Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
Tips for Applying a Maintenance Coat of TWP
Wood maintenance is different from a complete wood restoration. Restoring a wood surface means bringing it back to a like-new appearance from a neglected state or deciding to switch from one stain type to another. Wood maintenance, on the other hand, is an ongoing process to keep well-kept wood looking good. Wood maintenance is simply cleaning and recoating the wood with the same wood stain that was previously used.
Maintenance Coat of TWP
In preparing an exterior wood surface for maintenance, it is important to know what type of old stain is present. TWP Wood Preservative can be cleaned and recoated easily but switching from one stain to another requires a different process. Assuming you are maintaining a wood surface that has a fading TWP Wood Stain on it, you are ready to begin maintenance.
Cleaning the wood properly is essential to get lasting results. Use the Gemini Restore Kit for this. This does an excellent job of removing dirt, grime, and unwanted soils. They come in a powdered form that mixes with water.
TWP Stain Tip: If the deck stain is 1-year-old, use a lesser concentration of cleaner for the prep. Try 2-3 oz per gallon of water. If the current stain is 18+ months, you may need a deeper cleaning concentration of 6-8 oz. per gallon of water.
Apply the wood cleaner using a pump sprayer or brush. Scrub or pressure wash the surface clean then rinse well. After the wood is cleaned and rinsed, it is necessary to apply a wood brightener. This will reverse the darkening effect of the caustic cleaner and restore pH levels in the wood. This will brighten the wood and help to ensure proper stain penetration. Do not skip this important second step in the wood cleaning process.
Allow the wood to dry for at least 48 hours prior to staining. Protect things you do not want the stain on, like windows, shrubbery, concrete, or siding using plastic or tarps. Always wear protective gear like gloves, masks, and safety glasses.
Apply any of the TWP Wood and Deck Preservatives using a brush, stain pad, roller, or garden pump sprayer. It is best to start up top on high surfaces like wood siding or gazebos and to work your way down. On decks, stain the railings first before staining the deck floor.
Be sure the TWP stain is fully penetrating the wood and wipe away any excess stain that remains on the surface. Remember, there is still an older coat of stain in the wood so you will not apply as much stain on a maintenance coat as you would on bare wood surfaces. Stain each board or piece of wood from end to end. Stopping in the middle of a section can create unsightly lap marks. Once you are satisfied that the wood has absorbed all the TWP stain that it can you are finished.
I’m getting ready to apply the first maintenance coat to my 1.5 year old cedar deck (built last spring, stained 6 months later last fall). I’m ready with my Gemini Restore Kit and enough TWP 100 Pecan to finish the job. My questions are in how to handle a particular problem area.
Earlier this spring I spilled ferrous sulfate on my deck which left a grey stain. Power washing did not remove the chemical stain, but sanding does. Do you recommend that I sand the boards with the stain entirely, or just the affected areas?
For the maintenance coat, if part of the cleaning/prepping removes some of the prior year’s coat, is it ok to simply apply the new coat on top of a “splotchy” board? Will the new coat even out any bare areas if it is the same stain, or at that point should I try to remove all the remaining stain on that board? Thanks.
Just finished staining our deck with 1500 Natural after full prep kit etc. Looks great, we are very pleased. A few questions. First, we accidentally got some stain on the concrete and a slate stepper near the wood steps. What would we use to clean the stain off these areas without damaging the stain on the nearby wood? Second, we live in a heavily treed area in Northern Virginia. Lots of leaves, pollen, acorns and other debris from trees, almost year round. How would you recommend I intermittently clean the deck without damaging the stain when we are not applying a maintenance coat? Is a pressure wash too harsh? Last, how long should we expect until the stain is fully dry?
I have a 25 yo pt deck in nc mountains not sure the original stain but cleaned and pw about 4 years ago and used twp cedar. Then. Applied cleaner stripper last year but did not stain. Just pressure washed but still see some discoloration. Should I use your complete recommended cleaning brightening system or just go ahead and stain. Most likely twp 100. Or 1500
I prepped my deck and used a wood brightener, but forgot to rinse it off. I haven’t stained it yet. Is it too late to rinse off?
