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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
I am getting ready to stain my deck with TWP 1500 this weekend.
I am in the Chicago area and the temps will be cooling off – highs in low 60s and lows in the mid 40s at night. Will I be OK to apply the stain in these temps?
I have sanded and prepped the deck with the Gemini kit. I have most of the deck covered in tarps to prevent stuff from the trees and birds dropping on it. There are also quite a bit of smaller leaves starting to fall from the tree. Do I need to worry about the leaves falling on the deck while I am staining – will they stick to the surface while it is wet?
Finally, if I put on 2 coats of the stain what is the best way to do that? (i.e. stain one board and then go back and put a lighter coat on). I am planning on brushing on and it calls for wet on wet. I prefer to only do one coat if that is sufficient and to prevent making it worse by applying too much with a second coat. Thanks for your help.
Leaves will not stick to the deck are the TWP dries. Best to apply all the floors at once and if needed, walk back on and reapply another very light coat after about 20-40 minutes of the first coat. You can step in the first coat but take care to not step in your second coat.
OK – thanks for the information. I will probably play it safe and do one coat. OK to apply the stain in the temps I mentioned?
Yes that is fine.
You cannot top coat TWP. TWP is a penetrating coating that is supposed to soak into the wood grain 100%. If it has not soaked in 100% then you most likely over applied, over sanded, or combination of both. This could result in the scratches you are getting. Feel free to post a picture here and we can tell if it did not penetrate.
This is picture of deck. I applied stain twice, it seemed to soak in. I wiped off any shiny spots because they seemed to be where stain did not soak in. I sanded the deck before doing any staining. Attached are pics
It does not look shiny so it does seem to have penetrated into the wood. Give it some more time to fully cure and you should be good. You did a good job 🙂
Thank you. I will do as you suggest and let it cure.
I have a partially covered deck made of pressure treated pine & live in Texas. I stained my deck w/TWP 100 a few months after it was completed as recommended. Fast forward about 1 1/2 yr. & the exposed section of my deck is very gray, the non-exposed area is still close to the color it originally was after staining, & an area where rain came off the roof & landed on the deck has left a light (almost white)) trail down my entire deck. What do I have to do to get my deck uniformly back to color that I originally stained it? Someone said staining it again would darken it too much. Do I have to strip it & re-stain? If so is there anything else I need to do to prevent having to do that every 1 1/2 yrs or so like a different product maybe? Help
I would suggest prepping with the Gemini Restore kit and pressure washing. Stay with the TWP 100 Series and you will have the redo every 2 or 3 years going forward: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
I installed a cedar deck in the end of May and was hoping to get it stained before it gets too cold here in Minnesota. My husband and I put white spindles and was hoping to find a stain that is white in color to do the posts and railings then a dark oak on the deck boards. Do you carry anything that would give us this look? I attached a picture?
Also someone told me that we should stain before the temp drops below 50 degrees. At nights here in MN it might drop below that in October. Any thought?
Hello, sorry but TWP does not come in a white color.
Lee, hard to say yes or no as it depends on how absorbent the wood is now after the first coat. Try a test spot and see if is dries into the wood and is not tacky/sticky after 24 hours. Other option is leave alone, light clean next Spring and apply a light coat then.
thanks. I will wait a bit then.
Welcome
I have used your ‘100’ line of stains on my wood deck for years. Very satisfied.
2 questions:
—Any problem with mixing colors? I’d like to mix pecan with dark oak.
—My contractor says he won’t bother with staining between the boards, that I can do that myself later. Will that work or will it make a mess on the floor boards if you come along later and do this?
—Is a small brush or pad the best tool to use for this?
Yes you can mix colors with no issues. You do not have to stain between boards but if you want to, then it should not be done later but at the same time. Padco Crack and Groove Tool will work for this.
Go ahead and stain right away since 90% of the wood is rough cut. Let us know if we can help with an order on this.
I pressure washed my entire cedar fence and stained half of it (rustic oak) at the beginning of the summer. I had a busy summer just now began finishing the last half and the stain is going on much lighter. Any ideas why or what I can do about it?
Stain might not be mixed the same or the wood has started to oxidize. Another coat on the lighter area may even out the appearance.
Thanks! I suspect oxidation is the issue. Is the wood still just as protected after staining if it began to oxidize before staining?
