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Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
We are here to help you with your TWP exterior deck or wood restoration project for 2024!
TWP is an advanced wood preservative/protectant registered by the EPA. Performance and longevity can vary though depending on the wood type, how the wood is prepped, the age of wood, and how the TWP is applied. We want everyone who has decided to use TWP 100, 1500, or 200 Series to have the best possible results.
TWP Stain Tips and Help
When asking questions please give us some information about your wood restoration project:
- What structure is your wood? Examples would be: Deck, Wood Siding, Fence, etc
- What species is the wood? Examples: Treated Pine, Cedar, Redwood, Ipe, etc
- Is the wood new or older than 1 year?
- Has the wood been stained previously with a different brand? Please specify brand name and type of stain used: Examples: Solid stain, Semi-Transparent Stain, etc.
- Any additional info that would be useful
Once you supply us with the information, we will able to give you advice as to how to prep your wood and any needed instructions for the TWP application.
Please ask your questions in the comment area.
Thanks
Good idea to apply TWP1500 on old deck that has been sanded (three years running)? It is sanded now and I want to avoid stripping with chemicals.
I wrote another message in a different frame, but it disappeared.
Bruce
After the sanding you will need to use the Gemini Restore Kit for additional prep before applying the TWP. Thanks!
When I bought my house, it had a deck that had been finished with sherwin williams deckscapes. I have already striped the deck, and pressure washed it off. I’ve also brightened it as well. I’ve also sanded the railing spindles and hand rails with 60 grit, and back again with 120 grit. The floor has only been done with 60. My quesiton is, will the pieces that were 120 grit still absorb TWP 1500 fine? Or should I go back over them with 60?
It is a cedar deck with a gazebo, about 800 sq ft in South East Wisconsin.
120 may reduce absorption. Best to apply a deck cleaner to all wood and lightly pressure wash deck to remove sand dust and allow the TWP to absorb deeper.
Hard to say. It the sealer is still working than yes. If not you may only need the cleaner and brightener. For Northern VA you will need the 1500 Series.
Should a protective clear coat be applied after the TWP 1500 Dark Walnut stain?
No you cannot add a clear coat on top of the TWP.
I can’t seem to find my question from last week or an answer??? I need advice ASAP on which deck stain to buy. We need to order 10 gallons in the next couple days.
We have pressure treated pine decking without a finish. The decking is almost 2 years old. We live in Kentucky. Part of the deck is around a pool. All of the deck is in full sun. We have used several big box store water base stains on our previous decking and none have lasted more than a year. We think an oil base stain will hold up better. We have a red brick home so we would like to buy a stain that is in the brown family but not super dark. We do not want an orange tint at all. Can you please advise me as to what would be the best stain choice? Thank you!
Look at the TWP 120 Pecan or the TWP 103 Dark Oak.
So, we should use the TWP 100 Series and not the TWP 1500?
120 stands for 100 Series. Thanks
Yes, I understood that. Sorry, I was just making sure that the 100 series was the best stain for our conditions and not just for our color choices, as the best stain for our conditions is most important to us. Thank you!
Yes 100 would be best!
I bought twp 1500 series “honeytone” to stain my deck. The house is WRC stained with 1503 dark oak. The honeytone is much lighter than I was expecting. Can I tint the honeytone with some of the dark oak??
Yes you can mix the TWP colors.
I live outside Chicago and just installed a new 6ft. high board on board ruff sawn red cedar fence that is 225 ft. long that I want to stain both sides of with an airless sprayer. I wondering the best TWP stain to use and how long to wait till I should stain and the approx. amount of stain I will need.
Thanks
1500 Series for IL. If rough sawn wood you can apply right away. Coverage is 150-200 sq. feet per gallon.
Thanks!
It will dry in a few days. No need to harm the contractor.
Thanks for the quick response. The contractor is safe.
I have a 15 year old pressure treated deck in Atlanta. After stripping multiple coats of Sikkens using your HD80 stripper, I neutralized it and then sanded it with a commercial orbital sander with 60 grit. So, I had a very level, very clean deck to start the stain process. Then, about a month ago, I applied 1500 with a roller and back brushed it. When it dried it looks very dull and flat, but the coat was very even. When can I apply another coat to bring up the gloss a little bit? It just looks really thirsty right now, even though it is beading up. Would I wash it with TSP or use a diluted concentration of your HD80 stripper? The problem is, I need a small amount (about a gallon) to finish some trim, but if I can do a recoat, I will order 5 gallons. Thanks,
Bruce, TWP is not supposed to be shiny and you cannot add a gloss on top of TWP. I would not add more as then the TWP will not penetrate and will fail faster.
