Sherwin-Williams Buckthorn review (SW 3003)

Buckthorn Sherwin-Williams · SuperDeck Solid SW 3003

Buckthorn on pine, oak, maple and cabinets

How a stain looks depends as much on the wood species as the can: pine and maple are prone to blotching, oak's open grain amplifies whatever penetrates it, and cabinet doors have their own even-coverage requirements. Photographed swatches for Buckthorn on each species are still being shot; the notes below are what to expect from this stain's formula.

Pine

On pressure-treated pine decking, a solid stain like Buckthorn fully hides the grain and any blotching or old gray weathering, at the cost of looking more like thin paint than a stain.

Oak

Solid stains aren't typically used on furniture-grade oak; Buckthorn is built for exterior lumber where full opacity matters more than showing the wood underneath.

Maple

Not a fit for interior maple furniture: Buckthorn is an exterior solid-color stain meant for decks, siding and fences, not cabinetry.

Cabinets / exterior

Buckthorn is an exterior product; for cabinets, look at the interior oil or gel stains on this site instead.

Coats and drying

Coats: Typically two coats on bare wood.
Application: Brush or roll on and back-brush, no wiping off, since it is meant to hide the grain.
Drying: Typically a day or more before foot traffic; follow the can for temperature limits.

General guidance only: the label on your can sets the real times. The color on this page is an on-screen approximation of the published swatch, and screens vary, so confirm on a test board of your own wood.

warm medium tan-brown.

A warm medium tan-brown solid stain, a neutral exterior default for decks and railings that don't want to read as red or gray.

Closest match in other brands

Ranked by Delta-E (perceptual color distance) between Buckthorn and every stain from other brands on this site: nearest first.

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