This is an interesting approach.

There are a couple of things I've been told about paint:

1. It stops water from getting in

2. It stops wood rot (perhaps due to (1)

3. Water-based paint allows hives to "breathe" which I take it means
that water vapour can travel from the inside thru the wood to the
outside.

However, 3 implies that the water traffic could be both ways
(asymmetric water flows are only claimed by Goretex, I think).

What about hives made out of a non-rot wood such as cedar?

>         One approach to exterior wood is to abandon the whole idea of
>covering it with a waterproof film of paint.  Some houses are clad in
>unpainted wood.  What about this approach:
--
--Owen Watson
--at home in Wellington, New Zealand
--Don't reply to [log in to unmask]
--