# Paint vs. Stain, someone make up my mind



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Never, ever, ever paint nice wood. Never, ever paint reasonably decent wood. Paint only crappy pine or something like it.


----------



## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

Avoid painting anything.

For some reason, some people have a hard time coping with wood. I've never really figured it out.

If you want something painted, just build it out of plastic and then leave it bare.


----------



## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

The rails, newels, and balusters are hemlock. Cap of the knee wall is poplar. So, not exactly a precious wood project. I'm now considering just doing an oil rubbed finish. If I do that and don't like it, can I just prime over the oil rub?


----------



## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

hyunelan2 said:


> The rails, newels, and balusters are hemlock. Cap of the knee wall is poplar. So, not exactly a precious wood project. I'm now considering just doing an oil rubbed finish. If I do that and don't like it, can I just prime over the oil rub?


Of course you can prime and paint over anything. I have said on this site many times, I got paid handsomely for stripping paint off woodwork. And, then I hired strippers, some women, that did it faster.

Are you sure you cannot live with the natural wood? If not prime and paint on I guess.

What do you really have against Poplar and Hemlock by the way? Stained and finished nicely both are quite beautiful, IMO.

You cannot rub oil over what you have. Your might look into acrylic gel stains. If your have a real woodworking supply house near or at least a real paint store? Go there for help.

You are are going to have to clean and scruff up the surface.


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

The ONLY advantage to paint.....easier to patch/touch up.....

A stained wood along with a few clear coats is going to give you a much longer lasting surface....while looking much better....

Poplar can be made to look like a lot of woods....

Oil rubbed? Low maint, easy to touch up....just rub on more oil....


----------



## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

I don't have a problem with the wood looking like wood, it's just that I'm not sure that look goes with the rest of the room, being that nothing else is wood look down in the basement. nothing wrong with Hemlock and Poplar, but it's not as sacrilegious to paint those compared to oak or some other "nice" wood (maple, walnut, etc).


----------

