Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by TWP Help
Update on Best Application tips for applying the TWP 1500 Series
TWP 1500 Stain
First, measure your wood surface to determine the square footage. TWP 1500 Series Wood and Deck Preservative covers approximately 150-300 sq. ft. per gallon. Buy a little more stain than you need just to be sure you do not run out at the end of the project.
Prior to using TWP 1500 Wood and Deck Stain, clean the wood using a brush or pressure washer along with a quality wood cleaner. Preparing the wood properly will ensure your new TWP Wood Stain will perform optimally.
Once the wood surface is cleaned it must dry for a minimum of 48 hours before any stain can be applied. Be sure the temperature is at least 50 degrees and that dry weather is forecasted for the next several days.
Remove any leaves or debris that may have collected while the wood was drying. Wear protective gear like rubber gloves and safety glasses while completing your wood staining project. Thoroughly mix the TWP 1500 Wood Preservative using a paint stick until it is well blended. Be sure there are no clumps at the bottom of the pail. If the TWP stain has been sitting for some time, a paint store can shake it up for you.
Use plastic to protect any windows, landscaping, concrete, or siding that you do not want to stain. Begin staining the higher areas first. On wood siding, gazebos, wood shakes, and playsets start at the top and stain your way down. On wood decks, it is best to start with the railings and save the deck floor for last.
TWP 1500 Series can be applied in several ways. Use a brush, stain pad, or pump sprayer to apply. With TWP 1500, the first coat is a saturation coat. It should soak in fairly quickly with the exception of new wood which may take longer. If the wood absorbs the first coat with no problem, a second coat of TWP 1500 Stain may be applied. The more stain that is absorbed the better. Apply a second “wet on wet” coat within 30 minutes of the first coat.
Be wary of over-application of the stain. If you see puddles or drips of excess stain that isn’t absorbing into the wood, wipe them away using a brush or stain rag. Do not stop staining in the middle of a board. Doing so can leave lap marks. Finish each board from end to end once you begin staining.
TWP 1500 Series Wood and Deck Preservative is the only wood preservative registered by the EPA. It is designed for all exterior wood surfaces. It has outstanding penetration properties and excellent UV resistance from wood graying. It has superb color retention and is not prone to cracking, peeling, or flaking. TWP 1500 Series will only fade in time and can simply be cleaned and reapplied as necessary for maintenance.
I am a bit confused on the instructions that say TWP can be applied to maintain your deck after you’ve properly treated a deck. Does the deck have to be pressure washed again to remove old stain or just a light cleaning with the hose, etc? How does this work exactly?
Light cleaning if just dirty. If many years then you will need to do a thorough cleaning.
Thanks
Hi I am getting ready to stain an enclosed screen porch (screens not in yet) and want to use TWP. I live in Omaha NE and used yellow pine pressure treated wood. it is mostly in a shady area. Should I use 100 or 1500 series? Also, I was told to just let the wood sit and dry which you describe as well on the site but I read from some sites you have to use a preservative, just a preservative on right after building so didn’t warp. But I read your site and it said not to and to wait and so I did and now a lot of the vertical boards are warped. So I don’t know what to do. Its been 3 months and can’t wait much longer here or it will be winter but if I replace the warped boards with new ones than I am back to not being able to stain them – I feel like its a lose lose situation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Mandy, I would use the the Gemini Restore Kit now for the prep and lightly apply one coat of the TWP 100 Series. It has been 3 months so this one coat should be okay. Next Spring you may need to do a light coat on horizontal areas only. The verticals will be fine.
I’m preparing to clean and re-stain my rear and side decks, which are ~20 year-old redwood decking. The deck is badly in need of the work as it has been 3-4 years since I last did it. I’ve already purchased TWP 1500 (Cal. Redwood) for the job, and have a question regarding preparation. In the past, I’ve prepped by pre-wetting, using a deck cleaner (scrubbed with a stiff bristle brush, then power-washing and letting it dry. However, in speaking with the contractor I had replace my front decking; I found out that he uses a brightener (oxalic acid) with a power-washer and no cleaner first. Doing some research, I see references to doing *both*, ie, first use a cleaner, then a brightener. Should I do both, or is just the brightener sufficient?
DaveP, you want to to both. Deck cleaner first then brightener.
Teri, clears with no color will not give any UV protection. You must have a tint. I would look at the lighter tints such as the 151 Honeytone or the 1530 Natural. Honeytone is the lightest.
