Sherwin-Williams Salem Red review (SW 3018)

Salem Red Sherwin-Williams · SuperDeck Solid SW 3018

Salem Red 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 Salem Red 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 Salem Red 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; Salem Red is built for exterior lumber where full opacity matters more than showing the wood underneath.

Maple

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

Cabinets / exterior

Salem Red 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.

deep barn-red.

A deep barn-red solid stain, darker and more muted than Cheyenne Red, for a traditional barn or shed look.

Closest match in other brands

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

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