Doug Fir stain recommendations

[blackfoot griz]

I am residing my house with 6/4 Douglas fir. The exterior has a hand-hewn appearance.

I would appreciate your recommendations for a stain/finish. Also, is it usually recommended to finish both sides?

Thanks




   stain/finish. Also, is it usually recommended to finish both sides?

Thanks

[Brucer]

It's a pain, but staining both sides is definitely a good idea.

I prefer to put two coats on the back because (hopefully) I won't ever be staining the back again.

Are you looking for a solid colour stain, or a transparent one?

[blackfoot griz]

I would like some color.  Not sure on what brand to go with.

[razor]

I like Sansin, i've used it many times on projects. Water based. Wood doesn't need to be dry. Their literature says it can go on wood as wet as 35%mc. They specialize in log and timber also.

[Brucer]

I used Timber Pro UV.

The timber framer I used to saw for used Timber Pro a lot. Before I bought any (last summer) I talked to a customer who used to work for the same timber framer. He told me that it wasn't a great stain if you wanted a transparent or semi-transparent colour. It's perfectly OK if you use a solid colour.

It's nice to work with because it doesn't use hydrocarbon solvents. No strong fumes, easy to clean brushes (soap and water), easy to clean yourself (which is essential whenever I'm holding the brush :D).

Mixing the colour into the base stain wasn't easy. I used a mixer in a cordless drill and that helped a lot.

The first coat gets sucked right up. It takes a lot less stain to do the second coat.