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Last Updated on April 11, 2022 by TWP Help
TWP with Wet on Wet Application Tips
TWP Stains are to be applied “Wet on Wet” when the wood is absorbent enough to handle more than 1 coat of the stain. This is typically for wood and decking that is older than 12 months and has been exposed to the elements. Applying the TWP “wet on wet” is similar to applying 1.5 coats of stain. The second coat covers twice as much square footage as the first coat.
Applying TWP “wet on wet” is very easy and not complicated once you understand the simple steps.
How To Apply TWP Wood Stains “Wet On Wet” to a Deck:
- Apply the TWP to the verticals first. This would include the railings, benches, and any vertical walls.
- Lightly apply one coat of stain to the horizontal flooring. Apply to the entire floor surface. If your deck has multiple levels, do one level at a time before moving to the next level.
- Wearing shoes that are disposable, walk back onto the “wet” stain and reapply another coat to the “tops” of and railings, walls, and benches. You may walk on your first coat of stain 10 minutes after finishing.
- Apply your second coat of stain to the horizontal flooring. Take care to not step in or leave footprints in your second coat!
- Finish stairs last, repeating the above steps.
TWP Staining Tips
- Do not apply 2 coats of stain to new wood or decking or to recently sanded wood that was sanded finer than 60-80 grit as the TWP stain may not be able to fully absorb into the wood.
- In most cases, a second coat only needs to be applied to horizontals as the verticals will last twice as long.
- Apply your second coat of stain within 10-60 minutes of the first coat.
- Watching for puddling on the floor. This usually happens under railings and benches.
- Wear shoes and clothes that are disposable. Do not wear shoes that have black soft rubber soles. The TWP can “soften” these soles, leaving black residue marks on your deck if you step in the stain.
- TWP Wood Stains can be applied with a stain pad, brush, roller, or sprayer.
If You Need any Help, Please Ask Below!
Our deck is 2 years old. We just applied TWP to it and it looks great, however, I would like to apply more to the decking only (not the rails etc. they look good). Can I do this now or wait another year?
I want to stain or finish the interior walls of a horse barn to prevent graying and protect the wood from sun, water, etc. The wood is mostly pine with some oak. It is brand new right now. Am I correct in understanding that you suggest waiting several months before doing anything at all to it?
I applied TWP100 to my deck (Redwood). I did it in 5 board sections due to the size of the deck and the time that I had available. It is a 20 year old deck. I stripped, cleaned, & brightened. I applied two coats wet-on-wet. But now looking at it in good day lighting, some of the sections look much lighter. It’s been 3 days since I’ve applied. Can I apply more stain to these sections now to make them darker?
The last 1/2″ of the label on my 5 gallon bucket is missing, so I can’t make out all the instructions. Is there anyplace on your site that you have the exact same wording from the bucket? Seems it should be on here somewhere.
We live in Northern VA and just built a PT wood deck in July. Should we really wait almost a full year before we apply TWP stain? Wont the wood become warped and start to deteriorate rapidly? Could we put a transparent sealer on for now and apply TWP stain next summer?
We hired a guy to clean and apply TWP stain on our 20-year-old cedar deck. Always in the past with other stains, we have used two coats. He said he would put one on and then come back in a couple of days to see if it needed another one. I really feel it needs a second coat on the top of the railings and the floor. It’s been 4 days, he’s supposed to come tomorrow. Now I’m reading your website, because he didn’t leave me any extra stain so I can read the container, and I’m wondering if he could even apply a second coat now since you recommend a wet on wet application. He also will be charging me for the second coat. Can it be applied now? It has rained for two days and has been dry for two days. Please answer asap please.
I have applied twp531 on a deck 2×6 treated wood and has been drying 3 full days still blistery and wet under blisters, after 3 days of high 80 low 9os second treatment deck 12 months old and prewashed with cleaner and dried for 5 days, I have seen improvement up until today and now am scarred I have a mess, what to do leave it drying a few more days or other remedies I can take now before things get worse?
I did forget to mention that I live in Minnesota so the deck was covered in snow for 4 months. Still 2 light coats?
We built a pressure treated deck in October 2012. We have cleaned & brightened it. Is there a way to tell if the deck will absorb two coats or one? Also I see the drying time in between rain & stain is 48 hours. Our deck is in full sun, can we cut down our dry time?
We applied 1500 to our deck yesterday afternoon with no threat of rain; woke up this morning and it is raining and looks like it started during the evening. I’m sure the deck wasn’t dry. What to do once it stops raining?
