In my attempt not to be "wordy," perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly enough :-) I would be fine with any of the choices, and am more concerned about maintenance. 1)Painting it white --- when rain and dirt splashes in, as it inevitably will do, may look dirty frequently - and ultimately require more routine work. 2)Stain - requires a sealer every couple of years, I think? 3) White stain would give it a more casual look than paint, but might have same problems with dirt after rain, etc. I know that it's ultimately my decision, I'm just looking for experience w/ the different choices. (I found this site after the fact and cringe so often when I see my prior mistakes explained on here and say "if only I'd read this before doing....." so I value the expertise and try to heed it before acting. Thanks for all your help.)

We're having a screen porch built (15x20 w/ tongue and groove ceiling. It took our carpenter about 2.5 solid days just to stain wood. Maybe that helps if you can figure out hourly rates? I would really not be comfortable separating out construction and staining though. What if something goes wrong and the stain does not come out right? The stainer could blame the quality of wood used, and the people who did the construction could blame the stainer and you could be left not knowing who to hold accountable. Seems like a recipe for trouble to me.

If the contractor said that the "stain is not penetrating the wood" and if that's true, then he's right, and you'd most likely just end up with more streaking if you tried to apply anything further. Perhaps the real question is why didn't it penetrate the wood? In any event, if it's not penetrating, you're probably gonna want to listen to the contractor if your really particular about that finish. It's possible that he could apply another finish over top of it that will have less ill effects but isn't willing to take that risk because he knows the 2nd application wouldn't be perfect either. If sanding is gonna cost too much, then maybe ask him or another to do another coat, even though it might not be perfect and tell him you're willing to take the risk. It entirely depends on what you find acceptable and what you're willing to live with. Ask him and gauge your odds.

staining would look more natural use a white stain