Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
TWPStainHelp.com Tips:Â It Rained on my TWP and How to Fix
When applying TWP Wood stain to an exterior surface, it can be a battle with Mother Nature to find an adequate weather window. With TWP Wood Preservative it should not rain within 12 hours after applying. The stain may not be affected by a little rain especially if it has soaked into the wood already. But in the case of significant rain, it can have an effect on the stain’s appearance.
If it rained on your TWP and you want to know how to fix it here are some tips. After getting rained on still allow the surface to dry for at least 24 hours. Only then will you be able to see the extent of the damage. Because water and oil do not mix, the rain may not affect the appearance as badly as you think.
Once the surface has dried check to see if the finish looks spotted, blotchy or uneven. If it appears the rain did affect the finish, you can lightly wash the deck again as you did prior to staining it. You can use a mild detergent but you are just trying to even out the finish. Don’t wash it too aggressively. If a little TWP comes off that is fine because you are probably going to have to reapply a light coat regardless.
If a light wash is not working to even the finish you may have to do some sanding. You can also use a deck stain stripper if you are unhappy with the results. After cleaning or sanding the affected areas, allow the deck to dry again for a day or two.
Once dry, reapply a light coat of TWP Stain. Only apply as much stain as the wood will absorb. Do not leave excess puddles on the surface; wipe them away with a clean cloth or brush. Try to even out the finish as best you can by back brushing.
These tips should help you fix the problem of rain on TWP stain. In extreme cases, the entire surface may have to be stripped or sanded and completely re-stained. Always check your local forecast before starting a TWP wood-staining project.
Questions or Help? Ask Below!
We finished our deck last Friday (it’s now the following Thursday) around 10pm at around 50 degrees with TWP-100. Yes, pushing our luck for this time of year. It was supposed to rain later on Saturday, but it started raining overnight Friday night, probably 4 hours after we completed the last deck boards (all the railing had been done in prior days and was dry–so it’s all good). So instead of it not raining for 48 hours after application, it literally RAINED FOR 48 HOURS after application. Essentially early Saturday morning all the way to Sunday afternoon virtually non-stop. This was NOT the forecast we expected — we figured we had at least 12 hours before it would rain and it was a very low percentage before that, but of course that changed. With it being December, we don’t have the luxury of waiting much longer here in TN so we are dodging rain and cold. Question: of course now it’s nice again (50+ degrees) and I’m wondering if we should lightly wash and potentially add another light coat of stain? Most of the boards look fine, but there are a few with uneven finish. It’s been 5-6 days since we finished our last/second coat of TWP-100. Supposed to be nice during the next 3 days, slight chance of overnight freezing we’ll need to watch for. Rain again Sunday of course.
Just clean and recoat in Spring.
What do I need to do if the stain turned milky white after applying
The TWP stain does not turn milky whiee so it has to be something else that caused this. Post some pics.
Hi, I stripped, brightened and sanded this previously stained deck. I used Black Walnut, the deck was absorbing really well but it looks like I overlooked some areas and left to much stain on the wood ie; over applied? What’s my steps to try to get the excess stain off and even out the “darker” areas?
https://twpstainhelp.com/help/twp-is-shiny/
This just happened to me. I’m so upset! I stripped and cleaned my entire deck, let it dry for 72 hours, then back brushed 2 wet on wet coats. Since I didn’t want to stain in direct sunlight I started at about 5PM and got done a little before 8PM with the floorboards. 2 hours after I get done a random thunderstorm pushes through and rains for about an hour–I couldn’t believe it! It wasn’t supposed to rain at all that day. And since it was evening time the water just sat on the deck all night long. Supposed to be cloudy with chance of rain for the next 4 days so I get to dwell on it until the sun decides to come back and dry it out to see what it looks like. :'(
I just stained a deck with TWP cedar toner. The homeowner sent me these pics 2 days later. Any ideas why this happened and how can I fix the problem? Thanks
Not sure what happened but you cannot spot fix and have it blend. You would have to redo all.
Ok. What should I do before re-doing the entire deck? Powerwash? Strip and clean? Use TSP and bleach?
Strip and brighten to redo the floors. You would not have to redo the rails.
I am new at trying your product on a cedar deck. We are applying the wet on wet application. My question is if we want a brighter lustery shine can we reapply in a couple of months or even sooner.
No and TWP cannot be shiny as that will lead to over applications and potential product failure.
I’m applying my maintenance coat of twp 100 today. Possible rain in less than 24 hours, could I cover with plastic 8-10 hours after application to shield from any rain overnight?
No, do not cover.
Small chance of light rain about 12 hours after job complete. Sunny/partly cloudy and 60 here, low humidity. Any chance the rain affects the job?
12 hours should be okay.
I applied one coat to a deck that was stripped. The wood did soak up the stain. Rain did bead on the surface, but should I apply a second coat now (2 days later)?
No, best to apply a light coat if needed in Fall or Spring next year.
Is it normal for rain to puddle or pool on a newly stained deck? We stained our deck with TWP 1500 and it rained about 5 days following staining. I’m just wondering if we should sweep the water off or let it evaporate. Also, we are prone to snow, should that be removed and if so, will shoveling damage our stain?
It only does this for the first few weeks or month. Normal and will evaporate off.
Thank you
We live in Colorado and after a year of weathering finally got to stain our redwood deck for the first time. After applying and wiping off the excess, it looked fantastic and ready to dry. 25 hours later, we got a pop up rain that is significant and lasted a couple of hours ver night. Can we wipe off the water to keep it from leaving spots when it dries or are we just at the mercy of the weather and hope it is okay? Now they are predicting 30% chance of rain for the next 2 days.
It is fine. No need to worry or wipe.
My deck is 8 months, old because we live in the smoky mountains moisture is an issue and mold.
The deck is showing small spots of mold. How should I clean it and what series is recomended.
Prep with this kit:
https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Stain with the TWP 100 Series:
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-100-series
I used TWP after good surface prep on our deck; then, it rained two hours after the second coat (i.e., wet-on-wet). The rain was significant yet still what would be moderate for Kansas and lasted all night. The water beaded up as one might expect. I expected a disaster because the directions call for 48 hours of dry weather after application and we were lucky to have two hours.
The next day it dried briefly and then rained again. The water beaded up like before. After it dried (i.e., at least the water dried), the deck looked good. No spots or blemishes. Six days later it still looks good; however, I selected the rustic oak for a darker color and this more UV protection and it shows the dirt and sand more than the clear we used in the past. In previous years I had used a variety of deck treatments and felt lucky if they lasted a year.
Background:
Application – first coat – 5:00 to 6:00 PM temp – low 80’s
second coat 6:00 to – 7:00 PM same temp and still tacky as the rain began around 9:00PM.
Spray application from a weed-type sprayer followed by a roller in both direction since some boards are cupped.
I hope this helps.
Good Afternoon, I had me new deck stained last week, but just as they were finishing the base of the deck, it rained! It dried all spotty, so they cam back, and re-sprayed it, but I think it looks worse now, very uneven. What can I do to make it better?
You would have to strip it all off and start over now. Adding more will not fix the issue.
Thanks