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Painting/staining recommendations for natural, semi transparent stains, opaque and clear finishes

Recommendations for use of natural, semi transparent stains, opaque and clear finishes.

The following recommendations (in the tabs below) are provided as a guide only to those finishing systems suitable for the specified applications.

 

Good advice before you start

  • Stains are more successful when applied to sawn finishes.
  • Clear exterior finishes have a relatively short service life and require regular maintenance when used in a fully exposed situation.
  • In most circumstances all the work is in the preparation and the first coats. If you want a successful result from both an aesthetics and durability perspective don’t short cut on preparation and number of coats.
  • Apply the paints/coatings at the recommended film application rate and work when the weather conditions are favourable.
  • Plan the job well in advance and know your products by reading the technical data.

Rough Sawn

Most often rough sawn wood is selected on the basis that a natural or semi transparent stain will be used.

The first thing to do is to test your selected product for colour and coverage. The colour of the wood will have an influence on the final look. The amount of product required will depend on the uptake (soak in) into the wood during application. It’s best to carry out a test for colour and amount required well before you purchase. As a guide, a rough sawn surface can use 4-6 sqm/litre for the first coat as it soaks into the wood, the second coat will go a little further as the first has sealed off some of the grain.

For weatherboard and joinery or any machined surface that must stay dimensionally stable, apply the first coat to all surfaces before installation. To ensure no water uptake, pay attention to the end grain that should have two coats applied before installation.

Apply your second coat after punching the nails if required. Brush along the grain working the stain into the nail holes. Work along the weatherboard from one end to the other before moving to the next, and don’t stop mid way for a rest as a lap mark may be seen.

Refer to "Surface Prep" tab on Paint coating recommendations for film-forming finishes for preparation required, use the selected product as the end grain primer. Make sure there is an even distribution of the stain as variations in the amount applied to the surface can be obvious.