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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
Jason, try a buffing sanding pad to remove the excess fibers. This will smooth the wood down.
I have applied 2 coats of 1500 “clear” to cedar siding. My goal is to retain the natural color of the cedar siding as long as possible. My concern is the natural color stain is not going to prevent greying? Will the “clear” color help at all with preventing greying and Is there anything I can do, like apply a third coat of the “natural” or “cedar” color to help prevent the greying over the existing siding?
Todd, the clear offers no UV protection from graying. You must have a tint/color in your TWP for this.
Which color offers more greying or UV protection “natural” or “cedar”? Could this be applied over the “clear”. What is your recommendation?
Todd, you cannot keep adding coats and expect to have the TWP properly adhere to the clear. You really need to remove the clear and start over for best results. UV protection is the same for the Cedar or Natural colors.
You cannot use TWP on top of another stain and it does not come in a solid color.
Dennis, as long as the TWP dries into the wood and does not “shine” on top of the wood then you are good to go.
Which stain would best to use for my area in NW Washington State about 1000 feet from the coast line? I want to re-stain the western red cedar shingle siding on my house. The old Cabot oil base stain, which didn’t last very long, has now been completely removed. Would you recommend the TWP 100, 200, or 1500 series? Also can I mix the 1500 series stain with the 200 series stain if I want to create a custom color? I like the idea of the additional pigment and protection of the 200 series, but the color choices are more limited, and I want a darker brown than the darkest TWP 207 color. Does TWP provide coloring to contractors for mixing up custom colors?
Wales, you cannot mix the 200 with the other series. TWP cannot but custom tinted but you can mix colors together from the same series. I would look at the 1500 series.
I had TWP 1500 put on yesterday on a pressure treated pine deck that had been stripped, brightened and cleaned. The contractor only put one coat. He said that was enough.
I just read the application directions which calls for 2 coats “wet on wet.” What should I do?
Nina, TWP 1500 is a 1-2 coat product. You do not want to over apply the stain. I would leave it alone.
I just discovered TWP stains and would love to use them for my current deck recoating project. I’m in Vermont, so I must use the 1500 series. I have just meticulously prepared the deck by spraying with a bleach/detergent solution and thoroughly rinsing with a power washer. It looks ready to go — the surface of the pressure-treated material is good, with no trace of dirt, mildew, mold, or algae. My previous stain was an Olympic semi-transparent (high VOC) applied between 2 and 3 years ago for different parts of the deck. The color still shows, but there is no surface buildup whatsoever and water soaks into it very readily — the wood is 25 years old and quite weathered, but sound. I hadn’t thought that recoating with TWP would be a problem, but I see that on your “Switching to TWP stains” page you say “Before switching to TWP Wood Stains, you first have to remove all remnants of the old failing stain. Use a wood stain stripper and not a wood cleaner”. However, the last commenter (jbosey) asked regarding the TWP 100 “Will it be necessary to strip it and brighten it or can we now just use the TWP?”, and you replied “if the wood is clean and free of old coatings you can go ahead and apply the TWP 100”. Is there a reason that I would have to strip all of the color off my deck before using the TWP 1500 product, or should the current fully-prepped condition of my deck be OK to go ahead and use the 1500? Thanks!
Dennis, for TWP to work properly you need to be able to penetrate into the wood. If an old coating is still prevalent then it may not be able to penetrate. There is also the risk of of the old stain and TWP not adhering properly. Feel free to reply back to the email with a picture.