Todd, wait a few months to weather, prep with the Gemini Restore Kit, and apply the TWP with just one coat for the first time.
TN Gal, rinse deck well and apply brightener. Do rails first than floor. Use a stain pad for the floor applications. Apply wet on wet: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
Keep off deck for 24-48 hours after staining.
Hello,
Central Colorado mountains. 1000 SqFt professionally built backyard deck. Complete redwood decking and wrap with treated structure build. Wood has weathered for about 4 months and has faded BAD under the bright direct sunlight. Sanded the whole thing and pressure washed. Let it dry and stained with the 1500 Redwood stain just today. Deck looks GREAT. But after 6 hours there are still a lot of wet looking spots…. do I need to worry just yet or should I give it some time?
Kdubber, this means the stain was over applied a little. I would not worry right now. Let it dry for a few more days.
I just had a new rough pine 6′ (with p/t posts) privacy fence installed. I live in Florida. How long do I wait to stain, and do I need to ‘clean and brighten” first? Also, would you recommend 100 or 1500 series. The fence is approx. 208 ft. Does that mean I need 2500 sq. ft. of coverage? (208 x 6 x 2). As it’s new wood, should I just put on one coat of stain? How many 5 gal. cans will I need of stain? Thanks!
Gary, new rough sawn wood can be stained right away with no prep. Your sq. footage seems correct. One coat is fine but rough wood is more absorbent. Use the 1500 Series and your will need about 15-20 gallons.
Thanks for the response. What’s the most efficient, fastest application method for 2500 sq. ft. of fence (airless paint sprayer, pump sprayer, roller, etc).?
Gary Fuller, apply with a sprayer and back wipe the second coat within 20-30 minutes.
Yimin, please read this article: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
Any other questions you may have will most likely be on this site as well.
RRratman, no you cannot do that.
Randy, I have no idea what would cause this nor have we ever heard of such a thing. Is it light areas around knots? That is normal.
Missy, use the Gemini Restore Kit for a light prep after the sanding before applying the TWP.
Tiffany, it is hard to say until you look at the stain after the rain water dries.
Ok….what exactly should I be looking for??
Tiffany, if it looks even and not blotchy than most likely okay. It it has “water marks” and separations rings, than you have issues.
brucehland, possibly but a constant spray pattern from a sprinkler for a couple of months will create issues.
bruceohland, if it did not penetrate and cure properly than this could happen. It is normal though for knots to be lighter in color.
Did the low temperature at the time of application have anything to do with it?
Cathy, you can wait a couple of weeks after the prepping before staining. Do not use a tarp to cover before or after.
I have the 5-gallon 1500 series, about to get to it. What the best method for pulling the stain out of the bucket, and into paint pans ? Suction hose ? Do I need to do anything more than simply stir to get the stain ready ? What pile is best for a roller ?
Mike, stir first well than pour into a paint try. Use a stain pad over a roller.
I just applied 1500 honeytone to one side of my house and am concerned that the color is pretty far off from the samples I applied. I put samples right on prepped shingles on different sides of house. Color is much more orange and darker than samples, will it change when fully dry or weather quickly?
Dan S, it should lighten a little after drying. Did you Mix the stain thoroughly?
Stain was mixed thoroughly, applied approx. one gallon of 5 gallon pail.
color is consistent across side. Is there any way to lighten stain for further application?
Dan S, there is not a way to lighten the TWP stain.
Thank you for replies – the TWP stain seems like a great product.
It applied easily and overall color is very even. I think part of the difference is the size of the wall vs. the sample areas.
If I get the expected life from the stain I will be very pleased.
So despite my best efforts to follow instructions properly, it appears that I have over applied. I used a pump sprayer and back rolled all the areas that looked like it was puddling. It’s been almost 3 days and the deck is shiny, some areas are tacky, and there are places where the stain is peeling or balling when I walk or shuffle my feet on it. Other areas look good, like the stain has absorbed into the wood.
The color is fantastic, but what can be done about this shiny, un-even appearance and the sticky spots and the balling?
Tony D, you canot fix this without removing all of the stain and starting over. I would give it some time and see if it dries and cure properly first.
How long should I wait? It’s been almost 3 days. Can you confirm that this is due to over-application?
Tony D, over application or improper prep. Hard to say which. I would give it a week.
Grady, TWP is suppoded to be applied wet on wet. Waiting a week later mt create some issues. If you do this you must apply a very thin light coat and back wipe and stain that does not absorb after an hour or so.
