Rough Cedar Garage Doors

Tom asked 10 years ago

My garage doors are rough cedar. They face west. We live in Scottsdale. The doors are stained medium dark with some kind of lacquer on them. A painter says he would strip them and apply an oil based stain (with no sealer or lacquer). He thinks oil based will hold up better than acrylic. Problem is we would have to go with a more translucent color. Another painter (from Texas) says acrylic is good enough now that it can last as long as oil. He says to thin the first coat so it soaks in better. He also says pick a lighter color as it will reflect the sun better and cause less fading. What is your opinion on all of this???

1 Answers
Anonymous answered.

The painter is definitely correct about removing the lacquer or any coating that forms a film. Such a finish is an invitation to peeling, something you should never experience with a penetrating stain which will just fade and leach out with time. I agree with the Texas painter about the quality of acrylic vs oil stains these days, in fact some dealers have told me the waterborne products are sometimes superior now.

Be that as it may, I'd definitely go with a latex in sunny Scottsdale, because it will fade much less than an oil.

In any case, you should plan to refinish the door at least every two years if it is exposed to water very often.

(I've had a painting company Colorado for 10 yrs)