I am off to do a search so will likely find my answers there. My first thought is to post, then search. Also realizing I should have just stuck this in the other thread about staining & painting trim.

Stain and paint run about the same, but painted allows you to use hardi-plank type material, which is cheaper than trim quality boards.

The biggest issue, though, is that a top quality paint will last years longer than a top quality solid stain, which in turn will last years longer than the best semi-transparent stain.

So paint should cost a bit less originally, and cost less down the road for maintenence.

Jeannekay: your question is different from the other thread because you asked about the comparative cost. I'd like more info. about that too.

Oruboris: For comparison sake let's stick with wood rather than composites. So, if you paint it, you can buy cheaper, paint quality trim. Most of it is fingerjointed and some of those joins look really bad, even after painting, so you have to shop carefully to get a decent product. As to the stain-quality wood, does the maintenance come because the stain itself fades? Or because the topcoat (polyurethane or whatever) wears off?

We like light wood (which always eventually darkens) so our plan is to use a wood we like and NOT stain it. Just use 2 coats of satin polyurethane. Any ideas about how that would cost out? It does save the labor of staining.

I don't know if other areas of the country are the same as Ohio, but I've saved a ton of money by not buying molding at lumber yards or big box stores. We have several hardwood suppliers in the area who make moldings and the cost is about half of Home Depot,etc. So maybe thru some investigation, you could find a place like that in your area. They have a number of species of wood they work with and can even make some custom pieces that may be hard to find in a store.

My builder told me that he can actually get stain grade trim from his fabricator cheaper than he can paint it. Don't really know how that's possible, though. So we went with all stained. You might check around in your area for fabricators/mills and see what kind of prices they have.

Interesting about the different grades of trim available, apparently it's a bit of a regional thing...

I'm not sure I'd trust the finger jointed stuff outdoors. If the joints were visible after painting, they'd be a very false economy.

As to paint or stain, Consumer reports says-- in the print sections-- you can expect about 9 years out of either. BUT the actual ratings tell a different story: a dozen or more paints score 'excellent' or 'very good' appearance after 9 years, while only two tested stains manage to score 'good', none score higher. Many don't even score 'good' after 6 years, and these are the 'solid' stain that hides color but reveals texture. The thinner 'semi-transparent' score only 'fair' at six years. [The caveat is that there are a lot of stains out there that aren't in the test results].

Since there's little difference in cost, the paint will be cheaper long term because it doesn't need to be re-done so often.

The upside of stain is that [at least on cedar, the only wood I've used it on long term] is that it's pretty simple to maintain. A quick pass with a hose and a wire brush to remove loose chips, a couple days to dry, and you are good to go. Because paint is more persistant, it can be harder to get it ready to re-paint.

But on the other, other hand, paint is much easier to control around windows and doors: even solid color stain is much thiner, much more prone to drips and runs. Not as much of a concern if you are highering it out, but worth thinking about if you want to do it yourself.

Perhaps the real bottom line is what look/color you want: the difference in maintenence costs is not so great as to be the ultimate decider. If you really want the look of a stain, or a color [like fire engine red] that's really only available in a paint, then that should be the deciding factor [but that fire engine red will require a tinted primer and at least two if not 3 coats of paint to fully cover-- red is the worst in that regard-- and that *may* cost you more...]

I was making this decision in July, and talked to a lot of people in my area with log or cedar sided homes. Most of them felt that a semi- stain would need to be redone on the south and west faces after only 3 years on new homes, somewhat longer after the initial weathering-in.

I choose 'Super Deck' for my siding, because it covers with one coat, contains linseed [not always desireable because it does darken] tung oil and carnuba. It's a one coat application [as opposed to Mesmers, which is 3]. My walls are a medium dark brown with reddish undertones, and my trim is bright red paint. I figure I can tape off the trim and re-stain the siding with a power sprayer when I need to, and the semi-transparents usually blend well enough that you can do the walls as they need it-- I expect my north wall with its low covered porch won't need attention as often as the fully exposed west wall.

I think jeannekay was talking about interior trimwork.

Trim (material) costs: Cheapest is MDF. Next up is finger jointed softwoods. MDF paints very well, but doesn't stand up to much abuse (dents easily). Finger jointed wood is OK, as long as the joints don't show.

Stain grade materials USUALLY cost more. Cost depends on the species used - pine, fir, and poplar are lowest cost options. Choices up from that are limited by your wallet. A good millwork shop will machine anything you want in any species available.

However, some high end painted trimwork is made of certain types of mahogany (machines and takes paint very well). I know, seems a waste, but it does happen.

Stain vs. Paint costs: You can get paint grade trim pre-primed, which saves time. Good quality paint isn't cheap.

Its a pain to stain once the trim is installed, so smart carpenters stain/finish first, then install (and touch up). Staining might take up to three steps (seal, stain, finish), so it is more time consuming (depends on the species - some you might not want to stain, and a topcoat is all thats needed).

Upside is that well stained trim can last for decades without much more than an occasional cleaning.

Installation: With painted trim, sloppy work can be hid with putty and painted over. With stained trim, you can disguise small imperfections with wood dough, but you can't really hide bad work. A good finish carpenter will do the same quality work with either type, but he's the only type of carpenter you want working with stained trim (and good workers should be paid more).

So if you look at the price of trim, finishing, and installation, the cost is going to be more for stain than paint (that's the reason you see so little of it these days). Its really hard to give you an estimate of how much more - a lot of it depends upon the species of wood selected. If your comparing MDF to hard maple, it might be 2 to 3 times the cost. Finger jointed pine to stain grade pine might only be 25% to 50%.

jeannekay: did you mean interior trim? That's what I was talking about.

boogamite: good info. Thanks.