Subject: Stains and S-1

Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2021

I recently sanded and applied an oil base stain to a sitting bench.

I would like to protect with the S-1 clear sealer you sell. It sits in a screened in porch so is subjected to weather. How long a time do I let drying of the stain occur prior to applying the sealer?

Also, I am considering using a water based stain as a finish coat to better get a uniform looking surface.

Thank you,
Michael S.

Michael,

Generally speaking, stains fall into two broad categories. Traditional wood stains, whose job is to only color the wood before a varnish or other clear finish is applied. And modern outdoor deck, porch, fence, and log home stains. These are designed to color the wood, and protect it from weathering and damage.

For any wood that is exposed to the weather, there are two types of damage that occur. UV, or sunlight damage, and moisture intrusion. UV damage is primarily cosmetic, although strong sunlight can help make moisture damage worse. Moisture getting into the wood is by far the more damaging. For any outdoor wood structure, there are several places where moisture gets in more readily. End grain, fastener holes, and anywhere that two pieces of wood touch each other. Putting a moisture protecting coating like S-1 Sealer on these areas can definitely extend the life of the wood. We don’t generally recommend using S-1 Sealer everywhere, although for the sake of uniformity of appearance, it can be desirable to do so.

Keep in mind that S-1 Sealer has no UV protection, so UV will break down any that is on the surface. Any that is in the wood, below the surface, will remain to protect the wood against water absorbing.

When using S-1 Sealer with stains, which goes first depends on the type of stain. For a traditional wood stain, you stain first then apply S-1 Sealer, followed by a varnish. For a modern outdoor stain, S-1 Sealer would go first, followed by the stain.

Doc

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