Hi all,
I built a pressure treated deck almost 3 years. The first year I applied one coat of TWP 100 Pecan stain. It looked very nice. Then the second year, after washing the dirt off with water and let dry (drier than the recommended moisture level), I applied a second coat. Shortly after that, I noticed black mildew grew between the two coats.
This spring I power washed a small area to remove the black stuff and it worked. I think I removed the top coat and maybe even the original coat. What should I do now? Should I power wash the whole deck or should I just use tsp without power-washing? What did I wrong originally?
Last month I cleaned and brightened my front deck using a pressure washer and proper cleaning/ brightening products. It looks as if the TWP natural stain I bought penetrated the wood nicely, but the color seems to be fading a bit already. I’m a veteran at preppeing my deck as I’ve had it for 15 years. I’m worried that it won’t last as long as the produtct claims it should Can I apply a third coat now without going back to scratch and removing the first two coats from last month? Michele
I stained my wood deck last year with TWP Butternut and this year I cleaned and prepped my deck for a maintenance coat. I cleaned it with Simple Green, and then pressure washed it off. After applying the stain 3 days ago, my entire deck is still not completely “dry”. There are parts where you can wipe your finger on the deck and a small amount of the stain wipes off onto your finger. I’m thinking the deck has not dried completely. The areas where it’s still not dry are more shaded areas of the deck. Should it take this long (3 days+) for it to dry? Would being in the shade increase the dry time? Or do you think I didn’t properly prep the deck? Thanks!
I just did a wall of cypress lap siding with TWP Cedartone and I do not like the color. After playing with samples, I should have used TWP Rustic. I have cedar shake elsewhere on the house and the Cedartone works fine on that, but on the cypress it looks too orange/yellow. I would like to restain that side of the house with Rustic. The wood is saturated and won’t take anymore stain at this point. What’s my best option? Would the clean + brighten remove enough of the new TWP that I could do a coat of rustic over it, or do I need to use the stripper? If I use the stripper, do I have to worry about the run off staining things such as a grey composite deck below?
I just finished the first coat of TWP 100 on my deck, but I ran out of stain before I could do a second “wet-on-wet” coat. Now I have to reorder and it will be at least a week before I can do a second coat. Are there any special steps before applying a second coat?
The deck is cedar, 1 year old, cleaned and brightened before staining. This is the first coat of stain on this wood.
Thanks,
Cameron
Best to leave alone and do another coat next Spring, not right now. Lightly wash to remove dirt.
My deck was stained almost 2 years ago with TWP I want to restain it but some parts of my deck are in complete shade and still repel water while other parts the stain is worn off and absorbs water. Will I have to strip the deck or will using the cleaner and brightener allow the stain that is in good shape allow stain to penetrate those areas?
It would be best to use the Restore A Deck Stripper/Brightener kit so the stain applies evenly.
I have a customer who has hated the Dark Walnut stain since day two. I finished the job last year. She now wants me to stain it a lighter color or replace the entire deck (her dime). Is there a way to lighten the stain? If not, can I use a light colored solid stain over the TWP after a Gemini clean? BTW, I think the deck looks great. It is hot though. Love your products.
You cannot lighten it by adding more stain. You can remove it and start over. Use the Restore A Deck Stripper and Brightener Kit. Once removed, she can use any color she wants.
We stained our deck Summer 2014 with TWP 100, 1 part dark oak, 2 1/2 parts pecan and got a very nice brown finish rather than the red tones. We plan to clean and maintain this summer. Once we do the Gemini plan, can we just use the natural stain to maintain the current color, but get the water/weather protection? Do we really need the brightener in this case, as we assume the natural is basically a clear stain
?
No you cannot use the Natural over this. You should use the same mix, just one light coat. You do not need the brightener.
Confused on this and similar replies. Thought that when you use the Gemini cleaner, you need to use the brightener to “neutralize” the PH level …. No ?
So your saying that if its a maintenance clean ( to reapply the same TWP stain after a few years or so ) you only need to use the cleaner and not the brightener ?
If you are down to the bare wood when prepping you use the Brightener. If the old coating is fully intact, you do not have to use the brightener but you can.
We did a maintenance coat on our 1 year old stain. TWP100. It looks great and we are more pleased with the Rustic color. Your customer support through this blog really makes a difference, other than how pleased we are with the stain, as to choosing which company to buy our stain from and to recommend. THANK YOU!! You get the same questions over and over and yet patiently answer them. Highly rated customer assistance and service!!