Yes it is fine, just lighter in color due to the oxidation of the exposed wood cells.
I have a treated white wood deck, 600 sq. ft. Southern WA State, 1/4 mi. from the ocean. I replaced 15% of decking, completely sanded off Bear semi transparent stain then washed, prepped and dried all. Applied twp 101 early June, looks great, but showing some lite ware spots. I want to wash with warm water and mild soap, dry a couple days then reapply. Sound ok? Thanks Bill Z
Yes you can do that but I would suggest waiting until next Spring. You prematurely applied to the new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Seven years ago I pressure washed and cleaned my cedar roof with TWP 200 series in a clear color. It worked great, but due to a lot of rain this year in Kansas some moss has started growing again. Decided to do it again, but with TWP 200 Butternut Brown color. Would the process be the same as before, killing the moss with bleach/water, pressure washing, drying and then applying new color?
Yes that prep should work for you but the Gemini Restore Kit is much more effective at cleaning then the bleach.
I am getting ready to stain a mahogany deck that was installed at the end of April. We will do a light sand to knock down some small cups and any other imperfections. How long do we need to wait in between sanding and sealing?
After the sanding you should use the Gemini Restore Kit. Wait 48 hours after that and only apply one coat of the TWP to mahogany. Back wipe any excess stain that does not absorb within 45 minutes. Saturate any oil rags with water and lay flat to dry in the sun.
Mixing colors on the different woods is not a good idea. It will be way off. Best to use the sane color and it will blend the best the way. Sanding it will not make it turn out darker. Honestly I do not think it is that big of a deal as many decks and pergolas will have a combination of smooth and rough sawn wood.
Thanks for your quick answer. It makes it seem like something I can deal with.
As I said, ONE side of the dimensional lumber is rough and the OTHER is milled. Do you think different dilutions of the same stain might work? For example: Full stain on the smooth side and a 5:1 dilution on the rough sawn side?
Is there something I can use to get rid of the “Mill Glaze” on the smooth side?
The wood is at about 20-25% moisture content. Can I do both sides now before I do the construction?
Read this about new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Since you have a mix you should install now and prep/stain next Spring.
Thanks for you PROMPT help. This is the most responsive discussion forum I’ve ever been on.
Thanks!
My question was lost so forgive me if you receive a duplicate. I spilled some twp 1500 rustic oak on a previously prepared pressure treated pine deck which had no previous coating. This happened at dark. I wiped off the spill and sanded the spill stain off. After I stained the decking boards, that spill area stained much much lighter than the rest of the deck. Is there any way I can add stain to that area after the original application has dried?
Steve, you cannot spot treat and have it blend well. You can try but more then likely it will still show differently.
For both sides I came up with about 3400 Sq. feet. For one coat of the TWP 1500 Series, your will need about 20 gallons of the stain. Make sure to prep first with Gemini Restore Kit and light pressure washing.
It is always much harder to strip of newly applied stain but in theory yes it will come off. You may need to strip it more then once.
a. No
b. You will be fine.
c. Some will be removed from the floor
d. 1503 Dark Oak
e. About the same for mildew maybe a little better UV protection.
New wood requires another application after the first year. I would stay with the 100 Series. See here about new wood:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Thank you for the prompt response –
I posted my question here yesterday, but I cannot find it here. Maybe I did something wrong. Anyway let me ask my questions again.
I have 10 year old pressure treated deck, and I applied TWP 1500 last year. I liked the color. During last winter, ice formed on my deck and the stain was lifted after the ice is gone. Now there are light spots on my deck. I would like to know this is expected for TWP 1500. If I could have done something wrong, what it could be?
I’m planning to restain the deck, but I’m worried about the uneven colors due to the light spots. If I apply a maintenance application, should it cover the light spots?
Thanks.
If you use the Gemini Restore Kit and prep the entire floor and recoat the floor, then it will be even when done.
If you use the Gemini Restore Kit and prep the entire floor and recoat the floor, then it will be even when done
I stained our 10 year old covered cedar deck last year with your 100 series. I applied a wet on wet application. It turned out beautiful and has held up very well. I applied a trim piece of cedar around the perimeter of the deck last year and because it was new lumber I let it age for a year so I now need to stain that perimeter piece.