Hello. Just had cedar post and rail installed,300ft,2 rail. Installers and company said the wood was ready for treatment. It seems very dry and was told it was in inventory for a few weeks prior to install. Want to do a dark transparent/semi transparent seal. Its located in long island NY , northern exposure, a few sprinkler heads wet it but not a direct stream where it would blast it. Was thinking 1500?? Need some help. Thank you looking fwd to hearing from you.
Mike
Mike, please read article about new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
100 Series in the Cape Cod gray. Only 1 coat. Only stain exposed wood.
Not sure what the black areas are. Please post a picture.
This area got water from sprinklers. I used c deck cleaner and power wash before staining with TWP1500. Rest of deck didn’t show black areas like this.
Try a heavy dose of brightener when done with the stripping and see if that helps.
So I did all the prep and we stained the deck yesterday…today it still looks wet and shines. Read on here to much stain so wipe the extra off…now we have some areas that peeled and looks really bad. Do I start over or just let it keep drying? Help.
Not sure why it would peel but to much stain will create shiny spots. I would let it dry and see what happens. It will dry eventually and if you need to redo it will be much easier to do in a year or two.
Kurt, when applying TWP you need to remove the old coatings with a stripper, not a cleaner if the old coating was a different brand. Brighten the wood when done. Best thing to do is strip it all off and start over. You could try wiping off the oily residue and see if that helps some.
I read your directions on the web fairly carefully before proceeding, but I guess I missed the direction to strip the old stain first. I guess I’ll have to do it all over (ugh). What about the blackened areas where the prior stain had worn off due to water? Can they be fixed??
Welcome!
I have a new cedar wood deck. It is 6 weeks old. Should I wait the 4 months to stain?
Yes you need to wait and prep.
Thanks!
We will be applying TWP100 to new cedar fencing – I have approx. 1968 sq. ft., can you tell me how many coats I need to do and how many gallons I should order?
Cori, if the wood is rough sawn than stain now. 2 light coats applied wet on wet. 15-20 Gallons for your sq. footage.
Duane, use the Gemini Restore Kit for the prep.
500 Sq Ft Redwood deck in Denver, CO, 10+ years old. Lots of sun and a fair amount of snow in the winter. Some Cabot stain left in shaded spots (under table) and on verticals. I know I need to strip those areas, and perhaps I should use the stripper everywhere or should I clean those other areas that seem to be barren of stain? But my biggest question is 100 or 1500? I have read comments that say 1500 is better because of more solids but last year thought the prevailing recommendation was the 100 since it is allowed here in Colorado. Planning on going with Rustic for color. Thanks in advance.
Strip and brighten all. Either series would work for CO. High UV in your area so the 1516 Rustic might give a little better UV protection.
1. 15-20 gallons for the two coats wet on wet.
2. Gemini restore Kits and a light pressure washing. 3 of these.
Jack, the Cape Cod Gray only come int the 100 Series.
2 weeks and you should lightly reclean.
I have a deck that we recently applied TWP, but days later the underside of deck still seems wet with product. It is still shiny and sticky. What do you recommend to fix this condition?
You could try wiping off the excess stain that has not dried.
I stained the deck with TWP last yr most of it looks great but hard winter peeling in a couple places
Can I just scrub with soap and water then re stain etc.
Yes that should be fine for a maintenance application.
I intend to stain an old deck after cleaning and sanding, using TWP 1500 Cedar tone. Do I need to put on a sealer or preservative after that?
Ed, no need for anything else.
We are in the process of staining a deck guardrail. Due to miscommunication with our contractor, only one coat of TWP 1500 was applied to one section of the horizontal guardrail by the end of the workday. The contractor will be back on site today to continue staining the remaining areas of the guardrail with 2 coats of stain. Should we have him put another stain coat on the previous section? Will the two adjacent sections match?
Tom, hard to say if it will match but most likley. Go ahead and do the second coat.
Have a 1 year old cedar deck in Illinois. It has never been stained. What type of stain do you recommend? What is the best prep? How many coats?
TWP 1500 Series for IL. One coat this time and prep first with the Gemini Restore Kit.
Is the one coat the “wet on wet” application or literally just one coat?
Just one coat only for new wood.
Joe, remove the Cabot first with a deck stain stripper and pressure washing. Brighten when finished. Use the Restore A Deck Products for this. Stain with TWP 100 Series.
Sorry can toner be added to TWP to tweek the color ?