Thanks for the AMAZINGLY fast reply! I suspect the TWP would penetrate just fine — the wood is quite thirsty. To successfully recoat the Olympic stain, which I have done many times, that stain needs to be able to fully penetrate as well, or it leaves glossy patches that don’t dry for days. There are no glossy spots or hints of any surface coating — the color seems to be completely “in” the wood at this point. I have attached a preliminary photo, but I’m not seeing whether it uploaded OK. It’s raining hard here at the moment and will continue for a couple of days, so I can’t take a current photo until it clears, but this rather silly photo of my cat on the deck at least shows the deck surface and rails (although this was taken just BEFORE I treated and pressure-washed the deck). Since TWP 1500 doesn’t come in a gray color, I’d like to use it for the railings and seats, which are a dark brown, for which I’d use your 1504 Black Walnut color. (The brown shown on the pickets now is MUCH lighter than the fresh color of the Olympic stain!) I’m going to remove the pickets before staining, so I can easily test the TWP 1500 on several pickets to see how it works before continuing to the rest of the pickets, railings, and seats. If I get good drying and a nice surface color with no buildup from the test pickets done with the TWP 1500, I’m thinking I would be OK to go ahead with the rest of the project. What do you think? Would that tell me what I need to know about the adhesion? Again, thanks SO much for your help — it’s very much appreciated!
jbosey, if the wood is clean and free of old coatings you can go ahead and apply the TWP 100.
I have a composite wood deck. It was black with mold, so I power washed it and used a diluted bleach solution to remove all the mold. It looks fine except that some of the surface flaked and exposed white fibers throughout. I would like to lightly stain so the fibers blend in with the main deck color (somewhere between cedar and redwood – pinkish) and seal in one step. Do you have a product that will work with these conditions?
Jerry, TWP stains are not designed for composite decks.
The comparison chart for the 100 and 1500 TWP shows very little difference between the two. How do you choose? Live in southern Missouri, very hot and humid summer and some ice and snow in winter.
Teddy, you can use either for your area. Most use the 100 Series.
Location, north-east, hot summers, possibly snowy winters. Cedar deck 9y old. Last Cabots semi-trans stripped, some boards replaced with new, sanded. Considering 1500 Natural.
Question: Does 1500 darken knots and striations, or does it go on uniformly?
Stephen, TWP is a semi-transpaent stain that will show different colors through your wood based on the wood’s natural tones and the porosity. Knots can darken or lighten.
How do you choose between the 100 and 1500 series? I have a 1 year old pressure treated pine deck.
What state do you live in?
Southwest Missouri, gets really hot and humid. A little snow and more ice in the winter.
Also how true are the colors on the website?
Colors vary widely depending on your woo type, preparation, age of wood, application, etc. Most use the 100 Series for MO.
Alan, I would look at the TWP 1515 Honeytone for this.
I used the restore-a-deck kit to prep my deck last fall but ran out of good weather here in the great NW and had to fore-go staining until now. What should I do before staining the deck now? There is a very slight bit of green moss showing here and there. I will be using the TWP 1500.
Ed
You should prep again with the Gemini Restore Kit.
New pressure treated yellow pine deck, approx 700 sq ft, built July 2012, has not been stained or treated, Raleigh, NC. Plan on staining with 100 series. Cleaned and brightened the deck with the 2 step Gemini cleaning system last weekend. Step 1 worked in sections and sprayed on solution and scrubbed with brush since mold/algae in some areas of shade and poor air circulation; after 10 – 15 minutes from initial application in each area, rinsed with a garden hose. Step 2 sprayed on & rinsed off per directions with maybe 5 minute standing time in each section. Problem is that now many areas look felty where the grain is raised. Is this normal or do I now need to sand the entire deck? I thought I wasn’t supposed to sand new wood because it would close the grain but fear the felty areas (most of surface) will not take the stain properly.
When you let the wood weather for a year the exposed wood cells oxidize. The cleaner will removed these damaged wood cells. What you are seeing happens when you need to remove a substantial amount of wood cells as in your case. I would suggest a floor buffing machine with a sanding pad. You can do a 500 s. foot deck in about 20 minutes. it does not sand deeply but rather just removes these softened exposed wood cells. Rinse with water when done.
I just applied the twp stain to my treated pine deck. It was 2 years old. I used a stripper to get thompsons seal off, then used a neutralizer then pressure washed then sanded then applied the stain. It rained and the water does not bead up. Shouldn’t it?
TWP sheds water it does not bead water. Beading water is a myth from TV commercials. You want the wood to “breathe” and not be 100% encapsulated.
What grit sandpaper should I use? I’ll have to do the railings (2×8) and stairs by hand.
60 grit at most.
