Last Updated on January 30, 2023 by TWP Help
TWP Stain Tips for New wood Decks in 2024
When applying TWP Wood Stains for the first time to new wood there will need to be proper steps taken. New smooth wood or decking is not ready to be pre-stained prior to installation or stained right after installation. It is best to follow the directions of the TWP Wood Stain when it comes to applying a coating to new wood for the first time, not the lumber yard or the paint store’s as they do not understand the proper prep needed.
TWP and New Smooth Decking or Exterior Wood
It is important to understand that new smooth wood is not absorbent enough for the TWP Stains. New wood contains a higher moisture content and a “mill glaze”. Mill Glaze is a waxy film that results from the fast turning blades that cut the profile on a manufactured log. The high speed of the turning blades produces heat that draws sap and moisture out of the log. As it cools and dries, it creates a film or coating on the logs. This will hinder the TWP’s ability to penetrate into the wood grain.
Note: New Rough Sawn vertical wood/fencing can be stained right away with no wait and with no prep as it does not have mill glaze and is very absorbent. Just make sure the wood is fully dry. If Rough sawn wood has aged or oxidized (grayed) then it will need to be prepped with Gemini Restore Kit. One coat for most instances of newly installed Rough Sawn wood.
Tips for TWP and New Wood
Let the Wood Weather First
TWP wants the wood to weather and dry out for 4-12 months after installation. This will allow the moisture content to drop and the exposed wood cells will oxidize from the sun’s UV, turning slightly gray.
Prepping New Wood for TWP Stains
After letting the wood weather it is time to prep the wood. This step consists of using the Gemini Restore A Deck Kit. This kit contains both a Step 1 Wood Deck Cleaner and a Step 2 Wood Deck Brightener. The Step 1 cleaner will help remove the dirt, graying, and mill glaze from the wood while Step 2 Brightener will neutralize the cleaner and help restore the natural color.
Staining New Wood and Decking for the First Time
Even after the waiting period and the proper prepping, new smooth wood is still not as absorbent as it will be in a few years. We strongly suggest only applying 1 coat of the TWP Stains the first time. Do not over apply as the TWP may not penetrate into the wood correctly. Make sure to back wipe any excess stain that does not penetrate properly into the wood after 30 minutes. For new smooth wood, the TWP 100 Series if allowed in your state, otherwise use the TWP 1500 Series.
Maintaining TWP Stains
Apply a light maintenance coat to the flooring in 9-24 months. If just slightly dirty prep with soapy water to remove grime and reapply one light coat. If you wait 18-24 months make sure to prep again with the Gemini Restore A Deck. After the first year or two, your wood will be able to absorb more TWP stain which results in a longer stain life and protection!
TWP Pro Tip:
TWP is a penetrating wood preservative. It performs properly when it penetrates 100% into the wood. Over applying will not result in longer protection.
Have a Question? Please Ask Below.
Hi,
We are trying to make a fence like the one in the picture using Clear grade smooth cedar.
My first question is about the time to stain. I know you recommend 4-12 months of weathering, since there is a gap of 1″ between boards, I believe that to get the best finished product, they would need to be stained on all sides. If so, they would have to be stained before installing. I asked this same question at the deck supply store and they agreed that is better to have them weather for a while, but they suggested to pressure wash the boards and wait for them to dry and then they could be stained before installing. The reasoning is that, the pressure wash would take away most if not all the mill glaze and that it would open up the pores much quicker. An accelerated weathering process of sorts. What do you think?
The second question has to do with color. In your opinion which color twp stain would get me closer to the color in the picture?
Thank you for your help.
Hello,
I just installed new cedar posts and railings on a deck in
Wisconsin. How long do I wait to stain if using 1500? Would 100 be better
suited for my area? Also, the floorboards on the deck are UltaDeck composite
about 6-8 years old. Will the composite hold stain? If so, will I be recoating
this frequently because of durability? Thanks….
I have a new cedar fence installed in Dallas. it’s rough wood. do i need to use a cleaner and brightener or can i apply TWP 100 without it? Also, it’s getting hot soon so how much will the heat impact the results and what temp would be considered too high for application? Also, how many coats of TWP 100 should I apply?
My deck is treated wood and is 6 months old. better to stain now before high humidity season here in Missouri or wait until a dryer fall?
I stained my deck with TWP 1500 Rustic Brown about 7 months ago, 2 coats wet on wet. The deck gets quite a bit of sun and the winter in Massachusetts is quite tough, but the deck stain is looking really faded after just 7 months. What do you suggest? Should I put another coat right over the existing coat?
