Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
TWP Wood and Deck Stain Update for 2024
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.
I rebuilt my fence last year using PT wood. I am finishing up the process of cleaning and brightening the wood. I have been using BEHR brightener for this. I am looking at using y our stain for my fence. Are there any other steps that I need to follow to allow your product the best chance on my fence, other than letting the wood dry a few days after brightening? Second part of this question is that I live in North East Kansas, so my fence endures everything from 0 degrees to 105 degrees. Rain, snow, ice, sun, wind. We have it rough here. Which series product will work best in this environment?
what color 1500 stain would you use to restore Mahogany deck to original color
I have a 14 x 20 pressure treated pine deck and live in Northern Virginia. The deck receives full sun most of the day. Would I want to use the 100 or 1500 series?
Is this product recommended for an application on a cedar roof?
what will take TWP Cedartone off of concrete
I am planning to sand my deck before staining. Should I sand before or after applying the Restore-A-Deck Cleaner and Brightener?
I stained my deck floor, pressure treated white pine that has been down for 9 months, 8 days ago with TWP Honeytone. It looked great…that is until it rained yesterday. It’s the first time it has gotten wet. Now, the floor boards are stained (discolored) a light coffee color wherever a puddle or drop of water beaded and dried. Fortunately, I had 80% of the deck covered with a tarp because I recently sealed areas on the underside.
I’ve tried wiping and scrubbing the discolorations with water thinking that it would come off but it doesn’t.
I previously stained the cedar railing system with TWP and there are no stains on it.
I gave the railing system two coats but the floor only one because the TWP 100 data sheet said one coat on horizontal surfaces of new pressure treated lumber and the TWP blog person, whom I checked with before staining the floor, said one.
Should I give the deck floor another coat before it rains again? It seems like the water somehow got through the one coat of TWP stain. If water can get through, it seems like another coat of stain would work.
Please help. I’ve put a lot of work and money into this deck.
Thanks for your reply.
I sprayed the deck with water yesterday to assess the repellent effect of the stain. In many places the water immediately beaded up and a lot of it just skidded off the deck surface–just as I would hope well-sealed deck lumber would react. In other places, however, the water did not bead up but steadily spread out and, I’d say, after five minutes or so some of it soaked into the wood.
Can you tell me what issue down the road would be created that you refer to if I put another coat of TWP on it now?
My thought is to put down a coat of clear and wipe off anything that is still wet after 20 minutes of so.
Please tell me your thoughts.
I will be using twp stain on a log cabin. I have replaced several logs. which stain would give the best coverage to try and match old to new
I read a few of the post here but didn’t see any that was what we have. We have a 12 year old red cedar deck which has had different products on it. I just got finished sanding the deck down to new wood. We did replace a few boards as well. Now I would like to place a clearer type product on it. Our local Fleet Farm carries TWP and have read good things about the product. What would recommend for a natural look to our red cedar deck. I don’t mind applying the product every 2 years either.
We have PT pine 15 yr old deck with no prior stain..located in E Tx. Can’t decide between 100 or 1500 series. .also any suggestions for filling in a couple of damaged areas w/o replacing the wood since wood filler doesn’t stain and replacing it would be discolored next to the older wood..also the deck has a slight dip so a new piece would stick up unevenly. ..looking to use a dark oak color with white rails.
What kinds of gentle detergent can you use to clean a freshly stained deck?
I want to apply TWP 100 to an incline ramp. Does it become slippery when wet?
I made a BIG mistake. I stained my deck this weekend with TWP 102 Redwood and my wife HATES the color. The question is…How long before I can stain it again, or what can I do to change the color? This is a 1 year old deck and the first time I stained it. I did use the cleaner/brightener. She wants it to be a darker, richer, more natural color. Please, help me fix this!
I stained my fence last year with 6 gallons of TWP 100 Honeytone and it is holding up beautifully. So, when a built a new swing set (BigBackyard Windale), I looked into TWP again and just ordered 2 gallons of TWP 1500 Redwood. Taking a close look at the swingset, although it is light, I noticed it appears to already be stained. I called the company, they said the stain is water based, that it should last 10 years (ha!) and that I should seal it in a year with Thompson’s (ha! ha!). Am I going to need to strip the set to put the redwood on? Should I instead wait a year and apply a TWP sealant? Do I have two gallons of great stuff I can’t use? Thank you.
I used the 1500 yesterday on cedar. It rained for about 20 minutes shortly after the stain was applied. What next?