What is the best respirator to use while applying TWP to protect yourself from breathing the fumes from the stain?
Any applicator that says it works with oil based stains or solvents.
How can I get TWP 1500 to dry faster. I am a contractor and used it on a project. It took 5 or 6 days to fully dry.
Kevin, the stain’s ability to dry varies one many things.
-porosity of the wood
-age of the wood
-application method
-temperature and exposure to sun
-amount of coats applied
Basically the older the wood, the more porous the wood is, warmer temperatures, etc will all aid in drying.
I have a pressure treated pine deck that is 20+ years old. I have only used sealer on it (apply each year in spring) This year I would like to try your TWP 100. What do I need to do to prep this deck? The sealer is mostly gone as the deck faces west and is hit hard by the sun.
Scott, if there is not previous sealer then just use the Gemini Restore Kit to prep the wood.
Would like to use TWP on our wooden fish. It has been hanging for about 4 years. I cleaned it with mild soap, and used a wood brightener. Do not know what kind of stain was previously used. Live in northern Minnesota. Any help would be appreciated.
Barb, If it is free of all other coatings then you can use the TWP 100 Series.
I want to stain a deck in northern Michigan. It is old and doesn’t appear to have any finish remaining on it. Would I use the oil based TWP or the 100?
Mary, all TWP products are oil based. You would want the TWP 100 Series for your area.
I have a pressure treated deck that was stained last year with Twp 1500. I used it again this year. Just as I was finishing it started to rain and it hasn’t stopped since. What am I going to need to do now.
Bky, If it looks okay after the rain dries then leave it alone. If it looks bad then you will need to strip and start over.
It still has some puddles on it. If I do have to strip it what would I use?
The Restore A Deck Stain Stripper.
I have a 3 year old pressure treated deck that has previously been stained with Behr semi-transparent stain. It is 80% flaked off and would like to use the TWP 100 series. We live in MN and the deck surrounds an above ground pool. I really like the “brown” tones of stain rather than the golden or red tones. Is the Dark Oak really dark, similar to ebony or just a warm dark brown? What do I need to do so that the deck will take the TWP stain?
Paula, make sure to strip off the remaining Behr for the prep. The Dark Oak is a very dark brown.
Prep now with the Gemini Kit then apply the TWP 100 Clear. I would not worry about the beams.
Doug, probably a water based graffiti remover would be best to wipe it off and not damage the finish on the spindles.
Fred, I would let this weather for a couple months then prep with a cleaner and wood brightener. 3-5 gallons should work.
I have an old cedar deck that was treated with Behr semi-transparent stain. It is peeling like a solid stain in many different areas. The deck was stripped and looked like new wood before the Behr product was applied. I live in Central Ohio and the deck is exposed to all weather conditions. I amvery disappointed as this deck is about 4000 sq feet and is breaking my bank account. If we use your 1500 product do we need to apply 2 coats? Lee
The Behr must be removed if you want to use TWP. The 1500 is a wet on wet application for decks that are older.
I have a 4 year old clear cedar deck and I want something for the deck face that can stand up to Pacific Northwest summers and winters. I will be taking the deck down to bare wood before applying the product. I think the cedar stain 1501 will be close to the color of the pergola but is a deck face a good application that will both protect the wood and not need refinishing annually?
Thank you
Doug, not sure what you mean by “deck face” TWP works on all types of exterior wood.
Doug, I would sand the Sikkens then prep with the Gemini Restore Kit before applying the TWP 100 Series. You can get samples for $6 each on our website. Thx!
Hi,
I am building a shed with vertical (plywood) siding panels. The panel finish is a rough sawn finish. The panels have been up for a couple of weeks now and I am planning to stain this weeks (so age of panes will be about 3 weeks). Is this okay? Also, other than making sure the panels are clean (no sawdust or dirt), is there any prep work I need to do? Finally, I plan to spray the stain on (TWP 1500 – Dark Oak); do i need to back brush?
Thanks
Rich
Rich, if the wood is rough sawn then you can stain right away. If you spray you will need to back wipe.
How do I prepare deck surface that has been stained with a previous stain and is wearing thin in many areas?
