If someone could please help us with some info we desperately need. We live in Florida and just put in a Florida room and on the walls used rough-sawn cedar vertically as wainscoting. The wood was purchased at a lumber company and we had a hard time finding anything as wide as we wanted it so we used the v-channel and flipped it to the wide side (rough sawn). It was left for weeks in an a/c room before installing it on the walls. It has been on the walls for at least 4 months. We actually wanted to find a semi-transparent stain that would somewhat blend the different colors of wood and yet still see the grain through it. The wood is beautiful. We have used scrap pieces to test some different stains but it seems to in some pieces have a small streak which doesn't absorb. We used Minwax since it came in the small trial size cans and decided on the Early American color as it blended the colors nicely. Well, we used some Benjamin Moore oil based polyurethane to go over the stained scraps but it turned white where knots were in the wood. Someone said it was because of the tannins, etc. Well, I have talked to paint dealers and everyone I could find and there seems to be no answer. I see lots of rough sawn cedar has been used on many projects on interiors so there must be a way out of this! At least I hope so. I saw you have a product Defy Epoxy wood stain. Can that be used on an interior project or can you point me to anyone that would have an answer for this? We have got to do something because we have to get this room finished. By the way, we did apply that polyurethane on a small unstained knot on an out of the way place on the wood on the wall but it turned white also.

You did the wrong thing by applying interior products on outside rough cedar. You should use a penetrating "pre-tinted" sealer/stain for the natural look. Do not by any means apply a polyurethane or the minwax. The wood should not be shiny but natural looking. You also cannot any of our products over the minwax.

All of the Defy products are good.


You could try www.saversystems.com for some sample colors.

Thank you but I do have a couple questions still. This wainscoting is on the inside of the room and was a little worried since I have heard the outside products have mildicides etc. added and are not to be used inside. Which one of your products are the penetrating pre-tinted sealer/stains.? You are right as I don't wish for the finish to be shiny. Connie in Florida

These are all penetrating:
Deck Stains and Sealers - Professional Grade

Defy being a water based does not have or need a mildewcide. Only oil based products will have that.