Should I stain my fence solid or semi-transparent? Can't decide...

Uma Thompson · 2026-04-26T01:00:04.935644+00:00

Last month I stained half my backyard fence near the oak tree with a solid stain from Sherwin-Williams, and the other half with a semi-transparent. The solid side looks great right now but I'm worried about peeling down the road, while the semi side is already fading after just 4 weeks. Has anyone tried both long term and regretted one over the other?

chen.casey5mo ago

Solid stain peeling is annoying but it's really not the end of the world. You just scrape and recoat every 5-7 years like you'd repaint a room. Semi-transparent fading in 4 weeks sounds frustrating but that's kinda expected for a cheaper Sherwin product on a sunny side near a tree.

4

sandrajackson5mo ago

Heard Sherwin's solid can last 5-7 years before peeling starts.

2

the_holly5mo ago

Solid stain is just pretty paint that WILL peel, trust me.

1