Can you put oil stain over latex stain

When staining any exterior wood element such as a fence, deck, siding, or garden bridge, you can choose between either an oil-based or latex-based stain. Oil-based stains traditionally been used for exterior elements, but they are messier and smellier than latex-based stains. The final appearance is different, due to matters of opacity and color vibrancy.

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Representative Brand Names
Recommendation
Can oil stain go over latex?
Can you use an oil based stain over a water based stain?
Can you put wood stain over latex paint?

	Oil Stains	Latex Stains
How They Look	A more natural appearance, with the wood's grain showing through. Color is muted. If improperly applied, shiny areas can result.	More of a solid color look akin to the appearance of house paint. Vibrant colors. Easy to apply consistently.
How They Work	Oil-based stains completely soak into the wood's cellular structure. With the cells filled, water cannot penetrate. It just beads up on the surface.	Adheres to the surface of wood. Does not soak into the wood's cellular structure, which may allow water to penetrate.
Application	Difficult to apply, though because you are working outside, downsides associated with indoor oil paint usage are mitigated. Use a natural bristle brush, synthetic filament brush, or pad applicator. Unless you are experienced, using an airless sprayer for oil-based stains is not recommended.	Easy to apply. Nylon or polyester brush, 3/4” (19 mm) long nap roller, or sprayer.
Curing Time	4-5 hours. Oil does not dry. It soaks into the wood.	About 2 hours.
Lifecycle	2 years on decks, 4 years on fences and siding. The issue isn't that the stain is failing; the transparent nature of oil-based stain gets only more transparent over time, allowing UV rays to degrade the wood.	While annual refinishing is recommended, latex stains might go as long as 4-8 years before you need to refinish.
Cleanup	Mineral spirits are required to clean up oil-based stains.	These stains require only water and a paint comb to clean the brushes thoroughly.
Pro	Wood grain will still show through even dark oil-based stains. With lighter latex-based stains, wood grain may not show.	Even though the opaque pigments make for a less transparent stain, this also means that the wood is better protected against UV rays from the sun.
Con	Over application means the stain will sit on the surface and pool up. Since oil does not dry in air, it will remain until you rub it off with a cloth.	Cannot be used on horizontal surfaces, such as decks, as they do not wear well.

Representative Brand Names

Oil Stains

Behr Semi-Transparent Oil-Based Wood Stain
Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck Exterior Oil-Based Transparent Stain

Latex Stains

Behr Solid Color House & Fence Wood Stain
Behr Premium Semi-Transparent Weatherproofing All-In-One Wood Stain & Sealer
Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck Exterior Waterborne Clear Sealer

Recommendation

Even though oil-based stains are harder to work with, I recommending using them. For most homeowners, the beauty of the wood grain is the reason they installed a wood fence in the first place--otherwise, you could have put in a white vinyl fence and never had to deal with protective coating issues. If you truly hate clean-up, one solution is to purchase low-cost brushes that you can discard after each use, rather than soaking in spirits.

I have IPE tiles on my patio, about 400sqf. I live in Ontario Canada. Each year in the spring, the oily finish from last year gets moldy. So what I usually do is to use chlorine to wash it. I tried to use 50% with water but it didn't work. This strips the moldy finish and leaves the bare wood. Then I power wash with a small electric power washer- so not so much power, to clean the residue. This leave the wood in a great condition, Then I apply again another layer of Penofin Marine Oil, I used before the regular oil from Penofin . The whole process takes about 6-7 hours of work. My tiles came originally with a strong finish on them, some sort of varnish. This varnish is the best finish I have ever had. Although the color is the same with the oil, in the spring, the finish is not moldy and I don't need to do such a drastic cleaning of my tiles. It's mostly stripped by the snow and by spring the tiles are clean. Then I can just do another coat of varnish. Does anyone know what type of varnish/ finish is on the IPE tiles when you buy them? Some of my tiles even after 6 years, still have some of the original finish on them. This is my deck today, the color is very vibrant, I've just applied the oil. I am really concerned about the chlorine treatment, as I am not sure if it is too drastic for the wood and how will it fare in the long run. I find this oily film that we use it's not that great with the snow and i would like to replace it.

Can oil stain go over latex?

And remember, never apply oil paints over latex unless you are using a waterborne alkyd which will safely coat the more flexible layer beneath.

Can you use an oil based stain over a water based stain?

QUESTION: Can oil and water based products be used over each other? ANSWER: Yes! but the underlying finish has to be absolutely dry.

Can you put wood stain over latex paint?

While you can stain over paint, realize that you are creating a unique look, not an authentic stained wood-grain look. For that, first strip off all of the paint, then apply the stain.

Can oil

Make sure to use shellac or an oil-based primer when you paint over stained wood. Oil-based primers help protect wood surfaces better than water-based primers. When priming, use a foam brush and foam roller to get the best results.