Vermont Natural Coatings Böhme Exterior Aging Stain is a water-based exterior stain that gives new or bare wood an instant aged gray look while protecting and stabilizing it. It comes in 11 colors, in 8 oz samples, quarts, gallons and 5-gallon pails.
It evens out differences in wood tone and doesn't need a topcoat. The colors are Cape Cod Gray, Dark Gray, Medium Gray, Light Gray, Driftwood, Rust, Barnside Gray, Ash, Southwest, Snowfence and Vineyard. A gallon covers 300 to 400 sq ft, it's ultra-low VOC (under 30 g/L), and it cleans up with water.
The wood must be clean, dry and free of grease, glue or other contaminants. Stir well and test it on a sample piece first. Apply with a brush, paint pad, roller or spray, evenly with the grain, keeping a wet edge; if you roll it on, follow with a brush or pad. Two coats are recommended on all sides of the wood, and it's ready for the second coat after 6 to 8 hours. Apply at 45 to 80°F and 40 to 60% relative humidity, and not when rain is expected within 24 hours.
Don't let it freeze. It's water-based, so in winter it can freeze on the way to you. Keep that in mind when you order in cold weather, and store it somewhere warm once it arrives.
Böhme has made stains and coatings in Switzerland since 1866. Its line is now made in the USA and sold across North America through a partnership with Vermont Natural Coatings, which Andrew Meyer founded in 2004 in Hardwick, Vermont.