Please read this article:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/tips/prepping-for-twp-stains/switching-to-twp/
Which series (100 or 1500) is better for pressure treated pine walking surfaces?
Anne, where are you located?
kim0418, there really is not a way to match the 200 to the 1500 series. Best to order some samples and test them out.
My deck is cedar, 3 years old. When new it was stained with a transparent oil stain. It failed in 1 year. I took it off last year and applied behr water base semi-t stain and it peeled up badly. I sanded off all the peeled stain but some is adhered and I believe I need to use a stripper.
Problem is my deck is a 2nd story one about 18′ off the ground. It is “rain through” -spaces between deck boards. Under it are the cedar posts, beams and joists that don’t need to be restained at this time. All the strippers I see that are recommended are more like water in consistency. If I use those when I clean them off the run off will get on everything below. And I assume would still be active and make the stained parts below blotchy at least. Or, is the stripper inactivated after the 15 minute set time and water wash? Maybe a paste like stripper would work best but I don’t see one anywhere that is for stain.
Terry, no mattier what stripper you use it will run off and remove some of the stain on the structure below.
Pressure treated deck built in 2008. Treated with Thompson’s Water Seal in 2011. Before reading any of these posts/guidelines I aggressively sanded it and now I would like to use the TWP 100 series. Should I still use a wood cleaner and brightener before the TWP 100? Does it mater how long I go between sanding and cleaning/brightening or cleaning/brightening and staining. I live in Canada so getting your products will take me longer.
Was sanding a bad idea? I thought I was being extra thorough but now have I caused more problems? Lastly, we live in Northern Alberta so it is very cold and very snowy in the winters. Is the TWP 100 the best choice?
Thank-you
Sarah, TWP cannot be shipped or used in Canada. It is not compliant there.
I have a brand new unfinished 12×12 redwood deck – I would love to leave it’s natural color but know I need to protect it due to living in UT with all 4 seasons hammering it. What is best product to keep it as natural as possible without having to re-apply some product every year? Need protection from sun, wind, rain and snow, kids…..
Jason, I would look at the TWP 100 Series for this. Please read this article about TWP and new decking:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
do I really need to let the deck gray before I put on first coat? I did the water test and it seems to soak up water quickly. Hate to see this natural color go away. When I stain I would use redwood color to keep it as natural as possible?
Jason, if the wood is new then yes you need to let it weather for 4+ months. Redwood is very red. Might want to read this article:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-100-color-choices-and-tips/
Pressure treated deck built in Nov 2011 and stained in May 2012 with Olympic, it is pealing badly and needs to be redone. I have chosen to use TWP 1500. I am going to use Restore-a-deck to strip it. Is the the right choice?? I know that I need to use the brightener afterword to neutralize. Is that correct??? And finally, do I need to also use the cleaner???
What is the order that I use the above???
Thanks
Terry, strip and brighten the wood. No need for the cleaner.
I have a pressure treated deck – not sure what type of wood – that is about 14-15 yrs old. Last treatment was last summer, and I applied two coats of Olympic Maximum semi-transparent deck sealant after ‘cleaning’ using a gas power washer (but no stripping product). Looked good, water beaded up well, but now after a winter with quite a bit of snow it is starting to peel. Wish I had checked the reviews last year, as it is not rated well, whereas your products have gotten great ratings.
So what would I need to do? I live in NJ (for starters) so not sure which of your products I can use. I can get the actual name of the color of the Olympic stain (I think it was Desert Sand) – can you match that, and can I just clean/strip the deck and not the sides so that I don’t have to do the whole thing over? Which prep would I need to do, and which product?
Thanks in advance.
Marty, if you want to use the TWP you must remove the Olympic first with a stain stripper and or sanding. Make sure to use a wood brightener when done. TWP comes premixed and cannot be color matched or custom mixed.
I have a pressure treated pine deck that Is almost exactly one yr old. It hasn’t been stained or painted before. I live in New Hampshire. In the summer I would say it gets about 10 hours of sun per day and the winters are quite harsh. I want to go with either clear or else the lightest stain color you have. What stain or clear would you suggest? Also, since the deck is fairly new, how should I go about cleaning it first? Would pressure wash with be suffice?
