What stain should we buy to replace what we used to buy?

What stain should we buy to replace what we used to buy?

(and why shouldnt' we buy paint?)

Newer townhouse n'hoods make every house a different color, so recalictrant owners cant' screw up the color scheme.

But in my n'hood, half of the houses are brown (well, the 2nd floor is. The first floor is tan brick. It's a good contrast and they look nice.)

The second floor is T1-11. That's what has to be painted.

For 30 years we bought stain from the same company, Duron, but they have been bought out by Sherwin Williams and nothing S-W sells is labeled Duron or much like Duron.

We dont' have to go to S-W, but they're nearby, have iiuc a qualitiy reputation, and I haven't yet looked for another paint company choice.

1) What about Home Depot or Lowes?

2) First, we use latext semi-transparent stain, called Russet Brown. S-W has a *SOLID* stain with that name SW3045 that, at least inside, looks very much like what we have, but it's solid and not semi-transparent. What difference does that make? Should

Here are the colors for the semitransparent stain, if the box says semi-transparent. The lower set is waterborne which I assume means latex.

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Shoudl we settle for one of those colors on the theory that eventually eveyone who paints will have the same color?

Thanks.

BTW, some people have gotten aluminum or vinyl, but afaict, there's been no effort to keep track of who made the siding or what color it is, I don't want aluminum, which is bad for radio and tv reception, but vinyl is a possibility, if my next door neighbor will do it too.

Reply to
micky
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===> Is everything that follows true, IYO?

Plywood vs. OSB T1-11 siding comes in two major grades, plywood and OSB (or oriented stand board). The plywood product is a little more expensive but is far superior to the OSB variety because of its greater durability and expanded finishing options. Plywood T1-11, also known simply as plywood siding, can be stained if you're looking for a natural wood look, or it can be primed and painted as well....

===> How do I know if I have OSB or plywood style? Do the grooves mean anything? Which do they sell at Lowes?

Performance Neither is better than the other when it comes to functionality. OSB products, on the other hand, are made of wood flakes, strands and water-treated with a binding resin and then sealed together using pressure and heat. While this product is relatively strong, inexpensive and widely used in home construction?OSB siding production has dominated the T1-11 market since its introduction in the late 1970s?it just doesn't hold up as well as its plywood counterpart. This is primarily due to the fact that, because of the manufacturing process, OSB is subject to water damage over time, causing expansion, rot and general wear and tear.

Personalization The other downside of OSB T1-11 is you can't stain this siding. It must be primed and painted, taking away one of the primary reasons homeowners choose to go with this particular siding material. This isn't to say that you should automatically shun the OSB variety, as it is certainly a proven and cost-effective siding solution. Compared to its plywood cousin though, it's safe to say you get what you pay for.

Reply to
micky

The difference between solid stain and semi-transparent is that solid is heavier, more like paint and completely covers up any of the underlying color variations in the wood as well as some of the finer grain variations. Semi lets some of that show through. I would think the typical choice for T1-11 would be solid.

My choice in stain is Benjamin Moore, but I would think SW product is probably fine too.

Reply to
trader_4

So why don't people just use paint instead?

I think it was the url in my first reply to myself that said that the plywood version of T1-11 was worth staining but that the OSB version wasn't. That it had no grain anyhow.

It's been several years since I've seen a brand new piece of the T1, but I stained some of it with the semi-transparent and I don't remember any grain at all. I"m sure there was't.

I wonder if we've been using the wrong product for 36 years. Or maybe they used the right product when the houses were new and we've been using the wrong product since we first started restaining them. Believable?

Yeah, that's another paint I've heard of. . My mind doesnt' think of these things anymore, if it ever did. Those who sell B-M around here are arranged in a V-formation, with me half-way between the tops of the V. IOW, about as far away as can be. But one at the bottom of the V is

5th generation, family owned. I'll bet they know their stuff and it's worth going there, (They close at 5 and noon on Saturday.)

I was in Home Depot this morning and they had Behr and Glidden. Are they any good? BTW, HD had a computer to use to check what one saw in the online catalog. Very convenient. Microcenter here used to but they took it out.

Is this

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really Oriented Strand Board, like it says? It looks like Disoriented Strand Board. I thought oriented meant they were strands that went in the same direction. This looks like chip board.

Reply to
micky

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