Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
Changing to TWP Wood and Deck Stain Tips
Many exterior wood and deck owners have dealt with the task of changing their wood surface’s appearance by simply switching to a different wood stain. Whether you want a different look or you are tired of inferior wood stains that don’t last, switching to TWP stain is a good investment.
TWP is an EPA registered exterior wood preservative. It has excellent UV blocking and color retention properties that make it a superb choice for all exterior wood surfaces.
Before switching to TWP Wood Stains, you first have to remove all remnants of the old failing stain. Use a wood stain stripper and not a wood cleaner. Wood cleaners are not aggressive enough to remove old stains. Applying a wood stain stripper will soften the most transparent, semi-transparent, and semi-solid water and oil-based wood stains.
Apply the wood stain remover using a pump sprayer. Be sure to protect any surrounding shrubbery or landscaping. Once the stain stripper has dwelled on the wood for several minutes, use a stiff brush and garden hose or a pressure washer to lightly wash away the contaminants. For removing stubborn wood stains, several applications and a more aggressive approach may be necessary. Try increasing the strength of the stain stripper and/or the dwell time before washing off.
Once you are certain all the old stain is gone rinse the wood thoroughly then apply a wood brightener to the surface. This is a necessary step after using a caustic stain stripper. A deck brightener will reverse the darkening effect of the stripper and will correct the pH level to a neutral state. This brightening step will allow for better stain penetration and a better overall appearance. After brightening the wood, rinse well.
Allow the wood to dry for 48 hours minimum. If necessary, you can use a sander to remove any small areas of old stain that may still remain. Wipe any sanded areas clean with mineral spirits and allow it to dry before continuing.
Once all the old stain is gone and you have restored the appearance of your exterior wood surface, follow the Stain Application Instructions for TWP Stain.
I am working on a bench next to a hot tub and outoor shower area made of 5/4 cedar decking. Most of it is over 1 year old and has been stripped. I added a couple new trim boards of the same material just now. I would rather not stain only the old stuff while the new boards weather for a year. Can I sand off the mill glaze on the new boards and use the brightener and then stain it all together now, or should I wait for the new boards to weather? If so, which grit of sandpaper do you recommend?
No, you cannot speed up the weathering process. Just wait until Spring, prep with the Cleaner and Brightener kit, then stain. Do not sand for prep.
Hi, I’m in the process of removing Penofin red label from my Douglas Fir siding. I’ve used the stripper and the brightener but now I have areas of raised grain that I’d like to sand. Do I need to re-apply brighter if I sand with 80 grit?
Yes, that will help.
Hi there! We stripped and stained our deck boards with TWP 1500 at the beginning of this season and just love it! We’re finally getting around to tackling the railings – it’s been a LOT of sanding to remove the old finish (which was Thompson’s Water Seal – yuck!), and I’m torn between going with the RAD solid white stain or just using the TWP 1500 I used on the boards. I realize that once I put a solid stain on the railings, there’s really no going back without sanding, but if I go with the TWP and decide later I want solid railings because of their condition, would I need to strip the TWP off, or could I just let it “weather” off for a few years?
Strip it off but it is very easy to do if needed.
Hello, We will need to sand some raised grain spots on our cedar deck before applying the TWP 1500 series stain. My question is: after stripping the cedar deck with the RAD stripper, do we sand BEFORE we use the RAD brightener or do we sand AFTER we use the RAD brightener? Thank you
If you sand, do it before the brightener.
Oh, okay will do! Thank you for clarifying that. I was thinking to sand after the brightener so I’m really glad I asked.
thank you for answering our questions. It’s really helpful.
I recently ordered TWP Pecan 1520 and applied it to some of my new wood privacy fence (pressure treated Southern Pine) about 3 weeks ago. Fyi, I and allowed the wood to season outside prior for about 5 months & brought the moisture content down to 13%. And now I realized I want to change that Pecan 1520 color over to Cedartone 1501 which I just ordered and also purchased the RAD stripper in order to strip of old Pecan, and apply the new Cedartone. Do you see any issues with this, and also being able to match up the Cedartone color that I’m now applying to the wood that had the Pecan on it, and having those pieces of wood match up to the same Cedartone color I’m also applying to some of the new fence wood pieces that never had that Pecan color on it to begin with?
You will be able to strip it off and it should match. Make sure to brighten the wood after stripping.
Four years ago we stained our Colorado deck with TWP 100 – Pecan, and it’s due for an update. It looks like now we can only order TWP-1500. Can I just clean and brighten first before switching products, or will we need to completely strip the TWP-100 before using the TWP-1500?
You can use the Gemini Restore Kit to clean and brighen while pressure washing for prep.
My deck was sanded bare and restsined with twp 3 years ago. It has some worn spots and needs freshened up. Can twp be applied over the existing finish?
Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and pressure washing and then apply another coating of TWP.