I have a two year old treated pine deck that I used Olympic stain on after about 9 months. It has peeled horribly and there are many checks and some splintering on the stair railing. I live in southern Missouri and need badly to re-stain. I would like to sand some of the railings to keep from getting splinters but it seems that I keep hearing not to.
Qustions:
1. How can I smooth the railings to prevent splintering?
2. Best way to strip off the old failed stain?
3. After I prep the wood how long do I have to apply the stain, can I wait a week?
4. Will any stripper work on the vertical surfaces without taking them off the deck?
5. Which is the best stain to use?
6. What is the most popular color?
7. I might strip and then flip the deck boards over to stain the untainted side, is this recommended?
8. Can I use a power washer to speed up the stripping?
Thanks and sorry for so many questions.
I just ordered a five gallon pail of TWP 100 to stain my new dock. That’s dock with an ‘o,’ it’s over water. It’s about 750 sqft, pressure treated pine installed in early December ’13. New Orleans area. I had two questions-
1) Since I probably won’t use the full five gallons, and you say that the 5-gal bucket won’t store the remaining stain for a year, can I pour the remainder into new 1 gallon cans? Lowes sells new metal paint cans. Could I use an old clean 5-gal latex paint bucket that seals well? I have a couple of those plastic buckets hanging around.
2) Are there any precautions I need to take while working over water (e.g., avoid using a sprayer) to safeguard the critters living in the water?
Thanks!
new kdat clear pine deck in ga. its been 3 months since install but, agan, its KDAT, so ok to go ahead and stain with twp 100 now? I put water down in various places and it dries in 5 to 10 minutes.
John
Had a new western red cedar fence put up about a month ago, only 42 linear feet. Have a few questions.
– I read that WRCedar requires less drying out time. Is that true or should I wait the 4 months?
– Will 1 gallon be sufficient, or should I get 2?
– Will any prep work be needed?
Thanks.
I half a half log sided (pine) lakehome which is 10 years old, old stain has been powerwashed from home but some old stain still remains where 2 siding pieces meet for about an inch.
What technique to remove the remaining stain/residue and what grit sandpaper?
Also, with half log siding what is best application technique? I’ve been a roller followed by back brushing guy in the past.
Hi
I’ve got a new rough cut pine fence (June) and a pressure treated pine deck (May). What products should I be using on them, and is it okay to start on both now? I’m in Chicago and the deck and fence are part sun/part shade. Thanks!
How long do you have to wait to stain after using the Gemini cleaning/brightening kit?
I am installing a new cedar deck in Montana. I understand that I must wait 4+ months before applying TWP 1500. Due to temp requirements this means that I will not be able to apply it until the spring. Is there anything that I should put on the deck before winter to protect it from the snow sitting on the bare wood?
I live in upstate New York and just installed a new pressure treated wood deck by the Inground pool. The deck gets 100% direct sunlight all day. Which product would be best for my deck. The cold upstate New York winters and direct sunlight, any help would be appreciated .
Is there much difference between the Cedartone vs pecan stain
i have a huge deck project that i ordered the Restore-a-Deck 2 step process to strip and brighten the deck. The prior stain was Behr Premium Stain which i believe is acrylic. After multiple applications of the Restore Stripper, i was able to remove 95% of the Behr stain. As for the rails and balisters (aproximately 500 balister and about a football field worth of Arbors and rails, i have decided it would take me all summer to remove the remaining “vertical” stain after multiple attempts at removal. My question is; would an acrylic paint or acrylic non-oil based stain be ok to go over the Behr stain. The integrity of the wood is good. It is close to impossible to remove most of the Behr from the verticals. My thinking is people paint their homes with regualar house paint on wood and seems to work fine. Why not paint the verticals and stain the decking where water, snow, sun and foot traffic will be the most significant wear. i will be using TWP 1500 stain on my decking. Any house paint or decking stain you could recommend to go over the Behr?? thank you for any help!
Have used the 100 stain on deck at previous home. Situation now is a brand new PT kiln dried flooring (custom length that’s why kiln dried) covered by a screen porch so the flooring will not get much exposure to sun or the elements. Do I still need to wait 4+ months to use the 1500? Also, is the “natural” a transparent or semi-transparent stain?….Thanks
TWP 100 for rough Western red cedar siding. Siding has been weathered — stickered, covered –for 10 months. Did test stains on a sacrificial board — beautiful. What, if any, prep needs to be done for my siding? I have read that for ‘new’ wood you should thoroughly wet at least three times and let dry, etc. I didn’t do anything to my test piece. Just stained it with several blends to achieve the perfect color. What I haven’t done is scrape this test area to gauge the depth of penetration. So what is your recommendation for staining well-loved and weathered rough ceadar (ten months, under cover)? And what kind of penetration depth should I be looking for.