What happens if a second coat is applied after the first coat has dried? Also, what is the issue with applying over an existing stain. There is a portion of our porch – roof and paneling against the house that we can’t remove the stain. We plan to use TWP 1500 natural.
Andrea, you should nto apply TWP over a different stain as it may not adhere or penetrate correctly. If you apply a second coat after the first coat dries, you run the risk of over applying and getting “shiny” spots.
Is it possible to put a second coat of 1500 on 2 days after 1st coat? Deck was prepared properly and cleaned pryor to 1st coat.
Steve, hard to say for sure as it may not penetrate well. If you do it should be a very light coat.
Jim, 1530 Natural is not clear but tinted. No synthetic resins.
If I have left over stain, what is the expected shelf life of the 1500 stain?
Daniel, it depends on how well you close it. No evaporation and it can last a couple of years. If there is evaporation then it will go bad on 6-12 months.
Hello,
I stained my deck with one coat, because I miscalculated the amount needed, I was not able to apply second coat (wet on wet). Does it make sense to buy more stain and re coat the deck and will the stain be able to penetrate the wood or is it too late?
Thank you
Daniel, I would not do it now but rather next Spring. It will work/penetrate better this way.
Tom, they will fade over time. You could also try to wipe down the excess stain with some lacquer thinner.
I have a cedar fence that I want to apply a clear stain. The fence is about 3 months old. How thoroughly do I need to prep the fence before applying the stain? Which stain is recommended, 100 or 1500? Should i use a brush or a roller to apply? I live in TN.
Paco, prep with the Gemini Restore Kit. The clear will not prevent UV graying so best to use a light tint such as the 115 Honeytone. I would spray then back brush.
Joann, you need 24-48 hours after ta rain and then it should not rain for 12-14 after the application.
Went through the whole cleaning/ brightening process and now the forecast has changed to rain for the next week! When should I stain? Do I have to clean and brighten again?
JoAnn, just wait until the wood dries from the rain.
I would use the TWP 100 Series for this if you can based on your state, otherwise the 1500.
Mike, full removal by stripping and brightening the wood for the prep. You can only use the 1500 in NY. Please read this on wet on wet: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
I have seen below where the recommendation is to get 100 if you can rather than 1500. I am in Colorado and sun in the biggest threat to a deck here, and other reviews claim the 1500 is better at preventing graying after 2 years. (At least they gave 1500 a higher score). So for Colorado, which one should I buy for my redwood deck that I will be stripping (in a few spots, the rest is bare), brightening and applying TPW. Also, I was assuming my best color choices would be redwood or rustic.
Randy, for your area I would use the 100 Series in any color that you would like.
100 for KY
Scott Paul
OPW/TheSealerStore
248.299.2512
I just sanded my five year old douglas fir front porch deck removing the the previous unsatisfactory stain. Should I use a deck treatment prior to applying the new stain? For this situation should I use TWP 100 or 1500?
Steve, you should prep the deck after the sanding with the Gemini Restore Kit. Where are you located for the stain?
Kirk, yes you can apply the maintenance coat. Sanding is not suggesedt and can create issues with the stain’s ability to soak into the wood. This may a reason it had an issue.
I thought sanding was an approved method to get old stain (non-TWP, water-base) off before re-coating with TWP.
Kirk, sanding sometimes needs to be done but it smooths the wood down. This can close the wood grain especially if you sued paper like 80 or 120 grit. The more porous the wood the better as the TWP will be able to dive deep into the wood cells.
I have a Wagner hvlp sprayer (Model 0525032) and was intending on using it to apply TWP on my deck and fence. I have yet to read where it’s ok to apply TWP 1500 with a hvlp sprayer. Would you folks recommend for or against using this type of tool to apply your stain?
You can use this applying the TWP. Make sure to back wipe for uniformity.
Scott Paul
OPW/TheSealerStore
248.299.2512
One coat for wood that is less then a year old.
Thank you very much for the prompt response and clearing up the question i had. One coat it will be ! Thanks again
I finished washing and prepping my pine deck yesterday afternoon. The weather has been 90 degrees, clear skies with relatively low humidity. The deck is in full sun from 11am until sundown. Can I start to apply the 1500 stain with just 30 hours of dry time instead of 48 hours?
Rob, It is probably okay to start.
We recently treated our deck with TWP1500 in Natural color. The weather forecast was significantly wrong and it stormed about 6 hours after our application. Now the deck has water spots everywhere. Can we just apply another coat or should we try to powerwash and then reapply or something else. Thanks.