I am in NC, so can use your 100 product. Given that, do you recommend the 100 or 1500 stain? I am in a house approaching 1 year old and this would be for the cedar columns on my front porch. And BTW, is it normal for the posts to split? I have like 1/4″ openings on two pillars. Thanks! Mark
I have unopened 1 gal pale, 1 yr old, that has been exposed to freezing temps (10 deg, f). Do you think that it is ok?
We have a large covered cedar porch which we recently had sanded down to original surface. We hired an individual to apply 1500 cedar tone. He applied one coat and stopped due to threat of rain. While we were out of town, he came back 2 days later and applied 2 more coats wet on wet. I believe he put too much stain down. We have stayed off the surface, and it has been over a week and the surface is still somewhat sticky. In the last few days it looks as though much of the stain in large sections is rising up into a flaky dull looking haze. Will the surface eventually dry out? Is there something we can do to remove the hazy sections to correct this situation without having to re-sand and start over?
if i use the 1500 twp product on a front door how long do i have to wait before i can rehang it.
i refinished a door with polyurethane and rubbed vaseline on the door jam to keep it from sticking; would this work with your product?
hi, i powerwashed my deck a few months ago to rid any hideous lack of maintenance/coat of whatever it was from previous owner. since the warm weather i bleach-water spritzed it, let it sit for 20 minutes then hosed it off. i just sanded it (dry) with 80 grit. i was hoping to just apply twp. i doubt i need to clean it again or do any more prep? deck from ’86 and probably not maintained and pretty dry. shade-sun mix
I hired someone to stain my deck with TWP while I was out of town. He barely covered it with one coat. Yesterday he came to put on a second coat a day after it rained. Now that I have read your site I see that this is not recommended. Today the deck is still wet. Will the stain dry eventually or will I need to remove the new stain that is not drying?
Hi I stripped and brightened my deck last weekend. Due to time restraints and weather I am going to have about two weeks between cleaning and staining. Will this hurt the quality of the project at all?
I applied two coats to my deck wet on wet but did run out of stain for part of it. I want to order more stain for the part of the deck that only got one stain but it’s been a week. Wasn’t sure if the second coat would take as well now that it won’t be applied wet on wet.
It will not take very well after the stain has cured a week. Better to wait until next Spring to to it.
I’ll be staining a solid wood screening panel 96 feet long by 8 feet high. The wood is 10 years old. I used RAD products to strip and brighten it in prep for staining. Imwas planning to apply 2 coats of stain, but just read verticals only require one coat. How will I be able to tell if one coat is sufficient.
Depends on how porous and dried out the wood is. Probably could do two light coats applied wet on wet.
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
The dark spots around the nails means your nails are rusting and are not treated nails or lost their effectiveness. We would suggest to brighten again to remove the rust.
I keep responding to this but don’t see it after I refresh the page. If I brighten this again, I suspect that I would have to wait 48 hours again then have another 24 hours of dry after staining? what is the down-side to not re-brightening/
Yes on the wait. Probably will not turn out as well if you do not brighten.
Well, I had enough left to re-brighten. Now I’m asking for prayers to mother nature on the drying time! There’s got to be a better way!!!!
Minnesota does not leave us with enough “windows” of opportunity!
Why does it say to not do 2 coats on a new wood deck? I have a douglas fir deck at my cabin I’m staining with TWP 1500. I was going to do a wet-on-wet, until I read this. Why should I not?
New wood is not very absorbent. Applying too much of the TWP stain on new wood will result in the inability to soak into the wood grain. This will create curing issues and potential for premature failure.
Yes, you need wood to dry after prepping for 48 hours. It can take a rain within 24 hours after application of the stain.
new deck built last year with pressure treated pine. Waited 1 year then cleaned and applied 1 coat TWP100. When can I do a second coat to better blend the coverage? Live in Tennessee and applied the 1st coat in April.
Late summer or Early Fall. Light wash to remove dirt only.
Me too! TN, pine, waited a year, used TWP 100! I just applied 1 coat to the deck yesterday (looks great today!). it absorbed really and well and the color is pretty even. Today I see a few areas that appear to need more stain. Should spot stain those areas (carful not to let puddle), or wait until the end of summer early fall as indicated above? Thank you!
Leave alone for now and do not spot stain. Best to lightly recoat the entire floor next Spring after a mild cleaning.
I am doing teak handrails and mill posts. Where the elements got to it we cleaned it up all the way. Where the elements did not get to it we de glossed. Is there anything special I need to know
You will have to remove all previous coatings fully to use the TWP. As long as that is done and it is clean, you are ready to apply.