Thanks.
Purchasing TWP 1500 for new clear douglas fir railing and posts. Any suggestions for prepping or applying for douglas fir. Should I let weather as you would for cedar Etc.?
First, let me just commend yall on how you answer questions…outstanding. Secondly, soooo…here I am, stuff moved off of the Treated Yellow Pine, standing by for the Step 1 of Restore a Deck. The directions say: “Do not allow treatment to stay on the wood for more than 15 minutes”. I have a 600 sf deck, designed into about 3 200 sf areas. Even if I take a percentage, I’m worried about being able to finish in 15 minutes, what with scrubbing and all.
Also, it rained yesterday and some last night. The wood is a little moist. Is that going to be problem or obstacle??
And, I have kids. so, the deck is probably going to get tracked on again before I can finish the whole six hundred sf—both the stain and the cleaning parts. If my deck gets dirty in places where I have already cleaned it w/ the kit—does that mean it will have to be done again, or just rinsed?
Pergola: How do I manage that—its a little hard to scrub that area.
How many days/hours can the solution sit and still be effective? It might take me a bit to get this done.
Finally,how many days do I have to work with between resoring and cleaning, and then staining?
I am only rinsing w/ a hose. I did buy scrub brooms.
Thank yall again. Also, let me just say that out of ALL the stains out there…I NEVER see a bad word about yall. I never see ANY word about yall, but no news is good news.
jade
The carpenter who built our deck used kiln dried cedar. Does this have to “weather” and if not, what kind of prep is recommended beyond cleaning any dirt off that has accumulated in the last few weeks since completion?
I am in Raleigh North Carolina and our deck was installed within the last 3 weeks. We used kiln dried Pine and I have not seen that you have addressed that in your forum here. I am told by the lumberyard that this wood is ready for staining. Do you have a way that I can test that it is dry enough?
If OK, I am thinking that we would do a light sanding and remove excess dust by blowing it off and then stain. Is this correct?
Assuming that it is suitable, our weather forecast is clear for the next five days however daytime temperatures in the high 50s night time in the low to upper 30s.
Please reply! Thanks, Joe
Hi Joe, see this about your wood type:
https://twpstainhelp.com/kdat-and-twp-wait-period-for-new-wood/
We have an older deck. I power washed and brightened at the beginning of summer, but then rain and work conspired against me. I have a short window where I could stain this week and not get rain or cold weather. If I wash and brighten again, though, I would be cutting it close (30% chance of rain the day after I’d be staining, and sub-freezing temps overnight 36 hours later). Should I wash and brighten again?
You have to rewash and brighten again since it has been since Summer when it was prepped.
Hi , I live in Toledo Ohio with winter approaching . I have a big deck , 3 levels, I installed new cedar decking on the lower level in May-June. I installed most of the cedar decking on the 2nd main deck at the end of August . I am doing the rest of the cedar on the 2nd and the remaining deck this week. I plan on using your TWP 100 cedartone. The first decking installed has gotten dirty and weathered some. Is it ok to wait until April of 2017 , clean and brighten the deck and then apply The TWP 100 Cedartone. ?
Yes, you can wait to Spring 2017. the TWP 100 Series is not allowed in Ohio. You will need the TWP 1500 Series.
Hi! We built a new cedar fence and a pressure treated deck during the last week of May so they have had almost 5 months to dry. We live in the northern part of the Mid-West and have very cold winters, usually coupled with a lot of lake effect snow every year. Have we waited long enough to stain / seal? Or would you suggest waiting until after winter to stain / seal?
Thank you!
You have waited long enough but with the cold weather coming, you could just wait until spring to prep and stain at this point.
I just built a new deck in the Atlanta region in mid Sept – deck itself is PTP, but railings benches and planter boxes are cedar.
I’m planning to use 1520 pecan for all surfaces, and understand that the PTP wood needs to weather for at least 4 months and will be done in the spring with a PTP fence that I’m having installed befor winter hits – after a cleaning and brightening all with Gemini RAD.
#1. However, i wonder if it would make sense to stain and protect the cedar (railings, benches, planters) before winter, as I’ve read that cedar does not have the same drying period as PTP.