It would be best to strip it off and start over. Add more mat make it look better but it probably will fail quicker as the next coat will not be able to penetrate into the wood.
Can I apply TWP1500 over already stained deck with TWP100
If you prep the wood well you can. Use the Gemini Restore Kit then apply 1 coat of the 1500.
AlanM, if is is not very dirty then cleaning with just water should be sufficient.
Clay, clean and brighten with the Gemini Restore Kit as your prep for a maintenance coat.
I’m unclear about which TWP product (100 or 1500) would work best on a 13 year old pine deck that has been neglected for years. Some of the boards are in need of replacement, and once that is done, I intend to strip and clean the entire deck. It appears to have a semi-transparent stain that is years old. In the uncovered parts of the deck, the stain has worn off, leaving that portion of the deck gray and worn. Which of your products will cover both the older and newer boards well, and then hold up to the rain, sun, and snow the deck will endure throughout the years ahead? Thank you.
Renee, both work very well. If you are able to use the 100 Series in your state then choose that. If not then you must use the 1500 Series.
What application process is recommended for a previously stained deck. The deck has not been stained for over two years but I am concerned about the new coat penetrating sufficiently. The previous stain was not TWP.
Frank, please read this article:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/switching-to-twp-stains/
Your parent company website mentions letting new treated wood season up to a year before staining with TWP 1500. These instructions do not. What is the proper method? Another penetrating oil based stain manufacturer with a similar product strongly recommends appying immediately…help.
You need to wait 4-12 months to let new wood season before applying the TWP 1500.
Can you just pressure wash and stain? Or do you need to use Gemini Restore kit and then stain?
Need the kit. You should not just prep with water.
We put TWP 1500 Dark Oak on our Oak T&G porch floor. We put it down as heavy as we dared and the final look was great. For weather reasons (dust) we were only able to get this initial coat. So, this week it will be about 5 days since that first coat. Is there any problem with just applying a second coat now?
Bill, you should not apply now as it may not penatrate. I would leave it alone and do a light maintenance coat in 6-12 months.
Just applied TWP 1500 in Natural. The wood was well prepped as per recommendations. The color look like a dark red-brown, not at all what was expected. In addition, the color of the stain before application looked like a deep brown. What’s going on?
Natural has tint and is not a “clear” color. It enhances your wood color and this will vary depending on your wood type. Did you get a sample to test first? Here is a good article about the 1500 colosr:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-1500-colors-explained/
Hi,
I need the MSDS for the TWP 1500 series. I could not find it under the product documentation on the webiste. If it is on the website, could you please send me the link, otherwise could you please e-mail it to me?
Thanks,
Dave
Dote, try this link: http://search.gemini-coatings.com/DataSheets/MSDS/TWP1501.pdf
HELP. LAST YEAR MAY 2012, AFTER HOURS OF RESEARCH ON THE BEST DECK STAIN TO USE I BOUGHT 2 – 5 GAL OF WALNUT STAIN I POWERWD WASHES, USED WOOD BRIGHTENER, AND FOLLOWED ALL THE DIRECTIONS TO THE T… IT LOOKED FANTASTIC FOR 6 MONTHS,,, LOOKINH AT THE DECK NOW IM SO UPSET TO SEE THE STAIN HAS WORN OFF ON MOST OF THE FLAT DECK, IT STILL LOOKS GOOD ON THE RAILING, BUT THE DECK PART LOOKS LIKE I NEVER STAINED IT ……WHAT HAPPENED ???????….. UGH… THE MUCH CHEAPER STAIN I HAVE USED IN THE PAST HELD UP FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS…..VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS PRODUCT
TWP is a penetrating stain. If the wood is not prepped correctly or if the stain is over applied then the TWP may not penetrate but rather “film” on top of the wood. It would be one of these reasons that the stain worn off this quickly. If the TWP had penetrated into the wood 100%, then it will not wear off.
Hello, we recently purchased the 1500 stain in Honeytone for our deck but have not applied it yet; still in the prep stage. My question is: if we find the initial application of Honeytone too light in color, can we darken it by re-applying Honeytone or even a darker 1500 series stain? If so, how long would you recommend waiting before re-applying.
Thanks very much, great site and knowledge base.
Sam L, you can apply 2 coats wet on wet with the TWP 1500 unless the wood is newer. You cannot reapply another coat on top for about a year though as too much stain will not penetrate correctly.