I've been thinking that a semi-transparent exterior stain would be nice on the shed that I'm building with T1-11 siding, but I've never used an exterior stain and it sounds like they sometimes are not very durable.

Is semi-trans stain even a good idea for T1-11 siding? Is there a favorite semi-trans stain that people love for durability and protection? (Bonus points if it's available in 1 quart sizes, as this is a very small shed!)

 

First check with the manufacture of the T-111, not all of them are rated for stain and specify primer and paint. I guess it has to do with how it's glued together at the factory.

A quart of stain [or paint] won't go very far on T-111. The rough texture along with the grooves makes for more surface area. While a gallon of paint typically covers 400 sq ft of smooth substrate, you'd be lucky to get 300 sq ft with stain on T-111.

A lot depends on the look you want. Paint will always outlast stain but requires primer along with more prep at repaint time. Stains like paints come in various quality. The better coatings which are normally priced higher to reflect the quality will outlast their cheaper counterpart. Your local paint store [not paint dept] should be able to offer and advise which coatings will preform best in your climate.

 

#1, Make sure that shed is at least 6" above grade or the T-111 will rot out.
If it was mine I'd be using two coats of solid stain.
It can be tinted any color you want.
Solid stain soaks into the wood and should not peel like paint or fade out like semi-transparent stain.

 

I did what Joe said. The stain looks good and it tends last awhile. I think I used a FLOOD brand at the time. The biggest thing is the amount of sunlight it gets. That does the most degradation to the stain. Expect to re-coat at least every 5 years, usually 3 year intervals. A paint will hold up longer and give more protection.