So… now that we are done for hopefully at least 2 years, we have these questions:
1. We have plenty of the Gemini #1, but no brightener left; can we order just the brightener?
2. The spindle staining and prep are a big chore and we hope not to do those for several years. As we used the Gemini #1 to clean with a power washer would you recommend scrubbing the deck flooring and then hosing it off so that we do not mess up the spindles? We wonder if we over power-washed off the stain as it is.
1. Sorry but we do not sell just the Gemini Brightener.
2. You could just clean and prep the floors. Minimize overspray and you should be fine for the spindles. Might just need to touch up a few spots here and there on the spindles.
I have a 3 year old cedar fence, stained with 1500 cedartone two years ago. I am interested in doing a maintenance coat, also flat boards on top of fence are losing stain in a few spots. I would like to know how much stain is recommended, given that it should take less as it has already been stained once.
Thank you.
Just one coat after a light wash. How much depends on your total sq. footage. The top part may need two coats.
If we clean and brighten with the Gemini Kit, then it rains, can we then stain 48 hours (after it is dry) later without any problem? We hope all the “spring stuff” is out of the trees and not left on deck boards. We have been very pleased with the 100 stain we applied last summer!
Yes you can stain 48 hours after rain with no issues.
Can I use two 1500 over two 100 by just using the cleaner and brightener or do I need to strip the 100 off?
You can use the Gemini Kit and apply the 1500 over the 100 as long as you are using a similar or darker color for the 1500. You cannot go lighter in color without stripping.
Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and light pressure wash. Apply two light coats of the TWP stain.
We cleaned one deck but had to wait almost 2 weeks to restain due to rainy weather. Applied one coat of stain yesterday afternoon. The deck still appears wet in most places, and the stain is tacky. Should I be concerned? I don’t recall this being an issue last time 🙁
Just let it to continue to dry. You may have over applied. You can also wipe off some of the excess stain with rags. Saturate an oily rags with water when finished.
We had a cedar deck installed in September 2014, then stained with TWP 100 in Cedartone 101 in July 2015. We understand we need to complete the yearly maintenance this year to all surfaces. 1. Do we use the Gemini Cleaner and Brightener again? 2. The deck color was too orange of a color for us (although we have had compliments on its color). What other color would you recommend to apply over the Cedartone for bit more brownish color? We would like to order a sample or two before we complete the entire deck. Thank you!
The Pecan 120 is more of a brownish cedar color. It would be best to use the Gemini Kit when reapplying.
I stained my new cedar deck last year with TWP 100, and there are large areas where this is virtually no stain (lots of sun), but other areas where this is still stain/color (shady).
Can I apply a maintenance coat with the deck in this condition, or do I need to strip the stain from the areas that still have the stain remaining?
Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit will work for reapplying another coat this year.
I had a pressure treated deck installed a year ago. The contracted used TWP 205 California Cedar. They insisted that the 200 series was best for decks even though the spec sheets show differently. The deck developed a lot of severe cupping which I had to drum sand out. I am planning on using the same stain on the deck for this treatment as I don’t see the 205 california cedar in any of the other twp deck stains, is there anything I should know about the 200 series application, and next time should I switch to another TWP? Thanks!
The 200 Series when applied to a deck can take 3-10 days to fully dry. Make sure to not over apply.
I moved the remaining 3 gallons of stain to a plastic HD 5 gallon bucket with a more ‘air tight’ lid than the original metal TWP container.
1. When I dumped the stain into the plastic container, there was a small amount of syrup like material at the bottom – should I scrap this out and move it or is this not too big of a deal? See pic.
2. Is the plastic container OK to store the stain in when its in a humidity controlled basement with a plastic bag wrapped over it to minimize the air movement?
3. Or should I move it back to the metal TWP container, bend down the tabs nice and tight and wrap the container in a plastic bag to store in a humidity controlled basement?
1. Yes you should
2. Yes
3. Leave in a container that closes fully.
Cool, thanks. What is the substance left over and why is it important to scrape it all out? Is it coloring?
Yes it is colorant.
Got most of it out and dropped it in the new container. Do you ship small bottles similar to your samples with colorant that can be added?
No we do not.