Can I just apply the stain I still have to that piece or should I re-coat the entire deck? If you say do the whole deck, what prep do I need to do?
I would suggest just waiting until next year and do all then.
Hello again. It’s been another year since I originally applied the TWP product so I am going into the 3rd summer. The covered deck surface still looks pretty good but it needs a freshening up. Plus I still have the rim board that needs a coat.
My question is, do I need to totally strip the deck surface before applying the coat of 100 to it and to the trim piece? The trim piece needed to age before I could apply your product. What do you recommend for preparing the deck? Hopefully a cleaner will be adequate but I need your expertise.
Attached is a photo of the deck surface and another of the rim board outside the deck railing.
Roger, we would suggest prepping with the Gemini Restore Kit for this. You do not need to strip. Just one coat on the wood.
New pressure treated decking last year. Some boards have slight scalloping so plan to sand first using ~120 grit, then use a wood cleaner and then apply the TWP 1500 stain; is this plan OK?
60-80 grit at most. Gemini Restore Kit after for the prep.
Last spring after stripping and sanding he old stain off of my 4 year old pressure treated deck I applied TWP 1500 Dark Oak. The first coat looked great so I did not apply a second coat. This year it looks a little worn but still looks great. I was going to use the Gemini products to clean and restore and then apply the TWP 1500. Now that it is September and I am in Ohio the time for using the deck is almost finished. Should I go ahead a restain now before winter or wait till next spring. Thanks
Wait until Spring and do it then.
Just finished siding 2nd floor with 1/4 round pine log siding. Supplier said this load has been in his stock since March 2015. We live in San Antonio, Texas area where it’s been hot and dry, although we’re suppose to have a wet fall. When would you suggest applying your TWP 100 stain. I know by reading through other comments that prepping before staining is required. Thankx
Please see this article: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
You have to let it season outdoors.
The white powdery stuff is sap leaching out of the wood after the prep and cannot be controlled. Yes it still leaches out after many years when you remove a layer of wood cells when prepping. As for the black spots, it could be rust or mold. Could be that in the two weeks of drying pollen fell on the deck and was stained “into” the wood. This can feed the growth of mold.
Hi! I just read in a log cabin magazine that some home owners are using two coats of stain and then putting a coat of cleat stain on top for extra protection. Is this helpful or necessary?
Thanks,
Rachel
You cannot apply a clear coat on top of the TWP.
We are building a cypress fence frame and the fence panels will be bamboo. The lumber was rough sawed for us 4 months ago and we only had time to put up the frame, which has already turned somewhat grey. We are hoping to finish it this fall, after we put up the bamboo fence panels they will get sandwiched/framed in with more cypress. I did some research earlier this summer on stain for cypress, my memory is a bit hazy already but I found conflicting info on what kind of stain to use on cypress. Is TWP stain okay? We are wanting to preserve the natural golden/honey color of the wood. Would you recommend using your wood cleaner and brightener to restore the fence posts/rails to their original color and staining now before we put up the panels? And then stain the rest of the wood after the fence is finished (it is piled up in the shop so has not greyed)? Or would it be better to build the whole fence and let it all grey, then stain everything at once? We’re in MS and winters are very damp. Was hoping to get it sealed before the wet mist settles in in Nov or Dec.
Hello, you can use the TWP on Cypress. See here about new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Not sure what you mean by a cold brown. Best to get some samples to test from our site. Since it has only been a few days you would need to strip off the 1501 cedartone with the Restore A Deck Stripper then use the Brightener if you want to do it now. Or you can wait until next year and use the Gemini Restore Kit and stain over the 1501 as long as you choose a darker color. It will not take now if you just apply over a 3 day old stain, that is why you would need to strip.
We are looking to re-stain our log home. We are not sure the last time it was done or with what product. We have a contractor coming to power wash the home prior to staining. We have been told it has an oil based stain currently. Once it is power washed, will we be able to use a TWP stain? It was what one of the contractor stated he was going to use. Also, if so, do we need to use a clear coat?
As long as he removes the current stain hen yes you can use the TWP. You do not add a clear sealer on top of it.
You can do that but using a stain stripper and pressure washing will remove the current stain, any mill glaze, and open the grain for the stain. You will need to apply a wood brightener after the stripping or sanding.