#2. If this is the best route, would I still need to clean and brighten with the Gemini RAD kit, or would it be best to get that moving asap? Cedar appears to be graying faster than PTP
#3. I’m thinking about using 50-50 1501 cedar tone / 1520 pecan on the PTP only to pull the cedar’s natural reddish wood color together more with the PTP. Any suggestion out there on this?
Thanks!
1. Yes, you need to wait until Spring with cedar wood. 3. I would suggest getting some samples from the site to test any mixtures.
Thank you!
We just installed kiln-dried tongue and groove red cedar horizontally under a covered porch as our siding. This area doesn’t get much sun and is protected well from other elements. We wanted to know if we need to let this wood weather before apply your stain and if so how long? We are aware we need to clean and brighten before apply a stain. We are located in central Minnesota and since winter is fast approaching we don’t know if we should wait till spring or can we go ahead and stain.
It would be best to wait until Spring. Prep first with the Gemini Restore Kit.
I am preparing to clean and brighten my deck this weekend, however it will be next weekend before I can apply the stain. Will waiting 1 week after clean be ok?
Thanks
Yes this is okay.
Deck is all prepped, a few of the floor boards appear to be a bit “fuzzy”; some of the wood fibers appear to loose. I rinsed super well after neutralizing. Rails and styles look great. If I start staining after 48 hrs drying, do I have to do it all at once or can I break it up over a few days?
Best to stain all at once.
Is there a current stain on the older wood? If so, what brand and type of stain is it?
The railing was stained 18 yrs ago with Behr Plus 10 Deck & Siding semi-transparent oil base stain. Unlike the current formulation, this is a true penetrating stain that does not sit on the surface and will not flake. It has held up well on the vertical surfaces. A small portion of the deck was also stained with this product. It has mostly worn off with very little color left after power washing last Fall. The other decks and covered porch have never been stained.
Strip and pressure wash the deck. Lightly sand with a floor buffing machine all wood after the sanding. These are sanding pads on a stand up orbital buffer. Apply wood brighten and rinse well. Your new wood will be slightly lighter in color and may need a touch up next year. In two years when you redo all, the newer and older wood will blend much better.
I am confused. Please clarify.
1) “Strip and pressure wash the deck.” Does this include wood that has never been stained? Except for the railings, 90% of the wood has never been stained. Use the RAD cleaner instead on unstained wood? Am planning to strip or clean & pressure wash all surfaces including the railing using RAD products.
2) “Lightly sand with a floor buffing machine all wood after the sanding.” Are you saying it has to be sanded twice? What does lightly mean? The grit used or the amount of sanding or both?
3) Please address my question in the first post about preparing the new apron wood for stain. Without weathering, will it be adequate to clean, power wash, sand, brighten & rinse in order to remove the mill glaze? Or should I wait until next year to stain the new apron?
1. Strip where there is old stain, cleaner where there is not. Brighten all after.
2. Only need to sand once. No heavy sanding machines. These are soft sanding pads being used with a buffing machine,
3. Go ahead and do the apron now.
We power washed, used the cleaning and brightening kit and sanded a 10×60 ft dock. We started staining with TWP 100 and due to the age and wear on the dock we had intended to do 2 wet on wet coats. When it became apparent we were going to run out of stain, we went to a single coat for about half of the dock. Can we now order more and do a second coat on the half that only has one coat? How long do we have to wait if doing a second dry coat?
Thanks Jim
Best to not do a second coat to newly cured stain. Wait until Spring and light wash for the prep first.
Denver, Colorado. New 576 sf Redwood deck. So high altitude, lots of sun and winter coming. Is the advice the same as below. Let it go the winter. Then Gemini and 100 series in the spring? Thanks for your advice
Yes that is correct.
I live in Ohio, got new deck build 2 weeks ago Should I Stain my Deck before winter or after? Is it ok to have snow on unstained wood?
I want stain to look good for longer period of time, which TWP series do you recommend ?
Only the 1500 is allowed in Ohio. You should wait until Spring. Snow will not harm it.
It is too early to stain with TWP. As article states, wait a minimum of 4 months and prep first. Wetting it down does not matter or help. Cracking in exterior decking is normal and not of a concern.
when selecting a stain color do you receive more wood protection with the darker colors than lighter ones?
Yes that is correct.
Hi guys , have new 5/4 x 6 pressure treated pine for decking , it’s bin installed now for 4 months with great afternoon sun . Can I use twp perservitive now or should I wait some more ? The wood is just starting to fade and gray
Thanks for any advice Jeff
You should be okay. Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit and only apply one coat this year.
