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.
welcome!
Touch up and wipe off excess stain right away.
Will do. Thanks! Your online support has been great.
Entire edge staggering so as to not have a straight line. You size of deck should only take 5 minutes to cut int before you start applying to the rest of the floor. You have about 20-30 minutes to blend in the floor from your cutting in to the rest of the floor.
Did the entire porch yesterday, and generally very pleased with the results. One final question. There is a small area where I missed a spot (a cut-in below a slightly raised column on the porch). If I touch up the missed spot, do I run a bigger risk of seeing a bigger “flaw” where I get stain onto already-stained spots as part of the touch-up process? Should I just leave it as-is and simply hit it next time I do a maint. coat? Thanks…
We live in OKC & deck is
in direct sun. Recently resurfaced 1200 sqft deck with 5/4 PT pine. Additionally
have older, good condition, 300 sqft section with neglected stain from 10 yrs.
Planning to wait until next Apr/May to use Gemini Restore & Brightener
products on both sections with pressure washer then stain with TWP 1500. Should
I apply just one coat then wait another year for a maintenance coat?
Yes that would be the correct way.
Yes you must remove the Sikkens before applying the TWP.
Yes that would be best.
Apply the second coat as soon as you finish the first coat.
Ok, I’m just about ready to do the application, but I’ve been reading conflicting opinions regarding cutting-in. I’m doing both a porch (6×12) and a two-level deck (15×15 x 2), and each surface has areas that abut the cedar siding. I’ve seen some say that you have enough drying time to allow cutting-in the entire perimeter first, others have said cut a board or two at a time. I’ll be doing the porch first to get familiar with the stain. How much should I be cutting-in at a time? One board? One edge/side? The entire perimeter? Thanks.
You cannot just remove the film without removing all of the stain. I would leave it alone for a year or so and strip it off than. It will be much easier to deal with after a year.
We have applied TWP 1500 twice, and have done so by hand. I want to switch to the Padco pads. Are these a one time use or can they be cleaned and reused?
Best to just use them once.
i stained an 8 mo. old cedar deck after power washing and sanding with 1500 Honeytone and generally pleased, but the wood knots don’t seem to have picked up the color in places??
Chris, it is normal for knots to be lighter in color as the wood is much denser at the knots.
Thanks!
Brighten right after stripping.
Just applied 1500 to our deck. What is the best way to handle a few shiny spots where it was over-applied once the stain is dry? Sand and re-apply stain? Mineral spirits?
Brian, Wipe down with mineral spirits.
I also have shiny spots where there were drips that dried or the previous TWP stain had not lightened out as much. Do I need to apply a second coat to even out the shiny spots. They are very obvious. Any suggestions would help.
Adding more will not help with this but possibly make it worse. I will try removing the spots with some mineral spirits.
During the 48hr dry time after cleaning, I get bird droppings on the deck. What is the best way to clean this?
Water or mineral spirits.
if i use mineral spirits, how long should i have to wait before applying TWP?
An hour or two.
It sheds water after drying.
You should be fine if dry to the touch.
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-1500-colors-explained/
2 Light coats for this.
Plastic will not allow the stain to cure properly.
can you apply TWP over a flood cedar fence stain?
No you cannot apply TWP on top of Flood stain without removing it first.
You must have applied to thin. Hard to say if the 3rd coat will adhere now. Might want to wait until Fall and do a light coat at that time.
No argument, stain was hand brushed by a professional floor refinisher after sanding at 80 grit. The results are excellent, as expected, just didn’t require near the amount recommended. Called to get RMA on 5 gallons. Maybe when I reorder in two years, I can get the 30% restock fee as a credit. Anyway, great product.
Richard, TWP should not shine. That means over application and premature failure. Wait a day or two for furniture.
Have a deck 675 SF, aged pine, sanded bare. Your guide says 150-300 SF/gal. Assume that is one coat. How many gallons do you recommend buying for two coats?
Walter, first coat is 150-200 sq. feet and second is 200-300 for most scenarios. Averages to 100-125 for two coats. 6-7 gallons should be a good amount. Clean the deck after the sanding.
Finally, after weeks of rain, we stained the deck today! Looks great. We brushed on two coats and probably used 2.5 gallon on 675 SF. Question is, did we brush too thin, does it need a third cost? And can we apply it after the first two are dried?
I applied TWP1500 last year. I cleaned the deck with the 2 step process this spring. Can I now reapply TWP1500 again this year?