The instructions indicate to remove excess liquid 30-60 minutes after the 2nd coat by using a brush, dry roller, applicator pad or dry cloth. How much of the liquid needs removed? Wiping with a dry cloth will remove more liquid than a brush. Is the intent to remove “all” the liquid util the surface is dry or just to remove any standing “puddles” which will take forever to dry? Also, if you step in the final coat can you just wipe/brush out the footprint?
Only wipe off excess if needed. Use a rag. Saturate any oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside. Remove only the stain that has not absorbed after 60 minutes. You do not want the stain to be over applied to the point that it dries shiny,
Lightly clean with soapy water and rinse.
Hello. I have a 22 x 20 pressure treated pine deck installed late last fall and allowed to cure/season after Sanded with 60 grit at edges and seams after routing end boards with roundover bit. Fished applying 2 gals twp100 to horizontal deck last night after deck cleaning and brightening 30 hours prior. No rain between prep and staining. Looks great! Didnt have enough to do wet on wet 2 coats (thought 2 gals was enuf). Rain forecasted for tomorrow (18-24 hours after applying). Some shiiny spots where hit with 2nd coat wet on wet. Should i hope/plan to apply an 2nd coat? If so how long should i wait and what should procedure be? Thank you so much. P.s. This is a great forum that provided lots of helpful info before and after purchase.
Hi Bob, it would be best to leave alone and not apply another coat now. You can always lightly clean and apply this coat in late Fall or early Spring if needed.
Lightly clean = ?
1. sweep and rinse
Or
2. Sweep, clean with water and mild detergent and rinse
Or
3. Sweep and ligt cleaning with other cleaning product?
If #2 or #3 what is recommended product to use?
Thanks!
Hi, I would like to know the answer to this as well please! 🙂
Use warm warm and dish soap. Scrub lightly with a car wash brush. You just want to remove the dirt.
We live in the very southwest corner of VA, and are ordering the TWP 100 stain for the deck that has been sanded. I followed the wet-on-wet application instructions, but am not clear on how long it will take to fully dry before furniture can be put back out. We have rain in the forecast, off and on, so am trying to figure out the best time to apply. Assuming dry conditions, how long should it take? Thanks!
Anywhere from 4-12 hours is normal for a rain. 24+ for furniture.
We started staining our deck yesterday with TWP100 (rustic). This morning I noticed that one portion of the railing “stringer” looks lighter. It was getting dark and we may not have hit this spot as well as needed.
Can we re-coat this portion? If yes, how long should we wait before trying?
Or does this entire stringer need to be sanded over again?
Please see attached picture.
Just try to touch up the board only. Make sure to stain the entire board and not “spot” stain the light area.
I just had my new redwood deck stained 5 days ago, and unfortunately it started sprinkling 4 days ago, and rained for the past 2 days. The vertical railings seem fine, but the deck stain on horizontal boards is uneven. It is a new deck that aged 6 months. What is the best solution to fix this problem? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Wait until the rain dries off the deck to see how it looks. If unaffected then leave alone. Other options are to leave as is and reapply a light coat next year or strip it off and start over.
Use a stain pad for all areas is best. If you use a pump sprayer then you would only use it for the first coat on the horizontals. All final coats should be applied with a stain pad or brush.
When applying a second ‘wet’ coat after 30-60 minutes, can I walk on the existing wet boards? Meaning, if I have a 20 foot wide deck, do I need to apply the first coat to a few boards at a time, wait 30 minutes and then apply the second wet coat to those few boards, and then proceed on to the next few boards (so I never walk on wet boards)? Or, can I walk on ‘wet’ boards, allowing me to do the first coat on the entire deck at one time and then immediately apply the second coat to the entire deck?
Apply to all the wood then walk back on while wet and apply again taking care to not step in the second coating.
2 Years is normal for a horizontal deck sruface. Maybe 3 years.
I applied 1 coat of TWP 1500 to an old pressure treated pine deck 10 days ago. The deck had been stripped and prepped prior to application of 1st coat. I only had time to apply 2nd coat prior to going on vacation. Can I now apply a second coat to horizontal
surface?
That may not work now that the deck has cured for 10 days. If you over apply, it can dry “shiny”. It would be better to leave alone until next Spring and reapply a light coat then.
