House stained with an oil, but wrong color. Now go over with latex?

Dieselbear · 09-30-2012, 04:19 PM

About a month ago, my board/batten house was stained with BM oil based Semi-solid stain. My house was a medium brown color, which was ok, however I told the contractor(who came highly recommend and 30+ yrs experience) my desire was to go lighter and make it as woodsy and rustic appearing as possible.
He said lighter wasn't really an option, given it's present color being as dark as it was. One of the few colors he suggested was New Pilgrim Red and that acting with the brown would 'pop' and really work together. I was leary but took his word.
Well, my worst fear came true when I came home after they had started. My house was a pretty dark red. Well the half they had done was, and NOTHING like I envisioned... I had been in the hospital prior to them starting so i couldn't be there when they started as I needed to be back working.
Honestly, I wanted them to stop and get a striper and pressure wash it off but was advised against that, as going fwd the color difference would be highly noticeable. Instead let them finish and get the house all the same color, let it soak in and go from there.

Fast forward...
Basically the diema I halve is, currently the house/garage is semi solid oil. Going fwd the contractor wants to use BM latex solid stain. I'm really apprehensive about going with the latex,as to me it just seems like a stain should be oil and soak in, as oppose to the latex which won't right. It'd be more like paint and sit on the surface? With I fear it will just flake/chip off as it ages..
He assured me that given that it's got a completly coat of oil stain on there, basically acting as a primer that the acrylic wouldn't be an issue.
Thoughts on this?
P.s- I should add the contractor has been very accomdating, admitted he screwed up with how the stained would react. We've worked out an agreement in terms of cost and I have no hard feelings, I just want the rustic appeal of my house back.

sdsester · 10-01-2012, 07:11 AM

As you add more pigment to stain it starts acting more like a paint and you are not going to get the penetration into the wood like you do with a semi-transparent or even a semi-solid stain. The goal with semi-solid and solid stain is to preserve the wood texture but leave more pigment on the surface. Here is an illustration from raw wood through semi-transparent to solid stain.

I am a Benjamin Moore fan but their exterior solid acrylic stain product is fairly new and I never used it (semi-retired now). I used Sherwin Williams Woodscapes acrylic solid stain and that of MAB and both were amazing products (MAB was acquired by SW so I assume both products are one in the same now). Many antique home restorers like me had shifted to doing siding with solid stain rather than primer and paint. You should have no problem putting either the Ben Moore or SW product over what you have. I believe both come in an oil version but I personally would do the acrylic for its high degree of colorfastness.

Do realize if you are aiming to go lighter over a darker color you will probably need two coats so do not be surprised by this.

Woodscapes can be tinted to any color and I suspect the Ben Moore product as well. I would highly recommend that you pick the swatch color you want so you are not disappointed again.

Gymschu · 10-01-2012, 11:36 AM

I have great confidence that you can use solid color LATEX stain over the semi-transparent oil. I've done it many times with great success. The new versions of latex stains are so much improved over the last 20 years that it's not even funny. In fact, most of my longest lasting stain jobs have been when I have used SW's Woodscapes solid color stain. Depending on weather and sun exposure where the homes are located, I usually see Woodscapes lasting 8, 9, 10 years before re-staining. Never had any issues with peeling or flaking.........fading, yes a little bit but that happens with any type of exterior coating.

Dieselbear · 10-05-2012, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the responses.. It's good to know that oil with latex over top can work, but Im having a hard time accepting that its going to be that... Given what I've seen by the small 1'x1' samples, I feel putting the latex on kills the rustic appeal to the house as it just seems to masks the character of the wood too much.... Ugh decisions decisions..

Matthewt1970 · 10-06-2012, 12:15 AM

You are correct in that a latex stain will now act like a paint. Yes latex has come a long way but it has an even longer way to go to outlast and outperform an oil based stain or paint.