# wood stain: exterior vs interior



## ejp (Feb 25, 2013)

I have a 2 part question:

1. I want to re-stain a hot tub/spa that gets 5-6 hrs of direct sun per day. I want a "Jacobean" like brown/black I can't find in a traditional "Olympic" style deck exterior stain, so want to use interior furniture grade oil stain. Will it work? Stain is stain, right? Maybe follow with a couple coats of Tung oil to protect it. Tung being more water resistant than linseed. The original factory finish only lasted a year anyway, so can't be much worse than that. 

2. I plan to experiment making my own oil stain (see below*). I have a set of oil paints that are 60 yrs old. The tubes of the colors I need are still squishy and soft. Will they still work?

3. Any advice on DIY oil stain or variation on the formula below? 

Thanks for any insight provided.


*stain formula: 1 qt mineral spirits, 7 oz boiled linseed oil (or tung oil), 4oz of artist's colors (oil based with dryer) mixed to desired color. Naturally I plan to only start with maybe 1/2 pt of this blend.


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## lacman (Mar 13, 2012)

I don't know if your artist colors are light fast or will fade under intense sunlight. I do know there are exterior grade water based dyes. These can handle the sun. Look for them online. Then I would apply a spar varnish of your choice.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

ejp said:


> I have a 2 part question:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ejp (Feb 25, 2013)

OK, thanks for the advice, esp adding the thinner last. The DIY stain at this point is just a science project, and not aimed at restoration of a family heirloom or expensive project.

On the exterior stain for the hot tub, I'll use a commercial deck stain and thin and/or tint as necessary for desired results.


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## fromtheforty (Jan 15, 2011)

You can use Old Masters wiping stains on exterior projects if you use an exterior top coat like a spar varnish. We have used it on chainsaw carvings with good results. 

Geoff


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## henrylarry6 (Nov 3, 2012)

My wife and I recently completed the staining of our family's backyard deck as a DIY project and I'm very pleased with the results! I purchased an exterior stain from Storm System and they have a variety of colors and levels of stains available. You should look into their offerings and see if they are comparable to your vision for your goal of the wood's color.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

henrylarry6 said:


> My wife and I recently completed the staining of our family's backyard deck as a DIY project and I'm very pleased with the results! I purchased an exterior stain from Storm System and they have a variety of colors and levels of stains available. You should look into their offerings and see if they are comparable to your vision for your goal of the wood's color.


Are you pulling up old threads just to post that same link. Appears like spam to me.


















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