Having a new cedar deck installed this month in Wisconsin. Do you suggest holding off until after winter to apply any sort of stain/sealer?
You do need to wait 4-12 months and prep first, so yes, Spring would be best.
Hello, I’m having a new 14’x12′ cedar deck built near the end of this coming September. I live in Minnesota. I’ve decided after reading your article that I’ll be waiting to prep & stain until late spring 2017. It can freeze on October 1st & sometimes earlier here.. My question for you is, should I be removing snow from all horizontal surfaces during the winter?
No need to remove the snow during the Winter.
Hello, just finished a dock/deck repair using new ECOLIFE II Stabilized Weather-Resistant wood EL2 0.019 pcf dated 2016. About 700 sq ft horizontal plus railings/posts. My contractor says I can stain immediately. I want to use TWP 100. Should I proceed now as per contractor recommendation, or wait 1 month, or 3-4 months for more drying/weathering? Thank You!
While that wood type has an internal stabilizer, the exposed wood still needs to weather and be prepped before staining. Best to wait as our article suggests.
We have an old deck that has been professionally power washed. We live in the Pacific NW….lots of rain and grey days. Which product should I use……the 100 series or the 1500 series?
Use the 100 Series.
Do you recommend sanding a new deck before application. I have read that this is not necessary and there will be a better result if you do not sand the wood. Also, the temps have been in the 90s. Is this too hot to stain?
No need to sand.
Thank you. We have applied one coat of the Cape Cod grey. How long before you recommend a second coat?
18-24 months. Clean first.
I have cedar shutters made and was told the wood is kiln dried. They order the wood in bulk and it sat indoors for about a month. Once made, which the middle of shutters is cedar plank oard and frames are 2x4s, the shutters are sanded down. I have since had them in my basement for about 6 weeks. Not outside. So wood been sittin roughly 2 1/2 to 3 months. I was told by one person to just wet them down and let dry and do this process 3 to 4 times and then once fully dry ready to stain with twp. But spoke to SW rep and he said the wood still has tannens in it so will need to prep first with cleaner to residue from sanding off and help pull tannen out. I live in omaha nebraska but am surrounded by 100+ year old old oat trees so I am in mostly shade and gets humid and moss issues on pavers and in grass too. So I’m confused on what is right thing to do. Am I good to start staining now or need to wait. Is just doing the water and let dry process above good enough or do I need to do the prep claner and/or brighter and not to this wetting down a few times process. Also I read use 100 stain for newer wood but can I use 1500 if like color better. I was told to use 500 2 years ago when dI’d enclosed porch but it was pressure treated and sat for 9 months. I’d like to get shutters stained and installed by fall. Hen read on your site if kiln dried ready to stain right away with no prep. Ant direction and reasoning would be great. Thank you. Mandy
Let wood sit exposed for a month and then prep with he Gemini Restore Kit. Use eithere the 100 or 1500 series.
When you say sit exposed, does it have to be on sun or outdoors? Problem is they are not attached yet so the winds could blow them over and possibly damage them or worry about theft although in safe area but also with all these trees there is little sun and then the down side to that as well is them getting dirty and banged up from falling branches and all the other stuff that falls from them. Before they were made, the wood sat in a barn where there wood shop is for at least month to month and half, does that count for enough exposure. Been in unfinished basement for last 6 weeks. Also I have wet them and let dry 3 times. Do I stop this process? Did this cause them to have more moisture content although it’s been in mid 90s for weeks here and with our humidity factor it’s horrible. Thanks so much for assistance.
Yes it should be built and sitting outside for a month fully exposed. Not indoors.
Newly installed cedar fence (rough cut). Been out in the Oklahoma elements for about a month & a half now. Looking at staining with TWP 1500. Wood still looks really good with no greying. Just want to confirm that no prep or sanding is required. Based on the article, that seems to be the consensus but I’ve read in other reviews where sanding is still recommended to prevent blotchy finish. Thanks!
No prep is needed for new rough cut wood as long as it is clean and dry.
Refinishing an old cedar deck. Stripped paint, replaced a few boards, sanded everything to look like new and was ready for staining. Or so I thought. Do I wait to let all the boards weather together? I understand that the new boards have to wait 4-12 months before staining with TWP 100, but do I stain the older boards now? Will that create a color tone mismatch once the new boards are eventually stained. Looking to protect the deck during the very wet winter here in Northwest Oregon.
We would suggest to wait until Fall and clean and brighten the wood for the prep. The new boards will be lighter in color than the old boards.
