What are the Major Differences between Exterior Paint and Solid Color Stain?

A big question for the home owners is whether to use paint or solid color stain. There are notable differences between these two, and knowing Solid Color Stainthese differences will help you to make a right decision.

The difference between exterior paint and solid color stain can be defined in two ways – the appearance you want from the job and the formulation.

Sheen Availability of Paint or Stain:

Paint is available in many sheens, on the other hand solid color stain is only available in its own sheen. For using on most products, solid color stain will usually be close to a matte finish appearance. Another major difference between exterior paint and solid color stain is that stain is only meant for fresh wood that has not been painted earlier. On the other hand, paint can be used any types of wood as well as many other surfaces like plastic doors and stucco.

Stain is More Water Absorbent:

Water is mainly absorbed by the untreated wood that lies underneath the deck. Using stain on the deck is sensible since it lets the moisture escape from the wood through the coating. At the same time, it does not cause rotting by any trapped moisture.Solid color Stain is also made in such a way so that it can take foot traffic. Foot traffic actually results in more abrasion than the regular exterior paint is designed to take.

Paint Lasts Longer than Stain:

Another notable difference between solid color stain and paint is that paint will last longer than stain. However, stain could also be a good choice for the homeowners since it protects wood better by allowing the moisture to escape from the wood.

Benefits of Solid Color Stain:

Solid color stain is used for its many benefits. First, it lets moisture escape from the wood. Second, it is meant for abrasion from foot traffic. Stain is also self-adhering to wooden surface. Lastly, solid color stain prevents tannin oil from bleeding without a primer.

Benefits of Exterior Paint:

There are plenty of reasons why paint is used by most people. The first and foremost reason why paint is so popular is because it is available in many levels of sheen. Unlike slid color stain,paint works well on any surfaces including metal, plastic, stucco, and others. Paint also comes in high grade acrylic versions for offering superior longevity. Paint also comes in many varieties, therefore you can choose the brighter and more vibrant colors.

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