Effect of weathering of new wood on the subsequent performance of semitransparent stains

To quantify the effect of weathering of new wood surfaces on subsequent coating performance, uncoated planed western redcedar beveled siding and roughsawn Douglas-fir plywood panels were exposed outdoors for 1 to 16 weeks. Following this preweathering, the specimens were coated with an oil-based semitransparent stain and placed outdoors again for 5 years. The stained specimens were evaluated annually to determine the effect of preweathering on finish performance. Evaluations based on visual techniques were compared with those using image analysis instrumentation.