You can apply to damp wood for the stripper. Apply and pressure wash off. Apply the brightener when completely done with the stripping. It should remove the mold, if that is what it is.
Hello,
I have recently installed a PT Pine wood fence, and want to use the TWP 100 to preserve the color…I’ve read conflicting information about preparation for installation. The pickets are what I mostly care about, and they are PT, rough sawn. I know dry time is necessary, but is the cleaner and pressure wash necessary before applying the 100?
Hello, as the article states, rough sawn wood can be stained right away without prep as long as it is fully dry.
I am building a new house with rough sawn cedar beveled siding and cedar shingles in the gables. Should I use TWP 200 on all that clear cedar? I bought some samples of TWP 100 and my wife like pecan. What 200 color resembles pecan 100. Will the parafin oil in the 200 make the staining frequency longer? Should I just use 100 in Michigan?
We would suggest the 100 Series for this.
Hi I have a kiln dried redwood fence that I let age for 6 months before staining with 1500. I cleaned with a restore kit as it was just starting to gray and put two coats of TWP1500 on, the second was really thin. I then back wiped the entire project and let dry. After about 2 days there were noticeable variations in the sheen. Some spots were very dull and almost look dirty and others appeared satin to semi gloss. The dull spots seem to be in the softer grain sections and I assume this is because the wood sucked up more finish. I thought maybe things would even out after some sunshine but It’s been 6 weeks and it’s still the same. Should I lightly sand the entire fence to knock the sheen off the glossier areas and recoat?
TWP is not supposed to be shiny so it was over applied there. Did you reassure wash while suing the Gemini Restore Kit? To fix it would be best to strip and start over. Very hard to spot sand and then have it all blend.
What about Kiln dried wood, can it be stained/sealed after installation? Or does it also need to sit the typical 4-12 months? Thanks
About 1 month for Kiln dried and prepped first with Gemini Restore Kit.
Hmmmm, are you sure about this? It is my understanding that KDAT wood needs to be sealed/stained right away or you kinda lose the purpose of buying dry wood in the first place.
Yes we are sure on this. When to stain is based on the stain manufacturer, not the wood manufacturer. They are mostly wrong with their suggestions.
Thanks! for clearing this up. Kdat wood folks advise on sealing cuts as you install decking and seal/stain entire deck ASAP after last fastener is installed. As kdat is considerably more expensive than box stores PT, i didn’t want to mess up on the finish!
To sum up on finishing my new Cox 5/4 x 6 durapine kdat decking
1. install decking and leave it be for a month
2. Prep with RAD cleaner/brightner
3. Apply stain
Correct?
Yes, the main reason for weathering is to help remove mill glaze from the new wood. The natural exposure and the prepping materials will help do this. Make sure to just apply one coat of the stain.
Is there a happy medium between the wood manufacturer’s instructions and the stain manufacturer’s instructions? If you clean/brighten new KDAT wood and apply a very light layer of stain within 1 week, would there be any downsides provided you wipe up any excess that couldn’t be absorbed? Would you just have to re-clean, re-brighten, and re-stain after a few months when the light layer of stain starts to wear? Or would applying the light layer within 1 week complicate or jeopardize future staining? I sure wish the wood manufacturers and the stain manufacturers would reach a consensus rather than confusing consumers with conflicting instructions.
Very impressed with this resource.
Each month this year (in Northern CA), we’ve built about 50 feet of new redwood fence (250 feet in total). We started sanding it all this week (80 grit), and after picking up some TWP 1500 samples and doing some research, realized it could be best before waiting
Despite summer sun beating on this new/untreated wood (part of the weathering process right? :), is it best to wait til say November (once the temps are back in the 60-80 range with some cloud cover) to apply the Gemini Restore A Deck Kit and stain?
Lastly, while I now realize sanding don’t help the stain penetrate, does this still impact how much stain the wood can soak in say 2 to 5+ years from now?
Much appreciated,
Chris
Is the wood rough cut or smooth? If smooth you should wait and prep first. If rough you can stain now.
Thanks for the quick response, just called the lumber yard and confirmed its rough cut. So no sections 1-5 months old would need the Gemini Restore Kit, just jump straight to staining once its dry?
Yes that is correct.
We live in northern Michigan and have a cedar deck which is about 30 months old. We are having it stripped, cleaned, and then re-stained. We are close to Lake Michigan and get medium sun in the summer and heavy snow in the winter. Which should we use – TWP 100 or TWP 1500 series?
Use the TWP 100 Series.