Can I still use TWP 1500 that was opened 10 months ago? for a maintenance coat this year?
The opened can has been closed with plastic wrap under the hammered on lid. It has been in a shed …..never got hot or frozen.
thanks , Ry
It should be okay as long as there was not any evaporation of solvents. Check for even consistency. No thickening or clumping.
I have a 25 year old cedar privacy fence that I cleaned, stained and sealed 4 years ago with TWP 100. It still looks good and water still beads when I hit it with the hose. It gets very little direct sun and it is a dry climate in CO. I wanted to put another coat of the TWP 100 on it for maintenance but the instructions seem to make it clear that I need to clean it again with your chemical cleaner. It was a lot of work to clean it 4 years ago, especially the brushing part (but it turned out great). Since it looks good, can I just use a pressure sprayer and clean it with soap and water? I would love to avoid the brushing step (and chemicals if possible) and that is why I had the idea of a maintenance application – while it still looks good.
You should use the Gemini Restore Kit. You do not need to brush. Apply with a pump sprayer then lightly pressure rinse. It will be much easier.
Thank You!
Welcome!
Hey- I have a three year old deck that was stained two years ago in the dark oak. I am getting ready to do a maintenance coat and wasn’t sure if I needed one or two coats?
Probably just one coat will work.
If you prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and pressure washing you should be okay to do this since the Rustic is a darker color then the Cedartone.
I’m in Sarasota Fl, a little less than a year ago I stripped, cleaned and brightened my deck then applied 2 coats, wet on wet of TWP 100. I want to apply a
maintenance coat – below you mention, if less than a year, it could just
clean it with soapy water and have a light maintenance coat put on. After I
clean it with the soapy water, does anything else have to be applied
prior to putting on the TWP 100? Should I add anything to the soapy
water like a little bleach or will that change the ph of the wood too much and require the brighter? There doesn’t appear to be any mildew, just some dirt.
If just dirt then use soapy water to clean off the dirt for the prep. No need to add bleach.
I did notice a little mildew, can I add bleach to the soapy water then when that dries for the 2 days, can I just apply the maintenance coat?
Yes but do not add a lot of bleach. Just a few ounces per gallon of water.
Will a heavy dew in the morning after I put down the maintenance coat be a problem. I plan on being finished applying the maintenance coat by 10:00 AM. Should I cover the deck at night? If I need to cover it, will it need to be covered for 2 nights to allow for the 48 hours without rain?
No do not cover. It needs airflow and sun to dry. The dew or rain the following day will not harm the stain.
Stained our deck 2 days ago. Over all looks great but there are a few drips on the vertical skirt that we did not notice when staining the deck boards. Any suggestions for fixing these drips now short of a complete re-do of the vertical board?
Also, how long should the deck “cure” before we put our furniture back on it.
Many thanks!
Please post a picture if you can.
We used 1501 on our deck last year. The stain still looks great, but there is some accumulate dirt and I would like to know what the best way to clean it is. I see the instructions for a maintenance coat above, but would like to know what is recommended for just light cleaning of dirt. I powerwashing with water enough, or is there a better way to clean it?
Wash with water and soapy dish water. Agitate lightly if needed with a soft push broom. The key is to not use too much pressure or too strong of a soap.
Thank you, this is very helpful
Welcome
My deck was cleaned and sprayed about 1 year ago with TWP 100 cedartone. The fellow who did it suggested that I re-spray once a year. I am ready to do that again, since there has been some fading. My questions are, do I need to use both the cleaner and restorer prior to staining, and should I use the 100 again or go to the 1500. Thanks.
Use the 100 again and yes use both the products in the Gemini Restore Kit.
Sand all otherwise it is possible for it dry unevenly. Same with the splotchy areas.
We built our home two years ago and applied twp 1500 to both sides of the log siding We want to apply a maintenance coat now. The issue we have is surface dirt especially on the road side of our house and more significantly dark streaks and spots on the lower side of the siding,as if dirty water ran down and dried. This area is under roof. We have tried scrubbing with simple green to no avail. What kind of cleaner would you suggest. Two sides of the house look good all though they need the maintenance coat.
Use the Gemini Restore Kit for prep.
