# Latex vs oil exterior stain



## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

i am going to stain a fence made from pressure treated pin. Is latex stain better than oil? it seems like the stain manufacturers advertise that latex is better. I always thought oil was better but latex is easier.


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## Stillwerkin (Nov 24, 2008)

I would go with the oil stain, IMO. 
-Unless it's several years old, pressure treated wood will continue to leech out chemicals and water, and the paint will just peel off regardless of the primer. Saw it happen with a neighbor's new house.
-A stain won't get as dirty as paint either. Much easier to power wash and reapply.

Fast-growing pine these days have a very high water content, and it goes directly to the store for immediate sale. Earlier this year I picked out some arrow-straight 2x4's, and after two days of sitting in the basement they curled up like pretzels.

I tried Olympic at first on the deck but didn't like it: felt like silicone and the color faded quickly.
I then used Cabots Austrailian Oil with better results. Couple bucks more but worth it.


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## beerdog (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. You mention "paint". I was asking about latex stain, not paint. I am goint to apply some type of sealer stain. iwas leaning towards stain so as to modify the color. There seems to be 2 types of exterior stains: laetx and oil. any experience with latex stain?


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## Stillwerkin (Nov 24, 2008)

(didn't read that right )
There's another thread on this, but I think the latex "solid color stain" is much like paint, in that most of it stays on the surface.
Can't give a recomendation other than use a good product if you go that route.

I did paint my garage last year with a latex stain, but it's a verticle surface, about 40 years old, and had an extremely rough, porous, surface to hold the material. There wasn't any way of completly stripping it first, and I didn't see any oil products on the selves. Hope it lasts.
The "stain" went on like "paint".


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

Go with an oil stain. Latex stain= Latex paint which will need primer and will peel. IMHO, Latex Stain needs to be taken off the market. Pine also has a lot of Tanins in the wood as well as the chemicals used to pressure treat it that will bleed through Latex Paint/Stain and discolor it. If you like to see some of the grain of the wood, go with a semi-transparent. If you want to hide the grain, go with a solid.


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## fdriscoll (May 31, 2011)

*Latex stain*

I used a Benjamin Moore semi-transparent exterior latex stain about 12 years ago on a house about 40 years old at that time. The stain has held up very well and I am about to re-stain it this year.


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