Last Updated on February 4, 2026 by TWP Help
Welcome to the official help site for TWPStain.com
TWP® 100 Pro-Series will keep your wood beautiful, fresh, and looking new longer! The ease of application and maintenance will allow you to enjoy your investment for years to come. Containing unique ingredients that protect the wood from damage, TWP 100 Series has been a leader and respected product for over 25 years.
TWP® 100 Pro-Series provides a broad spectrum of weather protection, is water repellent, and aids in color retention. TWP® 100 Pro-Series resists water absorption that causes warping, cracking, splitting, and prevents freeze damage in colder climates. Use TWP® 100 Pro-Series to Restore and Protect YOUR GREAT OUTDOORS!
TWP 1500 Total Wood Preservative is an EPA-registered wood preservative for decks, fences, gazebos, cedar siding, wood shakes, log homes, outdoor furniture, and other exterior wood surfaces. TWP wood preservative offers outstanding protection from UV fading, wood rot, water damage, and mildew for all types of wood species.
The TWPStainHelp.com site is designed for exterior wood and deck owners looking for solutions to their wood maintenance questions. We have gathered information based on years of experience. From TWP stain tips and wood maintenance advice to prepping new wood and how-to articles, we will guide you step by step to achieve professional-like results using any of the TWP wood preservative products.
Please read our articles and feel free to ask any questions that you may have about restoring your exterior wood or decking surfaces. The information you need regarding wood and deck restoration and TWP deck stains are all here. Please enjoy and remember that we are here to help.
How long does an unopened 5 gallon can of 100 series last?
https://twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
I have a wooden fence that was installed 6 months ago. Pressure treated pine. I like the color of the TWP 120 Pecan, but I was thinking about buying something from the 1500. series. What is the comparable color in the 1500 series?
Are both the 100 series and the 1500 series one coat applications for the type of fence that I have. If a scond coat is recommended, would that be a wet on wet application or would I need to wait a period of time before applying a second coat?.
Both are 2 coats applied wet on wet. Both Series have Pecan color.
I have a new pressure treated pine deck and would like to color it with the redwood in your 1500 series. Is this a good option? When should I apply and how should I prep? Thank tou
See this about new wood and TWP: https://twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Any color in the 1500 Series will work!
I have a cedar deck, about 700 sq feet, that is 20 years old, never stained and in good shape just grey. I added a side deck that is PT pine and has weathered for 1 year so it should be dry. Cabin in north so gets lots of snow in winter but is a summer retreat.
If I properly clean the cedar (and PT), what product would you recommend and should I put the same product on the cedar and PT. The decks do touch. I know there will likely be a slight color difference because of the wood type, but that is OK
Yes, same for both. Look at the TWP 1500 Series after the prep:
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series
I’ve used 1511 California Redwood in the past and really like it. However, is there a 1500 stain that might cover better and last longer? Would the 1530 natural be a better choice?
All the colors in the 1500 Series will last about the same. You would need to go to the semi-solid colors to achieve better UV protection: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-semi-solid-pro-series
We have just renewed our large Cedar beams with your semi-solid Pro Stain- it is perfect. Old beams cleaned and this was a great experience. Now we want to clean and freshen our cedar garage doors. These have had Penofen semi/transparent stain and have needed re-staining almost yearly. They face the afternoon/setting sun and are altitude 7,000f but just don’t hold up in this severe sun facing / altitude setting.
We want a light cedar I’ll but feel your semi-solid might provide that plus last much longer. However, while we will once again order samples- we feel that even your lightest color in that product might not look natural enough.
Question: can we custom mix 1:1 semi-solid with a lighter 100 Pro semi-transparent to lessen the solids ??
There would be no point in doing that, just use the TWP 100 Pro Semi-Transparent colors.
The point is to have a penetrating product that has higher solids content than your 100 Pro. Am I wrong in assuming your 100 Pro doesn’t have any higher solids content than most semi- transparents? That is to say, not much to none. Such as Penofin.
There would be no point, as there is really no middle ground between semi-transparent and semi-solid that would work well for appearance and any added UV protection over the semi-transparents. Just pick either one. It is already vertical wood, which is a huge positive over horizontal wood.
What is the best way to apply TWP 200 series stain? brush or low volume hand sprayer?
Stain pads, brushes, or a sprayer will work. If you spray, you will need to back brush any drips, etc.
Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it.
I did have some cupping on some boards, tried to level it out the best I could. After sanding I plan on using TWP Restore -A-Deck 2 step process
Just do one coat of stain.
How do you know if you have over sanded?
Just don’t sand finer than 60-80 grit and clean and brighten after sanding.
Can Twp 1500 be applied over 4 year old Penofin with just cleaning? It’s a smooth cedar deck. Was planning on using 30 second cleaner and use a brush and hose.
No, you need to remove it. Very easy with this kit:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
I am using 8×8 douglas fir posts on a porch and carport project here in east central Missouri. They were installed in mid-January. These are new wood posts, rough cut, but a couple sides are smoother than the others, but still not that smooth waxy feel like dimensional lumber. After receiving samples from you, I was leaning toward 1500 series in Natural color but my local store only carries the 100 pro series. I have a couple questions:
-Either the 100 or 1500 Series.
-The 101 Cedartone is the same as the 1530 Natural. FYI, Honeytone is the lightest tinted color in both series.
-You can go darker as long as you prep accordingly.
Thank you!
with the TWP Natural Effect stain, I see that it is a 2 step process. My question is do you apply 2 coats first and THEN that second step ? Or only 1 coat of the first step then the second step?
That depends on how dried out the wood is. In most cases, one coat will work.
Thanks a million !!!!
Do you sell sample sizes?
https://www.twpstain.com/stain-samples
I stained my spruce log cabin siding several times over the last 20 years with Velvit Cabin and Deck finish- it is no longer available – I use TWP 1500 on my deck. Would this be a logical finish now for my cabin ? Should I consider the product with solid color?
You cannot use the TWP unless you fully remove the prior coating. For help with this, add some pics of the cabin in the comments.
Should stain be applied yearly?
Every 2-3 years is normal but it does vary based on wood type, if vertical or horizontal, and weather conditions.
I have a Cumaro deck with prior applications of IPE oil. would like to use a water based sealer over the existing seal. Your recommendations?
thanks
You can’t do this without fully stripping off the IPE Oil. Use this to remove it:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
I need help matching a color or finding Cedartone 201. Can someone please call me
940-337-1911
On this link you can order the 201 Cedartone: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-200-series-5-gallon
Brush or roll 1500 rustic on redwood
Brush or stain pads. Do not roll.
We just used restore a deck stripper and brighter then applied TWP 200 series to our deck. This is what the original deck builder used for the color, California Ceder. The color is good but there’s a lot of black in the grain and some of the boards seem darker than the rest. I don’t think a second coat would make a difference and it would probably not take it. Please advise.
No, you cannot get the black out by adding more stain. That is deep in the wood grain.
So I used the restore-a-deck system and it seemed to work. I also used a Jomax deck wash to get mold off of some of the surfaces. When I redo the deck again in a few years, what can I different to get the color more uniform?
The darkening is internal and part of your wood grain. It cannot come out with prep products.
Want to clean cedar deck stained one year ago with cedar tone 101. Deck is simply dirty and want to clean-up and possibly touch-up wear areas. What would you recommend?