I applied TWP 1500 (Cedartone) to my ~5 year old deck last year after having used the Gemini Restore Kit. Now the deck boards look a bit dirty, mostly because the stain worked so well that puddles of water would build up on top of the boards after a rain and it would take a day or two for the puddles to dry. I’d rather not have to apply another coat of stain if I can avoid it and would instead prefer to just clean the dirt off of it. Is there something I can use that will clean the dirty off the top but not damage the stain that was applied last year and appears to still be working?
Try a light wash with a little bit of dish soap and water. Lightly agitate with a soft broom and rinse.
I have 25 year old cedar siding on my house that is exposed to severe weather. Last stained with TWP 100 Cedartone 7 years ago. I planned to re-stain with TWP 1500 in Pecan then saw on your website that TWP 200 is recommended for old wood siding. Which would you recommend TWP 1500 or 200? Which 200 color is closest to Pecan in 1500 series? Can I get TWP 200 in VT?
Use the 1500 for this. Pecan 1520 is a great color and stain.
Use the 100 Series and yes use the Gemini Restore Kit.
We have a company coming to stain our deck, they had us choose colors from the 200 & 1500 series. I asked which series they recommended, since they have the most experience with your stain. They said the 200 last longer. I read on your site not to use 200 series for decks. Can you explain why or offer some advice?
200 is designed for shakes and shingles. It can be sued for decking but in many cases it takes a week or longer for the oils to fully absorb into the wood. As for lasting longer, either would be about the same.
No issues with this.
Scott, I would wash all and apply another coat. Best to use the Gemini Restore Kit for the prep. Sounds like something organic was caught between the coats creating the mold spots. Maybe pollen from a tree nearby?
I stripped/brightened my redwood deck last year and put on TWP 1502. Spindles (and horizontals, actually) still look good. I just wanted a refresher coat on the floor and horizontal railing. One of your responses here said a wash with mild soap and water and re-coat would be fine (no need for Gemini Restore Kit). I just wanted to confirm that advice before following it. Thanks.
Frank, you can use the Gemini Kit at a lower (1/2) concentration or just soapy water if you are trying to just remove a light layer of dirt for a light coat of stain over a year old intake coat of TWP. If the TWP were 2 years old, than the Gemini Kit at full strength would be better
I have a house in the Puget sound area on the water. We used TWP honey tone six years ago. we will be doing a maintenance coat this year. The wood is in good shape with very minimal discoloration. I am planning on using a cleaner and then wood brightener prior to stain application. Attached are some pictures. Do I even need to do the two step cleaning process prior to attain application. Or can I just pressure wash and go. After proper dry time of course.
Ronald, I would use the cleaner and brightener for the proper prep.
My deck floor needs a maintenance cost – spindles still look great. Have TWP product on the deck currently. Don’t want to do a stripping clean as I don’t want to damage the spindles with a power washer. What product would you recommend – Simple Green???Do I need to do a brightener? There are no dark spots. We get tons of afternoon sun, so it is faded, a bit. All wood is still in good shape.
Sandy, if just a little dirty then a light cleaning with a mild soap will work just fine before applying a maintenance application.
Michelle, I would not do that but rather apply a light coat next Spring.
How do I determine how much stain I need? I have a 12 x 30 deck and a small swingset that needs staining.
Also, is it too late to stain in Sept on Long Island?
When I order, how long does it take to deliver?
Frank, shipping is 2-3 days and you can stain all the way through October. Coverage is 150-200 sq. feet rer gallon.
Jimmy, the 200 Series can take many days to dry. It is technically not designed for decking but shake and shingles on vertical siding or roofs. It will dry eventually though.
bb75, you would have to strip and removing newly applied stain is not easy. Brighten the wood when done. It does not harm composite but make sure to rinse the runoff.
I have a older pressure treated wood deck that was beautifully cleaned and finished last summer and coated with TWP1520 Pecan. It still looks ok except for some boards that look thinly coated and dry, plus some spots of streaks of funky old wood resins leaking through the surface. I want to apply a maintenance coat. My finishing expert flooring guy says that the TWP should be thinned with about 1/4 gallon mineral spirits per gallon of TWP. I’ve read the cleaning and brightening instructions and get that I just need to know about the TWP coating.
jj, do not thin the TWP. Lightly clean the deck to remove the TWP and apply a very light coat of the stain.