No but you can add a different TWP color to tweak.
I have a new deck to stain. It measures 10×12, 58′ of railing, 4′ high spindles, 15 steps that are 42″ wide. According to your stain calculator, I have 405 sq. ft. But, this is a 2-story home deck, so I need/want to stain the underside as well, both the deck and steps. It is supported by 3 6×6 posts that are about 9′ tall and there is wood on each riser so that adds more area. Any idea how much stain I’ll need? Thanks
Scott, what is the total sq. footage when you add the bottom?
525
4-6 gallons should work for that amount.
Should I use 100 series or 1500? We’d like to use natural color, but it’s not available in the 100 series.
What state are you located in?
Iowa
Look at the 100 Series for Iowa.
No Natural in that series, so what would be closest to it in the 100 series?
Cedartone or Honeytone.
Deck: 750 sq ft
Installing new cedar deck boards
Hutchinson,Mn
My house has cedar siding and is stained with Sikkens 078 Natural.
1- Should I use TWP 100 series or 1500 for the new deck boards?
2-Which color TWP would match my house siding the best?
3-How many gallons do I need?
4-Deck will be done at end of May.Four months of weathering would take me to end of
Sept.That would probably be too late in season to stain in Minnesota. Could I stain in early
Sept?
5-Also planning on sanding edges and top of deck boards with 100 grit to
remove any imperfections, dirt,small splinters, etc. then installing the boards.
Let them weather and finally stain. Any problems with this plan?
Tony,
1. TWP 100 Series
2. Sorry but we do not know Sikkens Natural to compare. Best to get samples. 3. 5 Gallons
4. Yes you can stain in Sept.
5. Sand now, let weather for 4 months than prep with the Gemini Restore Kit.
Patrick, please read articles: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
and
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
Verticals usuallly last 4-6 years before another application is required. TWP is a EPA registered penetrating oil based stain. Behr is a filming acrylic water based.
Cedar deck.. let it age for a year… per instructions.. power washed and used the Gemini products to restore.. Applied Stain during day… got some rain over night.. was less than 24 hours after application.. Looks fine.. stain is a little tacky this morning.. will the stain be allright even though it got some light rain? Also, how long does stain stay tacky?
Jeff K.
Jeff, it is probably okay. Let it cure for another day or two and it should not be tacky.
Marci, no we do not offer custom colors.
We built a cabin using air dried hemlock timbers. These were stacked to create the structure. It was built last fall and now needs to be stained and sealed. Which product do you recommend. The 100 or the 1500. The cabin is located in Wisconsin.
Thank you
Barry, I would suggest the TWP 1500 Series for these vertical walls.
We recently purchased a new home that is approx. 8yrs old and, I would like to re-do the front door. I was told the door’s wood is Spanish Cedar, stained with TWP 100 series, it faces north and somewhat protected by a cover front porch. I would like to change the color (also its time to refinish or paint) and add something that gives it more of a shiny or polyurethane “look” as opposed to a matte or flat finish of just stained wood. Can you please suggest the best stain protection series that will give me more of a glossy look and, hold up to the elements with the longest amount of time bettween re-do’s…and how often might that be?? Thank you
Kristi, TWP does not come in a shiny finish nor can you add one on top.
What about the 300 series?? Does it seem to have a more glossy finish and would it be a good choice for a front door in the Deep South?
No it will not work nor do we sell the 300 Series.
I am replacing my deck with a new cedar deck. The current cedar deck is 22 yrs old. The deck is almost full shade. I have had serious problems with mildew. I live in St. Louis Missouri. We have hot and humid summers and snow in the winter. When should I put on my first stain? Would TWP 100 or TWP 1500 be better for my conditions?
DanB77, 100 Series but plead read this article: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
NE Deck Owner, for you to use TWP you would need to remove the SW first 100%. TWP does not come in a solid color.
Steve, if it is rough you do not need to wait. Just one coat this time. Yes on the clear for the table. For planter box you can apply the clear now and it will gray naturally.
Sorry, I should have clarified. The planter box is the only item that is not rough cut lumber. It is KD redwood. I know you say to wait 4 month minimum, but I was wondering if I should use the deck restore, then apply a clear 1500, let it weather to the point we like, then apply a tinted stain to keep it from weathering more.
Or is there another method you would recommend?
That will not work as the tint will enhance the gray and it will not look good. You cannot maintain a natural gray so it stays the same gray. Just use the clear.