Jay, you should prep the wood first with the Gemini Restore Kit. The TWP Clears will offer no UV protection. The lightest tint is the Honeytone color. You would need the 1500 Series.
I applied TWP 100 to my new pressure treated deck (wood dried out for about 6 months). I put on two coats as recommended (within 30 minutes of first coat) and it still came out shiny. Do I need to do anything or will the excess dry off over over time? I’m not real happy with the results.
Howard, if the stain is shiny then either the wood was not prepped correctly or the stain was over applied. In either case the stain was not able to penetrate into the wood and dried on the surface. I would leave it alone for now and redo in a year or two by removing the stain and starting over.
afe, I would wipe with a rag right away if any stain gets on it.
I have a cedar deck has been painted ,now i am going with twp-1500 redwood . Is sanding to a bear wood and washing is good prep or i need to do more before applying twp ?
Thank You.
Alex, sand, clean, and brighten to prep.
Mike H, TWP needs to penetrate into the wood. Homeowners many times make the wrong assumption that more stain is better and they apply too much stain that does not penetrate but rather films on top of the wood.
cp, just so you know, the TWP Clears offer no UV protection from graying. You must have a tint in the stain for this. If the old stain is almost gone then a good deck cleaner and brightener is probably sufficient but take inconsideration that it is best that all stain is removed prior to applying TWP.
Laura M, the TWP 1530 is the closest color to TWP 101 and was developed to match the 101.
I have a two year old previously stained cedar deck that i will be stripping with restore-a-deck, brightening with restore-deck-brightener and restaining with TWP 1500. Is it possible or advisable to strip and brighten the deck if there is rain in the forecast. I was planning on stripping and brightening this weekend however there is rain in the forecast through monday. I would of course wait for a couple days of dry weather before staining.
Afe, it is okay if it rains between the prepping and the staining. Just make sure to let the wood dry for a couple of days after the rain.
thanks…separately, i have pvc trim around the outside of my deck, just below the deck boards…i also have pvc risers on the stairs that i will be staining…i will try to minimize any stain getting on the pvc trim boards…however should some of the stain get on these pvc boards, can it be removed using some some sort of solvent without damaging the pvc trim…can you recommend an approach to removing any stain that gets on the pvc trim…
Mike H, TWP typically can take a rain about 24 hours after application as long as the stain was not over applied.
Thanks. What do you mean by “over applied”?
We have a 3 yr old cedar deck treated with TWP. If I use a deck cleaner to brighten it, will I need to reapply TWP? Also, what are your thoughts on maintenance (eg applying another coat over the existing TWP?). Thanks!
Sarah, if it has been 3 years then it would be best to clean lightly then apply a maintenance coat of the TWP.
Thanks
Thanks – we’ll do that this year. Should we use commercial cleaner/brightener the years we are not applying a maintenance coat? Thanks!
Sarah, yes a good deck cleaner and brightener for the maintenance coats.
Used Gemini Restore a deck on my 2 yr old untreated deck… then applied TWP1500 Natural 2 days ago. Some places on the deck and steps seem to have a sheen. Is this where the stain was too thick? What should I do? Or will time wear this down?
BTW – ordered the 5 gallon bucket and supplies shipped to my house. All arrived in a few days, well packaged and secure – thanks for great service!
Mardev, if there is a shine then the stain was applied too thick. You could try rubbing it down with some lacquer thinner. Make sure to dispose of any rags properly by wetting with water so they do not accidentally combust.
Looking to stain my deck for the 1st time. I have a 2-story deck, 2 years old and is treated pine. I live in Central Michigan and the deck gets full sun all day long during the summer, not to mention it’s open to the elements of MI the other parts of the year. I have bought the cleaner and brightener to do 1st. I would like to get a hint of color, not to dark but also, not a clearcoat. Could you please recommend which series/type of stain? Also, a color?
Joe, use the 100 Series for Michigan. Honeytone, Cedartone or Pecan colors.