Of should I paint it white? I don't want to have to shave the door next summer. The door in question is under an awning, and behind a white storm door that does not trap air, so it should be OK, but I just want to throw out the question, just in case I really shouldn't do this. The stain I plan on using is MinWax "Golden Oak" and it is a medium brown...
My preference is because I can stain and varnish better than I can paint, and I do prefer the look of stained wood. That and as far as I can tell varnish does hold up a lot better than paint.