Help…TWP was spilled on my concrete patio. Do you have any suggestions for getting it off? If not, can I seal over it and paint the patio?
Steve, you could try a graffiti remove from your local paint store and a pressure washer.
Thanks
Hello,
How do i get rid of the shine film spots and over laps on my deck. It is an old deck that was prepped using Gemini restore a deck. The film spots are from over application, I am assuming. Some of the deck looks great but of course i want the entire deck to look good.
TWP 1500 California Redwood
Thank you in advance.
Michele
Michell, you cannot just remove the shiny spots and overlaps. The only way to fix would be to remove all of the stain and start over.
Hi there,
Thank you for your response. I was afraid you were going to say that. Would you recommend stripping vs. power washing with a gemini product?
Thanks again,
Michele
Gemini Restore Kit is not a stripper. You would want the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper with pressure washing then brighten with the Restore A Deck Brightener.
Thanks
I put two coats of TWP1500 on a new cedar deck last summer and it looked great for about a month or so and then started getting black blotches that mostly, but not entirely washed off with scrubbing and water. Then, as autumn progressed, the black came back, and by this spring the deck looked more gray/black than cedar colored. The deck is on the southwest side of the house and gets loads of sun all afternoon. I recently used Oxiclean dissolved in hot water and lost of scrubbing with a bristly brush and now the cedar looks like it did before I originally stained it when it’s wet, and sort of a pale, washed out look when it’s dry. It’s been about a week since I scrubbed it and it’s rained almost constantly. I plan to use a cleaner/brightener and then 48 hours of dry weather before recoating with twp. Any advice before I proceed?
jtsailjt, since you already cleaned the wood you probably just need a brightener now. Strange on the black. Was it dirt of some kind or possibly mold? Mold looks like little black dots. We have seen issues in the past where the customer applied the stain while a tree was pollinating in the area. This pollen gets trapped in the stain while drying, creating a feeder for mold growth. Do you think this could have been possible?
I suspect that it was mold but since I originally stained it in mid-July last year during a very hot and dry period, I can’t think what might have been causing pollen here in Maine during that time frame but I’m not really that familiar with when different plants pollinate except the obvious time in spring, so it’s possible that was the cause. I thought that the problem might have something to do with the fact that it was so hot that week that I was staining in the morning to get it done before temps got into 80’s. It was drying very fast so I thought it was safe to do 2 coats wet on wet but I see on your website where you recommend only one coat on new wood before the wood has had a chance to thoroughly dry. Possibly the combination of the cedar still being somewhat “green” with high moisture content plus the very hot temps that dried the TWP before it had much of a chance to penetrate into the wood caused the problem? Whatever the cause, I’m relieved that the Oxiclean removed it all and I can start afresh. The wood has had a year to dry out now and this time I’m going to choose a day in the 70’s to stain so hopefully the TWP will sink in and I won’t have a repeat of the mold issue. I’ll use the cleaner/brightener that I have and then keep everyone off it until we have had 2 or 3 days of very dry weather and then I’ll get out my TWP and try it again, hopefully with better results this time.
Our deck is 2 years old and only had a coat of clear olympic protectant on it, this year, it was power washed and needs to be stained to protect it. It is pressure treated wood, light color in good shape, except for railing are starting to crack from the intense sun all day on it. I live in NJ and was looking at this 1500 series semi transparent natural stain. with the sun, did not want a dark stain with fading and wanted to know if this would last 3 years and do we just power wash and apply this stain again in 3 yrs or if anything else needs to be done. I hired someone to apply this and he wanted to use benjamin moore oil based stain, but did not see that it had UV protection, this 1500 series does? what is the benefits over the benjamin moore?
Karen, TWP typically lasts about 2 maybe 3 years on a horizontal surface. You should use the Gemini Restore A Deck Kit for prepping for a reapplication.
What is best and safe way to remove TWP 1500 stain from vinyl siding. s. Some bled under the painters tape and can I use mineral spirits to remove the stain and not harm the siding.
I would use a little but of Goof Off but you will need to be careful and do a test spot. If your siding is oxidizing (white chalk) then you may a reaction with any cleaner that you may use.
Belive it or not sometimes Barbasol Shaving cream sometimes works to take stain off of vinyl sidding. I used the basic black and red can. It worked. Learned this from a old painter friend