In North Carolina and have a small deck with
pressure treated step treads and white cedar hand rails. This deck has a
southern exposure with about 7 hours of direct sunlight during the summer
months. It has not been stained or protected in any way for nine years and the
step treads are cracked, rough and looking like they will split and break off
any day now. Thinking about replacing step treads with composite material
(Trex, Hardie, Style Selections, Azek, etc.) and replacing the hand rails with
more white cedar. Problem is color matching. Do you know which manufacturer of
composite decking most closely matches your colors? Also, do you have a
recommendation for any particular brand of composite decking?
Sorry but no idea as to what composite wood colors would match the TWP colors. Best to get some samples of the TWP colors to test from our site.
Twp100 series wet on wet- the recommended wait period between coats is 30 -60 minutes. Can the second coat be applied on the next day after the first coat has dried? Why such a short waiting period recommended between coats? Thanks.
No that would make a wet on dry coat. Needs to be done the same day and within the suggested time frame for it to be properly applied.
Which product will perform better for me, the 100 or the 1500? I’ll be applying to new red cedar and 2 year old pressure treated pine. I’m in Minnesota. Also, can I use a Wagner power sprayer to apply? Thanks!
Use the 100 Series. You can spray it on. Please read this about new wood: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Either the crack and groove or a brush will work. Does not matter if you do the cracks first. Just make sure the floors are evenly covered and applied.
Should I still apply 2 coats wet on wet for a sanded deck (had to sand to remove Behr semi-trans that wouldn’t strip.
Only if the first coat soaks in right away.
We will be applying TWP 101 cedar tone to an older homes siding. The home is cedar and has areas of staining that need to be removed. We have power washed and test treated an area, we used Revive fro S.W. and it seems to have removed the water staining with minimal raising of the grain.
We plan on wet on wet coats running the entire length of the board to help prevent lap marks. Our air temps will be in the low 90’s with high humidity…..see any issues? Thanks
No you should be good with the application. Just make sure to keep a wet edge.
Just one coat since only 8 months old. Prep first with Gemini Restore Kit.
You would need to clean and brighten with the Gemini Restore Kit.
We have had non stop rain for three weeks. This week will be dry with a chance of rain for the weekend. If I stain my deck at the end of the week and it rains a day or two later, will that hurt it? I am going to use TWP 100 in clear.
You will be fine. Thanks!
Thank you!
Also, if I have left over, how long is it good for?
Please read this:
http://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
Thanks!
i just had a new cedar deck installed last month. i have read so much that i am confused.#1 how long should i wait to stain. #2 which stain is best -St Louis Mo extremes cold and hot – south facing deck lots of sun.#3 wet on wet – when i stain – 2 coats or not?
Thanks Mike
This will answers your questions: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Use the 100 series.
You can use the crack and grove tool we sell on our site. It helps and is fast.
What is the recommended application method for TWP1500? I know you can use a stain pad, brush or sprayer, but which one would produce the best finish? Of course sprayer would be the quickest, but how would the application compare to a pad or brush? Trying to decide if the time required for pad/brush compared to using my sprayer would end up in a significantly better finish.
You can spray but you will need to back pad or brush to ensure an even coverage and appearance. We like stain pads the best.
I am reading all of this and looking for the way to dispose of the rags brushes and things used and how to store the left over stain? Please avise? I o nto want a fire!!!
Saturate all rags, cloth, tarps, brushes, etc with water when done and lay flat to dry in the sun. Once dry then can be thrown away. Leftover stain can be stored in a 100% closed container in temps of 45-90 degrees.
Just had a painter apply stain to my 7 month old decks and 2 days later it’s still very sticky. Is this normal and if so how long until it’s not sticky? The temps were in the mid 50’s and some low 60’s and no rain for about 36 hrs prior. The temps are now in the mid 30’s for a few days.
Drying depends on how it was prepped, amount of coats applied, temperatures, etc. It is hard to ay what the issue without knowing the first two. Temps though can have a huge impact in curing. In your temps now, it could take many days to fully cure and not be sticky.
On the temperature recommendations… (100 series) Right now, temps range from low 40’s to low 70’s. How long does it need to be above 50 pre and post application?
50’s are fine. Just do not let it drop in the 30’s for 24 hours after. Does not matter prior.
I’ve sanded and prepped a cedar deck (Rad). I have twp101 waiting in the wings (between rain showers). Temperatures have been ranging between 58 and 42. Still fairly warm in Eastern Washington.
Can I still stain? There’s a window of about 5 days coming up. How long will it take for the stain to set? Or should I just until next spring? I don’t want a mess on my hands.
Thanks for your help.
You can stain as long as it is dry and above 45. Do not let it freeze overnight of the same day as staining and full cure could take a few days in these temperatures.