"grilling burgers beats sanding windows any day."
Haha, ain't that the truth. I stained my wood windows about five years ago thinking it'd be low-maintenance and look natural. Big mistake—after two winters, they looked like they'd aged a decade. Ended up repainting with a quality exterior paint, and honestly, haven't looked back since. Sure, stain has its charm, but practicality wins out for me every time. I'd rather kick back with a cold one than spend another weekend sanding and refinishing...
Haha, totally feel you on that one. I went the staining route once too, thinking it'd be a quick weekend job every few years. Nope... after a couple harsh summers, the wood looked like it belonged on an abandoned shack. Ended up sanding everything down (ugh, nightmare) and painting with some high-quality exterior paint. Been about four years now, and it still looks pretty solid. Like you said:
"practicality wins out for me every time."
I'd much rather spend my weekends flipping burgers than sanding windows again...
Yeah, staining can definitely be a pain. I tried it myself years ago, thinking I'd get that nice natural wood look without much hassle. But after two winters and a rainy spring, the windows looked like they'd aged a decade. Switched to paint—good primer and quality exterior stuff—and haven't looked back since. Sure, you lose some of that wood grain charm, but honestly, I'd rather have windows that don't make my house look haunted...
"Sure, you lose some of that wood grain charm, but honestly, I'd rather have windows that don't make my house look haunted..."
Haha, totally get what you're saying about the haunted house look. I had a similar experience—thought staining would give our place that cozy cabin vibe. Fast forward a few years, and it looked more like an abandoned shack from a horror movie. Switched to painting with a solid primer underneath, and it's been smooth sailing since. Still miss the wood grain occasionally, but I'll take "not creepy" over "rustic charm" any day...
We went the staining route too, thinking it'd look warm and natural. It did—for about a year. Then the sun and rain kicked in, and suddenly we had these patchy, faded windows that looked like they'd been there since the '70s. Ended up painting them a nice neutral shade, and honestly, it's been a relief. I mean, wood grain's nice, but not when it makes your house look like it's straight outta Scooby-Doo...
"Ended up painting them a nice neutral shade, and honestly, it's been a relief."
Yeah, we had a similar experience. Went with stain initially because we loved the natural wood look, but after two summers of harsh sun exposure, it was looking pretty rough. Plus, from an energy efficiency standpoint, faded and weathered wood can actually compromise the seal around your windows over time—letting drafts sneak in. Switched to paint last year (a lighter color to reflect heat), and it's held up way better so far... fingers crossed it stays that way.
"Went with stain initially because we loved the natural wood look, but after two summers of harsh sun exposure, it was looking pretty rough."
Yeah, I feel this. We went through almost the exact same thing. When we first moved in, the previous owners had stained all the window frames a really nice, rich color. Looked amazing at first—gave the house that cozy, rustic vibe we wanted. But honestly, after just one winter and summer cycle, it started looking patchy and worn out. I tried sanding and restaining a couple of windows myself, thinking maybe it was just a maintenance issue, but nope... same thing happened again within a year or so.
Eventually, we bit the bullet and painted them. I was skeptical at first because I thought paint would chip or peel faster, but we chose a decent quality exterior paint in a neutral shade (kind of a soft taupe) and it's been surprisingly solid. Three years in now, and aside from a few minor touch-ups here and there, it's holding up way better than the stain ever did. Plus, I noticed the rooms actually feel a bit cooler in summer—maybe because the lighter color reflects more sunlight?
I do miss the natural wood look sometimes, though. There's something about stained wood that just feels warmer and more inviting. But practically speaking, paint has definitely been less of a headache for us. I guess if you live somewhere with milder weather or your windows are shaded by trees or something, stain might hold up better. But for us, with direct sun exposure and harsh winters, paint ended up being the smarter choice.
Interesting to hear your experience with paint holding up better. We actually had the opposite happen. When we moved in, the windows were painted white, and after a few years they started peeling and looking pretty shabby. I got tired of scraping and repainting every season, so I stripped them down and went with a good-quality penetrating stain instead.
It's been about four years now, and honestly, they've held up surprisingly well. Maybe it depends on the type of wood or the quality of stain? Or even prep work? We spent a ton of time sanding and prepping before staining, so maybe that made a difference. Our windows do get some sun, but they're partially shaded by trees, so maybe that's helping too.
I totally get the appeal of paint, especially the lighter colors reflecting heat. But for us, stain has been way less maintenance. Guess it really depends on your specific conditions and how much prep you're willing to put into it.
"We spent a ton of time sanding and prepping before staining, so maybe that made a difference."
I think you're onto something there. When we moved into our first home, the windows were painted too, and peeling badly. We decided to repaint, but honestly, we rushed the prep work—just a quick scrape and sand. Predictably, it didn't last long. Next time around, we took our time sanding thoroughly, priming carefully, and using quality paint. It's been three years now, and they're holding up great. Prep really seems key, whether you're painting or staining...
We bought our house about two years ago, and the previous owners had stained all the window frames. At first, I thought staining would be easier upkeep, but honestly... they've faded unevenly and look pretty rough now. Maybe they didn't prep well enough, or maybe it's just the sun exposure on our side of the street? I'm still skeptical if staining really holds up better long-term, though I agree prep probably makes a huge difference either way. Guess we'll find out soon—planning to repaint them next spring.