The deck is ready to stain using TWP 1500 but it is raining right now. The forecast for the next few days – rain. Is it ok I to wait until we have 5 dry days in order to apply the stain? I stripped for almost a week and then I applied the brightener. I know that I have to wait 48 hrs. the wood to dry before staining and 48 hrs. to dry after staining. I don’t know when we going to have 5 dry days in the row. How long the prepped wood can stay without the stain? Since everything is completed for the stain, when we have dry days I plan to power wash and then the stain. Should I apply one more time the brightener? Or it is ok I to power wash to take all dirty from the raining. Could you please advice? The weather is not with me that for sure. My floor deck is around 550 sq. ft. – no railing.
No need to reapply the brightener. Just use leaf blower to remove dirt. You have to wait 48 hours after rain but it can take a rain 24 hours after staining.
Thank you very much for the advice and the help. I greatly appreciate it. Have a great day.
You too!
I live in Maryland and have a small 25+ year old pressure treated pine deck, about 350 square feet that has never been stained and would like to give it a try with a light color stain, either honeytone or natural. What is the best TWP Series to use for this older wood and the mid-Atlantic climate? Thanks.
Only the 1500 is allowed for Maryland. Honeytone is the lightest tint.
Craig, hard to say but usually it is dry in 12-24 hours if in full sun. Longer if in shade.
I Applied a 100 cedartone on my deck. 12 gallons. The hand rails and pickets have I coat and look perfect. The deck has two coats about 1.5 hours apart and dried great in some spots and a little shinny in others. Not tacky..just shiny. Will the shine dull out over time? Can I recoat the dull area?. Stained deck 3 days ago. No rain, etc. Thanks
Brian, it is not supposed to be shiny so in those areas it is over applied. Do not add more. The shine will dull shortly.
Thanks a lot. Let’s see what mother nature does for those shiny spots!
Lorri, use the TWP 100 Series for these planters.
Dale, no and sheens on outside wood is a very bad idea. They will blister and peel.
Our oak porch flooring has been stained for over a year now with TWP. After blowing dirt, salt, snow etc, I want to clean it and apply another coating. I have the Gemini Cleaner and you advised to a similar question to clean with 1/2 strength.
So, do I need to use the brightner as well? I was thinking this part was not necessary.
Bill, yes use the cleaner at 3-4 ounces per gallon of water and lightly scrub with soft broom. Do not need brightener but you can use it if you want.
Thanks for the advice.
Welcome!
Re-doing wood deck and railings. Plan to remove railings and run them through a planer to get back to bare wood then wet on wet with 1500 series. Sand deck with 60 grit to get back to bare wood then wet on wet with 1500 series. Do I need to wait after planning and sanding to apply TWP 1500? Thanks
Dale, wait a couple of weeks and prep with the Gemini Restore kit to remove sand dust and open wood grain. Two “light” coats wet on wet. Wipe off any excess stain that does not dry in and hour or two.
Thanks, is there a way to get a sheen when using 1500 series?
I have a Cedar deck that was installed a little over a year ago, the majority of the deck is covered while a portion of the deck is exposed. The exposed portion seems to be more ready to accept stain as water does not pool on it nearly as much as the covered portion. I just ordered the Gemini restore kit and a sample pack for twp 101 Cedar. My question is should I put a wet on wet coat on the whole deck or only on the exposed portion? I don’t want to overapply but I also want the best first attempt at staining our new deck too.
Is this all one continuous floor?
yes, all one floor, just one part of the deck is covered from the rain/snow and the other is not. The portion that is not under the cover has greyed more than the uncovered and the water beads up a little more on the covered portion of the deck when I test it for wood penetration. The uncovered wood soaks up the water better and does not bead up(my thought was more of the mill glazing is gone from the uncovered wood and maybe there is still some mill glazing on the covered portion)
You cannot spot apply different amount of coats to a horizontal floor. I would prep well to try to open the grain and remove the mill glaze. Stain with two light coats we on wet. Wipe off any excess that does not dry in an hour in the shaded part with some rags. Saturate rags with water when done to avoid a spontaneous combustion potential.
I made a mistake. I think I over applied TWP 100 to my deck. I didn’t realize that I should have wiped away excess after 10 minutes. I left it over night. What do I do now? Can I still wipe the excess. It’s not completely dry.
MRI, wipe it off with a rag and possibly some paint thinner. Be careful with the rags! Saturate them with water when done and spread out to let dry on the ground. Do not place oily rags in our around the house.
I’m looking for a deck sealer that does not contain silicone. Can you recommend which TWP product to choose?
None of the TWP stain containing silicone. The 100 Series and the 1500 Series are the most popular.
Thanks!