I applied the TWP 100 series in Pecan to my back steps about 18 months ago. It has already completely worn off in some spots & looks very dry in others. Can I just apply another coat? What did I do wrong – I know it should last longer than that, though it is in direct sunlight here in Eastern WA State? I completely refinished my front deck early last summer – can I put on additional coats?
we stained our covered porch yesterday and just as we finished it started raining – not hard but still a bit damp. Now 24 hours later the deck is still not dry – shiny in spots. What should we do?
We have a 7′ X 50′ wrap around porch floor, I think it’s red oak, removed all of the previous paint and primer, sanded it down to bare wood. We ordered the Gemini prep kit and 2 gallons of TWP-116-1G based on what I read on the distributors web site as far as application requirements, now on your website I see I’ll need 4 gallons, can I put the second coat on a week or so later???? Second question, may I. should I, put a coat of Thompsons Water Seal on after I’m all done staining?
Hello,
I have a 1000 sq foot deck ,and only bought 5 gallons of the 1500 product in rustic brown ( as well as Gemini 2-part cleaner/restorer). The deck is one year old PT pine and was not finished so it could wear for a year.
I did not figure in the railings or the pergula into my square footage, so I am obviously short on materials.
Can I do the 1000 sq foot of horizontal surface (stuff you walk on) , and come back later after buying more supplies and clean-prep the vertical surfaces ( railing and pergula ) without damaging the newly-stained material underneath? I’d like to get started today but if this can’t happen because of cleaning issues over newly-stained material I just have to wait.
Thank you
–Peter
TWP for 7/16 pine pickets… In redwood …how much absorption& how many coats.
I built a new deck with the 5/4×16′ treated floor boards, cedar rails and posts. I allowed the deck surface to dry out for almost one year. It was nasty by then and I had to resand it. I also power washed and allowed it to dry for a week. I applied the 1500 Redwood (1502) to floor, stirring repeatedly to keep solids mixed. I applied 100 in Cedartone (101) to rails and posts. We had an unusually wet winter and spring in N. GA and I found green and black mold under the deck on the joists, the rim and the ledger (9′ off ground with cement patio underneath). I also discovered the deck was growing surface black mold (wiped my hand over dry deck and it came off). Mold also penetrated my stain. Stain is less than a year old, was not repelling water that well. The wood knots are black. Stain failed in some areas. Also I was surprised to see that the rails also failed and mold grew there turning some of the wood black and the finish was faded severely by the sun. Stair treads totally lost their ability to repel water and need to be refinished as well. I power washed entire deck again, got the mold off unpainted joists. Mold won’t come off the deck surface. I purchased a chemical mold wash Behr No. 63 (corrosive) to apply to entire deck. Before I do it, I need some advice before I do this job all over. I’m reluctant to use TWP and have contacted other commercial companies. It’s chilly at night now (high 50’s to mid 40s) in high 60’s during day (mid – late Oct in N. GA).
I completely stripped, power washed, brightened, finish sanded and stained our 25 year old deck flooring, lattice underpinning and rails last year using TWP 1501 Cedartone. The deck was transformed into a beautiful deck that looked practically new. It wintered very well in our harsh Illinois weather. Half of our deck is 4 foot or higher off the ground in mostly sun and the remaining lower deck is only about 10 inches off the ground and is mostly shaded. We didn’t completely strip the lower deck flooring as we thought we would have to replace that portion of the deck flooring this summer, but in order to tie the decks together for last summer, we went ahead and sanded it thoroughly and applied the stain to it. It looked just as good as the rest of the decks and to our surprise, it wintered wonderfully, so we will NOT be replacing the lower deck flooring as we had previously thought we would need to do.
My question while I am preparing to do maintenance on all the decks, wanting to keep the luctrous Cedartone color while adding more protection that TWP provides, I need to know what I need to do. There is little to no mold/mildew on the lower deck flooring/decks and no mold/mildew on the higher decks. The lattice panels underpinning has some mold/mildew where it is close to, or shaded by, low shrubbery landscaping. I do not want to use a cleaner that will remove, or further dull, the existing Cedartone color
what does it mean when TWP100 clear says it does not provide UV protection, does it mean the wood will gray faster?
I just paid someone to apply my TWP 100 series Pecan stain to an 8 year old deck that I inherited when I moved into my house in January ’13. He only applied one coat and i am now reading that he should have applied 2 coats. It was applied yesterday…can I apply a second coat a day later? If the answer is yes, would the second coat need to go over entire deck or could I just do the floor of the deck and maybe the steps. I want the maximum benefit out of the product. If I do this, how long will it take for it to dry? I live in Kansas City. Deck size: 35 x 7 with 9 steps down and wood is treated pine. I could not tell that there was anything on the deck (did not look as though it had been stained) when we moved in. My son pressure washed it and when the rain let up (3 weeks later) I got it stained.
we recently bought TWP 1500 cedartone. We first stripped it with Restore a Deck Stripper and then power washed it off. Then we applied Restore a Deck brightener. We applied 2 coats of stain wet on wet approx 20 min apart. We were careful to not over apply we thought and after three days the deck still looks wet in a few areas. There is nothing to blot up so now what do we do?