Paul, yes you can apply a maintenance coat now. Make sure to clean first.
Richard, I would not re-wet but rather blow off the pollen with a leaf blower than stain.
We live in Georgia and had a new deck put up last April, 2013. We used Olympia oil Stain and the part of the deck in shade turned black and the part in full sun greyed. We have stripped off all the old stain and used a deck cleaner with brightner twice. The deck is 22×14′. Will we need to put on two coats as our deck is exactly one year old, or will one be the right amount? We are planning on ordering the TWP 1500 in natural Thanks, Diane
Diane, I would suggest two light coats applied wet on wet.
JRP, best to prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and a light pressure washing. I would just apply one coat this time around since most of the deck will have a base coat.
Thanks for the quick response. Here’s a picture from initial staining 2 yrs ago. I’ll send a current picture when I complete the maintenance coat.
Is it possable to use a airless spray gun to appliy TWP.
Bill, yes you can airless spray TWP.
1) Are you supposed to stain between the deck boards? 2) Should I start by staining the posts/underneath the deck first, then the railing, then the boards or is there a better order? 3) Do you recommend using a brush or some other method to apply the TWP?
Ke, only need to stain the exposed areas. You do not need to stain under the deck. Pleas read this about application: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/tips/application-instructions/
We have a 1280 sf pool deck in SW Texas that is over 20 yrs old. I am putting deck over the pool itself. (we are putting deck over the pool permanently) The old boards that surround the pool we are flipping over and reusing to save cost. So, there will be a mixture of new treated 2 x 6 that will be lighter in color (400 sf) and old flipped 2 x 6 around the outside of the pool itself that is decidedly darker. My question is this, is there a color you can suggest that would blend the old darker boards and newly purchased boards and make them look somewhat similar? I realize that there will be a difference but I believe that in time the sun will take care of the rest of the blending. The railings around the deck are gray.
John, it is not possible to blend old wood and new wood and get the same color. Please read this article about new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Hi. I cleaned, stripped and stained my deck last summer using TWP 1500 (pecan). Looks great! And still does. How vital is it to re-apply an additional coat on the horizontal decking before summer?
Andrew, if it looks good then leave it alone. You do not want to over apply the TWP stain. Best to wait maybe until Fall or next Spring for a light maintenance coat.
I finished an 800sf pressure treated deck 2 months ago. i live in NY and sometimes we have bad winters. I just purchased TWP 1500 stain (honeytone) and the restore-a-deck. I’ve heard that you should stain a deck before the winter to protect it and would like to get it done this week. Is it too early to stain the deck and will the deck being exposed to the winter elements hurt it? Thanks
Sean, TWP suggest waiting 4-12 months for new wood to season. Best to do this in Spring.
Hello! We stained our deck in Dark Oak and it looks great. I didn’t tape up our house well enough and we got some stain on the vinyl siding. Any tips for removing it? Mineral spirits had no effect. Thanks!
Valerie, try a water based graffiti remover from the paint store. Do a test spot first to make sure it does not discolor the vinyl.
I am staining my log home. I would like to paint the trim boards green around my windows after staining them with the same TWP stain I stain the house with. Can you paint over TWP stain? If so, should I use latex or oil based paint?
That is more of a question for the paint brand you are using. Some may adhere okay and some may not.
im using twp 1500 stain on a redwood trim project in brooklyn ny . i am going to apply stain tomorrow at 54 deg stopping application around 3pm. night time forecast expects temperatures to drop to 37 deg. will this be a problem for proper curing of stain. house is completly unprotected at the moment, and we need to stain before weather drops even more
any suggestions?
Thanks
Alan, you should be fine. Make sure the stain applies evenly and penetrates well. You do not want to over apply.
I recently sandblasted my log house. The house was built in 1981. Should I treat the sandblasted wood as new wood, The logs are pine. I am concerned as my sample areas of honeytone and rustic both came out dark upon staining.
Tom, you do not need to treat as new wood. Not sure why the honeytone is dark. Might need to apply a wood brightener. Can you post a picture here please.
I recently re-glazed my windows on my french doors. It was recommended by my local paint dealer to use a cover stain over the glaze. Then next a paint over the stain. The product that I am using is Zinsser it is an oil based cover stain, primer stain blocker bond coat. It is very thick and clean up needs to really quick. I have 12 doors to do. My question is that this process is so time consuming and is their a different method that I may use. Also now I will have to find a paint to match the stain that I am using TWP 1500 dark oak.
