Stain/Finish on T-111

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Over the last year or so I have built a lawn building/shed. I used the T-111 plywood with the rough sawn surface for the siding. This last weekend I completed the exterior trim with rough sawn cedar boards, and on Sunday cleaned the mildew that had started to grow on the T-111 with a deck cleaner, then a bleach solution, then thorough rinse.
Now the question : Within the next week or two I want to apply a finish. The people who make my favorite deck sealer ( CWF-UV ) told me not to use it on T-111. I would really like to have a light color, more or less transparent, as I enjoy the wood grain look. The clerk at the local super store told me I would have to paint it, as he didn't recommend stains on T-111. The local "quality" paint store was not very helpful with a response along the lines of " about anything would work as long as I bought it from him ".
There is one more qulity paint store in town which I plan to visit today, and other than that I would appreciate any suggestions from you people. In case it affects your answer, the climate here is four seasons, southern Ohio.