Can 1500 be used over the 100 form 2 yrs ago
As long as you prep first with the Gemini Restore Kit then you can use it over the 100 Series.
Hello, We stained a new cedar covered deck 3 years ago using TWP 1500. We allowed the proper rest time before prepping then staining. It’s now time to re-stain however after cleaning the deck using Defy wood cleaner there are small black mold stains imbedded the wood. Would you recommend that we now try the Defy stripper to try to remove the stains?
Are you sure it is mold? Bleach may kill it if it is but you would have to apply to all wood.
You will need to remove all of the old stain/sealer before using the TWP 1500 Series.
I just completed building a cedar fence with wood that I purchased last October. I sanded the top rail to remove imperfections. I’m hesitant to wash it with bleach solution as the TWP 101 instructions indicate. There doesn’t appear to be any mill glaze. Can I just put on a coat and see how it absorbs? What’s the downside?
Downside is that you will have to reapply to the top rail rail next season.
You cannot apply TWP over a stain of a different brand. You will need to strip it off and then brighten for the prep.
Just resealed my porch 2 years after installation using TWP 1530. Pressure washed, then 2 coats using the wet on wet approach. Wiped off excess stain. It is still slippery and a little shiny. What can I do to make it safer; or do I have to just wait for it to dry further. It has been 5 days.
Try wiping the excess stain with rags and mineral spirits. Saturate oily rags in water and lay flat to dry to avoid accidental spontaneous combustion.
You should not apply another coat now. Best to wait until Spring, prep with the Gemini Kit and stain.
We actually want to apply a completely different stain color of TWP 1500 and not just another coat of the existing.
The deck currently has TWP 1503 and we’re looking to go with something lighter, like Natural. Do we still need to wait?
If you want to go lighter then you will need to strip it off with the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper and pressure washing. Brighten the wood when done. You can do this now or in Spring but it will be easier to strip in the Spring after some weathering. It can be difficult to remove a newly applied coating.
Hi there, I recently purchased a home here in Austin, TX with a cedar fence, it’s new construction so the fence is about 3-4 months old (but can’t confirm 100% how old the wood is)—but looks new. It’s never been stained to my knowledge and the surface is rough.
I’m assuming the 1500 series is my best bet but my question is are all the variants in the 1500 series an option or only the Cedartone? For instance if I wanted a darker finish could I choose the 1503 Dark Oak?
Any prep needed?
Thanks in advance.
You can use any of the colors. Prep if the wood has grayed or become dirty with the Gemini Restore Kit and a light pressure wash.
10 year old covered deck in NW Missouri; never sealed to my knowledge; very good condition; which sealer and is power cleaning enough.
Use the Gemini Restore Kit while pressure washing. Apply two coats of the TWP 100 Series.
Amy, you over applied, did not prep correctly on combination of the two. See here:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
Try wiping deck down to remove excess stain with mineral spirits and rags. Saturate all oily rags when done in water and lie flat to dry.
Thanks, nope didn’t over apply and definitely prepped correctly. I think it’s the humidity and the fact that this is a lower lattice enclosed deck under our deck. I’m at the last 20% of a five gallon (yes I stirred throughly each day) and haven’t had any issues until now. I will try the I mineral spirits.
Direct sunlight makes a huge difference with drying as well.
New rough sawn wood can be stained right away as long as it is dry.
Any quality chinking will work. Does not matter on the color either as far as getting a uniform appearance. When using a semi-trans stain like TWP, you will get a variation of colors no matter what. Prep is the key for this. Use the TWP 1500 Series.
Curious why you recommend 1500 and not 100?
Slightly better Uv protection on verticals.
New rough cedar fence in Minnesota
What type of stain and when should I apply
Use the 1500 Series for this fence.
Thanks!
How long do I have to wait till I apply the stain?
what do you clean brushes with after applying?
Paint thinner or mineral spirits.
How long should you stay off a deck after you have applied the stain?
12-24 hours is normal but that can vary. Be sure it is dry and not sticky.
thanks
The kit should not harm the railings but it may a little in spots where they meet the floor. Just might need some touch ups here and there.
You cannot stop sap from coming back and removing sap is near impossible as well. Honestly sap it is part of outdoor wood and it can happen now and then. You could try to sand the spots but more then likely the sap will re ooze out after again.
