Cedar is everywhere in the Pacific Northwest — on siding, shingled gables, fences, and the detached garages and shops that sit behind so many homes around the South Sound. When it's time to refinish, the first decision is whether to paint it or stain it, and the right answer depends on the wood's condition and the look you want.
Stain soaks into the wood rather than forming a film on top of it. Transparent and semi-transparent stains let the grain show through and weather gradually — they fade rather than peel, which makes recoating simpler. The trade-off is frequency: in our climate, a semi-transparent stain on sun-exposed walls usually needs refreshing every few years.
Solid stains sit in between. They hide the grain like paint does but stay thinner and more breathable, which suits rough-sawn siding and shingles. They're a good option when a building has mismatched boards or old repairs you'd rather not see, but you still want a finish that behaves like stain.
Paint forms a durable film, gives you the widest color choice, and generally lasts longer between coats on siding that's been prepped well. It's the right call when the wood is already painted, when you want a specific color — like the barn red and forest green on the detached garage in our gallery — or when an outbuilding needs to match the house. The catch is that cedar's natural tannins can bleed through light colors unless the wood is primed with a stain-blocking primer first.
Whichever you choose, prep decides how long it lasts. Mildew and dirt have to be washed off, loose or failing finish removed, and the wood allowed to dry out before anything goes on. Soft or rotted boards should be replaced rather than coated — a new finish won't hold on wood that's already breaking down.
One rule worth remembering: going from stain to paint is straightforward with the right primer, but going from paint back to a transparent stain means stripping the old paint, which is a much bigger job. If you're unsure, stain keeps your options open.
Not sure which finish suits your siding, fence, or shop? Call Premier Paint & Construction at (425) 390-9115 and we'll take a look and give you a free estimate.