Twenty years? If you got 20 years out of a product, I can't imagine why you wouldn't use that same product again. We used stain on exterior, but I haven't been around to see even 5 years of weathering!

I have a stained front door and sidelights. It has to be redone every 2 years and yes, I have an overhang and it is west facing such that it only gets little afternoon sun and not much at all in winter, and very little rain with the overhang (self-awning, sotaspeak). I'm just sayin' there was a reason people chose paint. I think it was Tom Sawyer who was whitewashing a fence way back when.

When we bought out lake house the owners had just had it painted egg yolk yellow with white trim. We had it stained barn red solid stain right over the new paint job with taupe trim. That was 15 years ago and still holding up. It's faded where it gets the sun but not enough to paint it yet. So, in all, either way would work.

I have a cedar fence that's stained. I think it depends on the surface. Some wood looks better with stain, others with paint. The cedar, since it's very absorbent, takes better using stain.

Annie,
My family (parents and now my brother) has owned a 200+ year old barn in Vermont since 1964. It has been stained barn red 2 or maybe 3 times. It holds the stain well; however, it was not painted first. It was always my understanding that you have to remove paint (scrap, strip, sand or even sandblast) prior to staining...but that could be an "Old Painter's Tale"...Would love to know what the Paint Forum information reveals.

Barn picture. I like the color red it is...it has a bluish undertone rather than orange.

Sweet, sweet barn. Lovely wooded area.

No experience with staining so no help, but I am thinking of staining the top of my pergola/folly down in the orchard a grayish color instead of painting. I wanted it to naturally weather anyhow, but will be interested in any replies you get to your question.

And by the way, that red barn is just crying out for an old fashioned contra or square dance - plenty of parking nearby too!

Well if you like the color it is now and it lasted for 20 years , I would repeat what you did.

It looks lovely as is.

Love your barn- it is a prefect soft barn red!

Thanks everyone, I think I'll also talk to my ben moore guys who are very helpful to see what they suggest.

Our barn is host to many contras, but not of the human type! It is full of squirrels and bats and mice, oh my!

Love your barn!! What's a contra?

Annie,

I used stain ... and so glad I did! My barn isn't as nice, but it holds 3 miniature donkeys ... and that's what really counts!

It had been painted, and the paint was flaking off. The stain has been on there for 7 or 8 years, and still going strong.

Contra is a type of folk dance similar to a square dance.

Love your lavender barn, Pam!

My most favorite barn ever. Ever. A 'little' aged and weathered, but when I saw this barn I knew that I wanted to stain a barn instead of paint it and I grew up always thinking that if I ended up w/ a barn someday that I would always paint it. But it's the art that makes it.

That is a neat barn...wonder how weather proof the art is. I was thinking of adding a hex sign, but it's too PA dutch and not so new england. I guess we'll just stick with our horse shoes.

P.S: For over 15yrs. I played fiddle in a contra dance band!

Now I like that weathered barn look. I even tried to find weathered lumber for my folly but decided it was easier to just get treated and wait years for it to turn gray. That is if I ever find someone to finish the thing. Sorry, I'm hijacking the thread.