Why Solid Stain is Better Than Paint for Cedar Siding

Cedar siding is the most used siding material. This is widely popular due to its durable nature and attractive appearance. However, cedar siding requires protection from sunlight and moisture. When it comes to protecting your cedar siding, there are two common options for finishing the cedar wood siding; paint and stain. It often becomes a difficult task for the homeowners to choose between the solid stain and the paint. Solid stain or paint, which one is better depends on several factors such as your personal choice for the appearance and maintenance, and the condition of the siding.

Why paint may not be a good choice for cedar siding?

Paint, when applied on the cedar wood siding, it entirely covers the wood grain. However, paint doesn’t penetrate deeply into the wood’s pores. On the contrary, stain penetrates deeply into the cedar siding, which protects the cedar siding better than the painted surface. The solid stain has a high concentration of pigments, which hides the actual wood color and grain. Also, solid stain offers a couple of options in terms of the appearance and you can choose your own depending on your preference.

However, paint leaves a thicker coating on the cedar siding and hides imperfections. This is beneficial if your cedar wood siding is old or discolored by weathering.

Stains require much less preparation:

When it comes to surface preparation, paint and stain can both be applied on the cedar siding using a roller, and both need a properly cleaned, dry surface. However, solid stains require much less preparation for application, because you can skip the priming step. On the contrary, painting requires proper surface preparation, and the takes longer to apply. Before you apply the paint on the cedar siding, you must complete the surface preparation with proper adhesion and should apply a coat of primer. Primer is not necessary when you apply solid stain on the cedar siding.

Stain requires less work to keep them looking attractive:

As time passes, both stain and paint require maintenance. However, stain fades slowly and you can simply give it a fresh look by washing the surface and applying a new coat of stain. On the contrary, paint starts to crack or peel as it ages, which can make your cedar surface look old and unappealing. To refresh the look of your painted cedar siding, you need to remove the loose and peeling paint with coarse sandpaper, then only you can apply a fresh coat paint on a properly primed cedar surface.

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