 So another option is to stain it, and I would use a solid color stain, which is 100% opaque, so you can't see through it, but you still see all the grain. So it doesn't necessarily look like paint, but it does last a lot longer than if you use, say, a semi-transparent stain. So either way, semi-transparent will give you a few years. Solid color will give you a few more years beyond that.