House stains that hold up for the long haul.

Publication: Consumer Reports

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COPYRIGHT 2002 Consumers Union of the United States, Inc.

WHAT WE TESTED AND HOW

To spare homeowners the chore--and expense--of restaining the siding every few years, we launched an ongoing test four years ago to determine which exterior stains last the longest. Our test is very severe: One year of exposure at our test center is the equivalent of two to four years' exposure to sun, rain, and temperature extremes in real life.

Initially, we planned to test the stains for five years or until their appearance deteriorated so much that if they were on a real house, they would have to be reapplied. After two years of testing, however, the semitransparent stains had worsened to the extent that we stopped testing them.

The lineup included semitransparent stains, which add color but also reveal the wood grain, as well as solid stains, which cover the wood grain completely. In all, we looked at five brands of solid stains in green, red, and white.

We applied two coats of each stain to sections of unprimed Southern Yellow Pine clapboards,...

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