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper and pressure wash off. Use the Restore A Deck Brightener after to neutralize.
Looks like sap bleeding through the wood. You cannot stop this. Applying another coat now may not be a good idea. It will most likely not soak into the wood and could dry shiny on top of the wood. Better to wait until Spring, lightly clean and apply a coat then.
It seems unusual that sap would still be bleeding out, as this deck is at least 12 years old. If it is sap, what is the best way to clean it off, as you are recommending?
When you wash a deck you remove a layer of wood cells. This can allow the sap to start bleeding out. It is unavoidable and can happen to older pine decks.
Can you please advise me on removing the spots and preventing them from coming back again?
Can you post a picture?
Can can you suggest a twp stain to add to cape cod gray to make more gray, looks like a lot of blue tint next to gray sided singles
Sorry but that is not possible as the other TWP colors do not have any gray tint.
I have, perhaps unwisely, been working in batches on cleaning, brightening, and staining my deck. Its roughly 600 sq feet, I have a new baby, time is precious, etc etc. Anyway, I have been good to always wait 48 hours after a rain or applying cleaner to stain. Today, after a very light rain last night (and not the first time its rained during the project), I awoke to find black mildew looking stains on some of the boards I recently stained. I say mildew looking, because some of the stains seem to mimic where the water was standing on the boards after the rain, where other stains seem to be where I had perhaps been careless during the cleaning step and left some residue on them (not sure thats the explanation).
Long story short, I have some boards that have black spots showing up after a rain, that look like mildew but not certain, as they don’t consistently display in a normal mildew looking pattern. Not sure if its underneath the stain or on top of it, but applying the brightener does nothing to remove them, nor does wiping the spots with a cloth. I can provide pictures when i get some decent light to take them in. Not sure my next step. I still have 150 sq ft of floor boards to stain. I figure I will wait on those until absolutely sure of their dryness, sometime in the fall. But what can I do about the black spots on the other stained boards?
Send some pictures please.
Pics of the first from top were stained 3 weeks ago. Been a couple rains with no problem. Then on Sunday night we got a light rain and I woke up to this. Second pic from bottom were stained Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Mildew, right?
It does not look like normal mold patterns. It is “pooling” on top of the stain whatever it is. It is not underneath or in the stain based on how it is drying. Brightener would not help. If mildew it would wipe off with a wet rag. You would see some black on the rag as you wipe. I do not see how it could be mold. That just does not happen immediately after a rain. Seems as something in the rain is drying on top of the stain.
That is my take on it. But what is it? Pollen maybe? How should I proceed on cleaning? Looking at my unstained boards there are small, pindot sized black spots on some boards. This is after cleaning/brightening. I presume that is mildew. We had lots of rain back in early July. My deck gets sun, maybe 4 hours direct, but there are trees close by. Need some guidance on what to do next.
I figured it out. It is a reaction from steel wool shavings. I did not know not to use steel wool. Ran out of sandpaper and worked a few boards with steel wool. I broomed the shavings off but clearly not all the way.
Still would like any advice on how to proceed at this point. Do I need to strip everything? Just the affected boards?
Steel wool will leave metal in the wood so yes after a rain it will turn black from rust. This makes sense now. Normally a wood brightener would work in this scenario but only if unstained. You can try it again and see. If it does not work then you will need to strip off the stain and brighten when done.
I have a cedar deck in the Minneapolis area which faces west, obviously receiving a lot of sun. I have used Cabot semi-transparent stain in the past. It beads up water well and looks very nice – for about a year, and then it seems like it could be applied again. After neglecting for several years because I didn’t want to stain every year or two, I have been cleaning with Behr Wood Cleaner Brightener Conditioner, which is working well and the wood looks very good. I had to remove some small areas of algae on the surface as well as in the wood grain while cleaning. According to what I’ve read, semi-solid lasts longer than the semi-transparent I’ve used in the past. However, I also read stain lasts longer if it includes both stain and sealer. As you know, Cabot stain contains only stain, and not sealer. This is what lead me to your TWP 1500 product. Do you think a semi-solid or a stain/sealer like TWP 1500 will last longer for my cedar deck with extreme weather in both winter and summer?
TWP requires reapplication every 2-3 years on a horizontal deck. It also does not come in a semi-solid. Only semi transparent colors.