Best finish for rough sawn exterior wood

[Swamphunter]

What do you guys prefer to use on the exterior of your board and batten (rough sawn) pine siding? I want a nice rich aged oak or mahogany color as I have green metal roofing and a green entry door. I think they will accent each other nicely..... do you use a solid color stain or a paint or something else.... Im not into the used oil treatment option that so many have mentioned. Thank all! I'll have pics of the progress soon. Almost dried in!!

[UK4X4]

My GC used "super deck red cedar" on my house

Its a coating that soaks in - does not have a skin/outer finish to remove when re-coating

feels waxy to the touch

we prestained all sides of the timbers before mounting

we'll be changing some trim colors to break it up a little bit

[Redoverfarm]

With pine I think the first step should be an insect treatment and then follow-up with a protective coating.  I used semi-transparent oil based stain.  This is what I noticed the first part of may this year.  Apparently there was a insect just beneath the surface of the soffit.  I have retreated the wall but that is long term.  Will have to replace some trim but I felt lucky that the woodpecker abandoned his search.

[kenhill]

I have used Superdeck and Penofin.  Porcupines seem to like to chew both.  Is there something to repel the porcupines (I use lead posining  )

[itpdk9]

I am at this stage as well with my build.  I have all my rough cut pine ready to go, but am wondering the same thing... What is the insect treatment that should be applied first? I am following with open ears 

[rick91351]

Often times woodpeckers are not looking for insects when they do such..... Seem as with most critters it boils down to the birds and the bees.  Attracting a mate.....   Make enough noise and a girl friend shall appear and see whats up.  Our daughters house was stucco and they drilled holes in it.  We have one friend that the woodpeckers took to ringing a tin can on a fence post.  Then some times they are building a nest box and then some times they are going after insects.   

[Redoverfarm]

I am at this stage as well with my build.  I have all my rough cut pine ready to go, but am wondering the same thing... What is the insect treatment that should be applied first? I am following with open ears 

There are several products on the market which contain Borate but I used "Solubor" as recommended by Don_P.  The cost is a fraction of what the others cost and is relatively easy to use.  Just do a search on Solubor by Don and there are several discussions about it's use.  You can use a garden sprayer for it's application.  I would probably treat the back side & edges first.  Install and then do the face side.  Once it has completely dried then you can finish it.

Rick I would say this one is insect(s) as he chased it from the bottom to the top before actually making his meal.  I will repair the damaged area and then install a deterient.  Flashy objects seem to be the weapon of choice.  The easiest is to suspend a couple of recording "CD's"  peak of the gable end from string using fish swivels in a row so they spin or move.  We will see.

[Don_P]

On pine my problem is carpenter bees followed by woodpeckers. Borate, or anything that poisons the wood doesn't work for insects that are not ingesting the wood. Carpenter bees are not eating the wood they are just burrowing, so they dont ingest the boron. I thought I was being smart and used treated decking for our fascias, one of their favorite places to burrow. They had a party in it as well. I've got some mean dust I can squirt in those holes after the fact. Solubor works great for powderpost beetles, termites, and decay fungi. I've been dipping just about everything right off the sawmill cause the bugs know the sound of a saw hitting wood at my house, dinner time!

As one old contractor told me, everything is the best, just read the ads 
I prefer non film forming tranparent or semi transparent stains with a preservative and water repellant in them. A friend has super deck that's about 25 years old on his house that he did at the same time I used Lowes cheapo on ours. He has not recoated although it is overdue, we've recoated twice... but the formulations have all changed several times since then to meet the ever changing VOC rules. BTW Sikkens has sickened a number of folks I know, aptly named.

[Redoverfarm]

Don I used an oil based Semi-transparent stain I believe was Olympic. (http://www.olympic.com/products/stains/4/olympic-deck-fence-siding-stain ) But when I went to get some more later they had discontinued that and now have the more user friendly "water based".  After using it I am not a big fan of their discission. 

[Danfish]

I have experienced excellent results with Sherman-Williams products, both solid and semi-transparent.  I have applied their water based products by brush, roller and spray.  Easy to use and cleanup is a snap.  Used a major named brand oil based product on another house and it didn't last two years and was a mess to apply.  Recoated with S-W and it looks as good as new after two years.  Two examples of S-W applications:

Solid on pine...



Semi-transparent on cedar...

[rick91351]

snip......................................................................................
Rick I would say this one is insect(s) as he chased it from the bottom to the top before actually making his meal.  I will repair the damaged area and then install a deterient.  Flashy objects seem to be the weapon of choice.  The easiest is to suspend a couple of recording "CD's"  peak of the gable end from string using fish swivels in a row so they spin or move.  We will see.

Weirdest woodpecker deterrent I have come across is a battery powered product that looks like a large spider that you attach to the under the eve of a building.  When the woodpecker starts to hammer - the noise activates the mechanical spider that drops down and spooks the woodpecker away.  Then they hoist themselves back up and wait in ambush.  Do not use around little kids and people that are scared to death of large spiders going up and down on your house.  And Wow - WOOWW! are they expensive.  I have seen them on a couple birders sites.....         

John the flashy things work.  Bright metallic party ribbons.  CDs work as well.  If you have windows that the birds fly into a lot hang.  Hang a couple down from the eves in front of the windows.  Seems old wore out copies of Achy Breaky Heart - anything from Smashing Pumpkins and Whaling Maniacs CD's work the best..   DO not use Disco nor Rap CD's they are best used as hanging targets at the 'range'....

Let me rephrase my statement about woodpeckers drumming for a mate.  Usually in the spring of the year unless the internal clock is like messed up....  Sort of common for a bird that does everything seemingly to give itself a concussion.  It can also be young males post puberty.   You can ask them as to the reason they are punching holes in your home, shed and barn.  I personally have tried this.  You however usually get a very firm smart Alec buzz off Mack this is my shack.  To which a 12 gauge down to and including 410 seems to work well and makes more noise for a short duration than the persistent hammering of woodpeckers.  However do not apply this treatment with said bird while still attached to dwelling, shed or barn.  Nor close to neighbors dwelling, shed or barn.  Nor admit you have done so - close to the US Fish and Wildlife officer nor local authority -  they are protected......

Joking a side makes little difference the reason - the outcome is often sadly the same.       

 

[Don_P]

Yup, the pellet holes just leave more places for a curious pecker to investigate 
We had one enlarge an injection hole in a SIP panel on the second floor of a house. I kicked her out, refoamed the hole and sided, then she bored through the siding. I guess she caught the hint after I repaired that but in the investigation of what to do someone suggested a red shingle nearby might work.

One biggie on finishes lasting is direct light. If you can keep shade on the south and west it'll help tremendously.

[Redoverfarm]

Well I went back and looked to see about how long it has been since I stained my T&G.  I believe it is going on 7yrs.  It is relatively in good shape.  I will probably restain it this coming year.  Too much on my plate this year.

[zion-diy]

We used a cedar oil stain (Olympic I think) that we got at one of the box stores. Put it on in 2005. Have not had to re-do it yet.