Cynthia, TWP is not a cover stain and is not used for glazing. It is used for unfinished/bare wood only.
I have just re-glazed my windows on my French Doors. They have cured for several weeks. I am having a problem with the TWP 1500 series absorbing over the glaze?????
Cynthia, TWP is not supposed to be applied on top of glaze. I would wipe it off.
Hi, I live in Augusta Ga. I have an unstained PT pine deck and fence; 2.5 years old, and am looking at TWP to coat it. After appropriate cleaning, which would be the better option for durability, 100 or 1500? I understand you prefer pads for application on the deck, but what about 300 ft of fence, inside and out? Can I trust some kind of sprayer, or should I roll it? 2 coats I assume?
Mark, I would suggest the 1500 Series for a vertical fence in GA. Lightly spray on the first coat followed by a second coat 20 minutes later with a large brush.
Hi TWP folks, I applied Gemini Restore-A-Deck Kit and Natural 1530 to a deck that hasn’t been treated for probably 10 years, and the results are amazing! I got lots of drips down onto my driveway underneath, and the spots just won’t come up. Tried detergent, mineral spirits, and finally acid, but the stains and stickiness remain. Any suggestions?
Saz, try a graffiti remove from you local paint store and a pressure washer. Glad the deck turned out great!
Hi, I was applying 1500 to a new covered deck that had been exposed to the elements for about 3 months. I ran low on stain (long story) so only used one coat instead of the wet on wet second coat. How long should I expect the first coat to last until it can accept another coating of 1500?
Matt, new wood is only supposed to receive one coat. You can add a light maintenance coat next year.
I live in upstate NY. My new PT 350 sf deck was finished in early May of this year. I plan to order TWP 1500 (5 gallons) and want to know if I should seal my deck this fall or can I wait until next spring. In either case, what is the minimum daytime temperature should it be applied? I understand that with new wood, only one coat is required.
Dennis, up to you if you want to do it now or Spring. If now then only 1 coat. If in Spring, you can most likely apply two light coats wet on wet. Minimum temp is about 45-50.
I purchased the TWP 1502 stain and the restore-a-deck cleaner and brightener. The painters who are applying the stain did the cleaning yesterday. However, they have some concerns that there may be previous stain on the deck that is not sufficiently removed that is going to cause problems. I used a Behr semi-transparent stain about 5 years ago. On one deck the flat boards look pretty grey and unstained. The horizontals still have redwood color. On another small deck it looks like there still may be some stain.
My question is, do I now need to order and use the restore-a-deck stripper? Do I need to do the cleaner or brightener again? That is certainly making the job more complicated. I’m hoping I can get by with simply applying the stain.
Bruce, the Behr needs to be remove before applying TWP. The RAD cleaner is not a stripper. You would need the RAD Stripper, pressure washing, and even possibly some sanding as Behr can be a difficult stain to remove. No need to clean again but you will need the brightener.
How long can I store a can of stain? I am afraid I will not be able to apply it before the cold weather comes.
Frank, unopened and it will last years as long as it is not exposed to extreme heat or cold.
I have 5 gal of TWP 1500 California Redwood. My deck is pressure treated pine that is in direct sun light and has cured for 8 months. I will clean with wood cleaner and brightener. How man coats of stain should I apply.
Dirk, one coat this year and apply another light maintenance coat next year would be best for newer wood.
MDW, no leaves will not stick onto the stain while the stain is drying.
Carlo, we prefer stain pads for application. As for brushes, it does not matter the type.
If the temperature at night is 50 degrees or lower can I use TWP 1500, or do I need to wait until the spring to stain?
tchrms, yes you can still use the stain if the temps are in the 40-50’s at night.
Great!
Crowe, 1-2 days. if still tacky then the stain did not absorb correctly. Usually due to over applying. It will eventually dry.
I just finished applying my TWP1500 stain around 6PM. When it says to avoid cold temperatures the day after, what is considered cold? It’s supposed to get down to 54 degrees overnight.
I also noticed just a few areas that appeared wet around 10 tonight. Just a spot here and there. Mostly around the knots in the wood. No puddling was observed during application and was smoothed using a paint pad applicator. Is it normal to have a few spots appear “damp” after only 4 hours? I’m talking areas around the size of a silver dollar.
Thanks.
Brian, it will be fine and the temperature will not harm the stain.
Thanks. By the way, what a great product! I am very pleased so far with my purchase. After a few months, I’ll write a review for your website.