Hi Do you think the 1516 Rustic would be a good match to the Jarrah Brown?
What series of TWP should I use on my deck that is in full sun in Georgia
We applied a double coat last year and want to apply another coat this year. Will this work. We get. A lot of sun and rain on the deck because it is on the lake. Thanks, bill
How long can I wait between using rad stripper and rad brightener? I am having trouble removing old stain and think I need to strip again another day as rain seems to be on the way,
Looking for a somewhat darker, orangey, red, yellow brown color. Trans/Semi
Can you send me a color sample card. Had terrible luck with Cabot last year…
Get a LOT of rain here in Western NC….
Our deck is a unique color, a mix of gray and brown. Can different colors of TWP 100 be mixed to obtain a color similar to what we have currently? Thank you,
How many gallons of TWP 100 do I need to coat 340 sq ft of 1 year old cedar railings?
I live in Marietta, GA. I am hoping you have a recommendation on a reputable company that is experienced with TWP products. Can you recommend one? Also, I have a new deck with pressure treated wood. How long do I need to wait to stain it with TWP?
Hello! I could use some advice on using your 1500 series product. I have a roughly 10 year old deck that had a solid “stain” on it from the home’s previous owners. It was not coming off with stripper so I sanded it with 40-60 grit to bare wood. Then used a brightner/ cleaner. Let dry for 48 hours. Then applied the 1503 Dark Oak. As much as the wood seemed to absorb. After 12 hours, the result is tarry black. Even where I tried to apply a thin coating, the wood is coming out very black. The color on the wooden stirring stick I used is perfect. Here are my specific questions:
(1) Did I do something to make the wood too absorbent?
(2) What can I do to make it absorb correctly (use finer grit sand paper?)
(3) Is there a way to fix the parts I’ve already done? Sand lightly with a medium grit?
I am in Flagstaff and the wood is extremely dry cedar.
Thank you!
I recently purchased a southwest style home in the desert with large exterior beams. They are very exposed and weathered. I believe they have been previously treated with an oil based transparent stain at one time. I am looking to seal and preserve them with a semi transparent rustic color stain and perhaps coat with a satin topcoat. They are pretty rough from wear and tear.Here is a pic. any suggestions?
Hello, you cannot topcoat the TWP stains. There is no need for this. Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and use the TWP 1500 Series.
I stripped and brightened my old deck finishing 3 days ago. I wanted to stain but there was dew on the deck, it is slowly drying in the sun but will this be dry enough? I live in Virginia and we had a lot of rain recently. How dry does it have to be?
It has to be completely dry. No dampness to the wood.
That is oxidation that was not removed completely with the prep. Buffing this with a floor buffer and a sanding pad is the easiest way.
Home Depot buffing machine & rental? What type of pad? And the rails? I have a Festool Rotex 90. 150 grit sand paper for the top rail?
They have 3M pads. White or red. Typically about an inch thick and 15″ in diameter.
Sand the rails? Grit? What buffer pad do i use with the buffer machine?
Sand rails using 60-80 grit. Concentrate on the tops as spindles will be fine.
I bought 60 grit today for the rails. 80 grit didn’t seem to get the job done.
Looks better. Took me awhile to figure out how to operate the polishing buffer. I used the white 3M pads from HD. It did splinter the deck in a couple places but it was worth it to remove most of the oxidation.
Looks much better!
What color stain is this? Thanks!
Hi there,
I am interested in restoring my deck. I am unsure what type of stain is currently or the kind of wood (please see attached photo). Will the stripper product work for this? Thanks!
Hard to say for 100% certain as the stain is covered in layers of dirt. We would suggest stripping as much as possible with the Restore A Deck Stain Stripper and pressure washer. If needed, sand any stain that does not come off.
I had 355′ of 6′ tall privacy fence installed about 4 months ago and plan to stain in the coming month or so. In doing research, I’ve learned TWP makes a highly reputable stain and would like to use your product but have the following questions.
1.) About how much coverage will I get from a.) an airless sprayer, b.) a Chapin pump sprayer, and c.) roller/brush. The TWP Series 100 literature says 100-200 sq.ft. but that’s quite a range as it could double the price of the stain.
2.) I don’t have enough money to put two full coats on both sides of 355′ of fence. Would it be better to put both coats on one side or one coat on each side?
3.) The fence is fairly new, do you recommend the Gemini cleaner and a power wash prior to staining?
