Staining Redwood Siding

10 years ago

Hi all -

I've got an MCM Techbuilt house built in '61. The siding is redwood and is 100% original; it has never been painted and is in terrific shape. However, it will need to be stained soon and the previous owners did not leave whatever stain they used when they stained it a few years back.

Anyone have recommendations for this? I'm looking for a semi-transparent or transparent stain - absolutely NOT anything like paint or a solid stain. We will obviously need to select colors ourselves, but I'd love a recommendation for a brand that works well. FYI, we live in southern Wisconsin, so it gets both very cold and rather hot here.

Thanks!

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User

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Visa versa would be an issue but not oil over waterbased. Always test products regardless as color is a big commitment. I'd go colorless/transparent as the wood is perfect as is. I'm more than slightly jealous - redwood is not something we see in our neck of the woods and it is gorgeous.

http://www.penofin.com/wood-stains/ultra-premium-red-label-wood-stain

http://www.superdeck.com/products/superdeck-for-wood/

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Comments (11)

User
10 years ago
Look at an oil (NOT waterbased) hi quality transparent stain with UV inhibitors. Try looking at Sico or similar. And prepared to spend over $50 gallon for anything of quality (if you have a lot of SF get a 5 gallon tub after testing the color) Awesome siding BTW.
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Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! Cost not really an issue here because we feel very strongly that the siding needs to be preserved.

I'm okay with oil-based, but don't I need to check to see if the previous stain was water-based?
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Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! We adore the house. Had a professional painter come look at some peeling trim and he said he'd never seen anything quite like it. We will definitely test a hidden area before we start slapping stain around.
mydogmiddy
10 years ago
Previous owner used a redwood stain on our house located in PA.
mydogmiddy
10 years ago
Here is a picture of the front of our house.
godoggoone
10 years ago
While looking online at MCM TB houses I came across a FB page devoted to these homes. Look there for info. Looks like a good community.
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Original Author
10 years ago
Oh yeah, I'm a member! Great FB group, very helpful. Most of the members' homes are either painted or use a solid stain, so not a ton of help.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
10 years ago
Lovely home. When you do the stain, maybe consider toning down the white paint. Seems a bit incongruous for the forest setting.
libradesigneye
10 years ago
omg - saw your handle on another post and had to come and say hello. My lovely black Labrador Midnight (lost her last year) was our darling Middy .. . we share a love I guess!

And I adore your classic MCM house - it is a classic and the entry is to die for. . . marine grade stains made for boats that are oil based seem to do best with exterior wood like this .. let's see if bumping this gets you some more input on that . .
mydogmiddy
10 years ago
Hi libra......yes i do go by my dogs name Midnight. Little black cocker from the human society. I lost him last may 30th. He was 15. I had him for 13 yrs. he didn't get to come to this house. He would have loved it...big back yard with squirrels and chipmunks. A resident skunk and a bunch of deer. All within the borough of small town PA. The house was designed by Peter Berndtson, an apprentice to FLW. Over the years the second owner made some changes that I wouldn't have made. One is in the bathroom......which had all redwood showers with the boat treatment you mentioned. The wife didn't like taking a shower in a coffin so they were tiled! Lol