange says, doesn’t peel the way some stains do. “That’s rare for a stain.” Moreover, it’s a good value for the money, he says.įor deck work, Lange typically turns to Benjamin Moore’s ARBORCOAT Classic Oil Finishes (semi-solid). “And three to four years later, it touches up well,” Lange adds. Plus, it sprays well … and he likes Benjamin Moore’s range of colors, he says. That’s extremely important, especially with dark colors.” “With a lot of stains, you’ll see overlap-a double-coated area-when you start and stop,” he explains. He appreciates that it doesn’t leave lap marks.
With 37 years in the industry, Lange focuses on high-end residential work.įor most exterior projects, Benjamin Moore’s ARBORCOAT Waterborne Exterior Stain (solid) is Lange’s go-to. “I’m a Benjamin Moore guy,” says the owner of Minnesota-based Careful Painting, Inc. Mark Lange pulls no punches about his favorite stain. “Most of our customers are high in the Colorado mountains, and there’s intense sun at those high elevations,” he says. “It has a glossy sheen, but it’s not too shiny or fake-looking.” “I have it on the exterior of my own log home,” he says.īyers likes the stain’s look and the wide array of color options available. His top stain pick? Sashco’s Transformation Stain, Log and Timber. Since 2008, he’s been in the business of selling products to contractors and homeowners to care for their log homes. Skip Byers, owner of Log Home Maintenance and Supply in Denver, CO, has worked with wood for more than 25 years-including staining and restoring log homes. Siding, decks and railings-never mind different types of wood-may call for different stains, so it’s wise to study up on the stain characteristics that will work best for your project. Depending upon your location, wood exteriors can take a beating: snow, wind, strong sun, heavy rains.