1. Coverage is the same no matter the application method. Needs to apply at roughly 150-200 sq. feet per gallon of the first coat and 200-250 for the second coat. You cannot stretch the coverage by spraying. The TWP will underperform if under applied.
2. Not sure I understand your question. If you leave one side uncoated, then you can have issues with the wood not being protected. If you under apply stain to the entire fence, it will not last as long.
3. If rough cut wood, has not oxidized (turned gray) yet, and clean, you do not need to use the prep.
We have a new PT Pine Yellow wood deck built in Independence MO. Although both the builder and the Yellow wood help line said because the lumber came from a large commercial lumber yard, this PT Pine has a different cure and is absolutely ok to stain. We like the TWP 100 Cedar look so would it be better to seal now with say Olympic Maximum Waterproofing sealant clear then next spring clean and apply TWP or use the TWP now?
You cannot apply TWP now. See here about new wood:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Also you cannot apply TWP over the Olympic. It would have to be stripped and brightened for the prep.
Thanks for the information but don’t we need to apply some form of protection and if so, please suggest what steps you recommend. Am confused as to when and what proper steps to take for this investment between your 4-12 time frame for using TWP 100? Thanks in advance for your help!
No need to protect now, let it weather naturally and then prep. This is normal.
Okay, with the Missouri fall and winter seasons approaching what month would you recommend to finally prep and stain with the TWP 100? Thanks
Based on when you built it, wait at least 4 months. If that puts you into Winter, then Spring would be the best time.
We used TWP about five years ago on our front porch after all that time dirt has built up and we need to clean and possibly reapply. What do you recommend to use to just clean not strip the finish (it’s really holding up very well).
Try the Gemini Restore Kit. You will need to reapply since it has been 5 years.
You will probably have to prep with the Gemini Kit and than restain with one coat.
I built a new deck three years ago. We waited one year before staining and the results were quite good. After one year, the deck became very dirty due to the elements. So, this year, we pressure washed the deck (with Gemini cleaner and brightener). After waiting four weeks due to rain, we were able to stain the deck. Now, after two months, there are a number of boards which are “oozing” sap, and some of the boards are showing a “white” stain. I have included pictures. What is causing this and how (if can) do we rectify or remove the white “staining”?
It is sap that is coming from the wood that dries white. It unfortunately cannot be stopped or prevented. Any cleaning of the sap will also remove the TWP. Sap is not easy to remove and if you can get it off, it may just continue to ooze out again.
I would like to stain my dock with the TWP 100. My concern is with the 2 part cleaning system that you recommend all that cleaner and brightner would be washed into the lake. Not a good thing I am sure. If i just pressure wash the dock and then stain carefully not to drip stain in the lake how well will it turn out?
Not quite as good if you just pressure wash. The Gemini Restore Kit is biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
HELP! I’ve completed the cleaning and brightening with the TWP 2-step process and let it dry for 48+hours. Now, we have been getting rain every other day, so I haven’t been able to get the stain on the deck yet. How long can I go without needed to re-clean the deck before applying the stain? I was also thinking of maybe staining and then put a tarp over the deck on top of the rails so it wasn’t touching the deck floor. Any advise??
Thanks,
Andy
Do not do that with the tarp. It needs to be exposed to cure correctly. Typically you want to stain within two weeks of the prep.
Good afternoon. I put on a light maintenance coat on my deck and it rained within 6 hours. What should I do?
Let the rain water dry of an hopefully it dries evenly without any rain spots. If you do get discoloration and spotting. You will need to strip all and start over.
Thank you for the quick reply. What are the appropriate steps for stripping the stain off the deck? Especially considering this is a fresh coat of stain over a maintenance coat over last year’s staining.
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper and Brightener kit with pressure washing. Apply the Stripper and pressure wash off. Repeat until all is removed. Apply the brightener, rinse after 15 minutes.
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/difference-between-twp-100-and-twp-1500/
I used twp1500 to stain my patio table, but I want a shinier finish. Can I use a polyurethane over the top of twp stain?
No you cannot apply a poly or anything over the TWP.
I used TwP 100 pecan on Spanish cedar wood. I do not like the color. Can I apply more coats or a different color coat to get a darker color
Adding more to newly applied stain can be an issue. You will run the risk of it not penetrating into the wood grain and drying tacky. It would be best to wait until Fall, light clean with the Gemini cleaner and apply a very light coat of a darker stain then. If you want to do it now, then you should remove and start over. Use the Restore a Deck Stan Stripper to remove.
I live outside of Louisville, KY. Very large, multi level, Ten year old deck that has been pressure washed, never stained. What do you recommend?
TWP 100 Series for this. 2 coats applied wet on wet.