With wood decks maintenance is vital to the structural integrity of the wood. Cleaning, prepping and staining a deck are the 3 main keys to deck care. With any deck stain, including TWP the prep work is crucial. No matter how superior the deck stain is it will not perform properly or give you the results you expect if the wood is not prepped correctly. The following is a TWP guide to prepping a deck that has never been stained or currently has TWP stain already on the wood. If you have a stain of a different brand, you will need to remove it with a stain stripper. See this for more info Switching to TWP Stains.
Cleaning the Deck
Prior to staining with TWP the deck needs to be cleaned thoroughly to allow for proper stain penetration. Use a quality wood cleaner like the oxygenated cleaner Gemini Restore-A-Deck. These types of cleaners are safer on the wood than bleach based cleaners and will effectively remove dirt, mold, mildew and grayed wood fibers. It is important to get back down to clean bare wood. Apply the wood cleaner as suggested by the label instructions. Let the cleaner dwell and soften up the pollutants before using a scrub brush or performing a light pressure washing.
If an old failing stain is present it must be removed. A wore down semi-transparent stain may clean off with an oxygenated cleaner. If the old stain is stubborn then you might have to use a wood deck stain stripper instead of a cleaner. Once the pollutants and any remnants of old stain are gone the deck should look new again.
Using a Deck Brightener
A deck brightener, also called a neutralizer is the next step after cleaning. Because the cleaners and/or strippers are caustic in nature they need to be neutralized. Apply the deck brightener immediately after cleaning and according to the directions. Then allow it to dwell for several minutes before rinsing off with water. This will lower the pH level of the wood and make the wood grain “pop”. This acidic nature of the wood surface will allow TWP stain to dive deep into the wood and result in a more professional like finish.
Dry Time
After cleaning and brightening the deck it needs to dry prior to staining. With a moisture meter you want 15% or less moisture content before applying stain. If you do not have a meter, typically 1-2 days of dry weather is adequate time for the wood to dry completely. Now the deck is ready for TWP stain. Following this TWP guide to prepping a deck will ensure the stain lasts longer, enhances the appearance and performs as expected.
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35 Comments on "The TWP Stain Guide to Prepping a Deck"
What is the difference between the two stripping products you sell? I think one is Safe Strip and the other Strip A Deck.I’m trying to remove a 7 year old semi transparent TWP stain.
Hello, the Restore A Deck Stripper is a stronger product for removing old coatings. We suggest using this.
Stripped and brightened our deck and now there are wood fuzzies all over. Do we have to sand these?
You do not have to as they tend to not show when the TWP stained is applied. If you want lightly sand, use 80 grit paper.
Back in June of this year, I prepped and stained our two year old, never been stained deck (cedar supports & trim and pressure treated decking) according to instructions given on the website. It was in the mid-90s when I stained it, and I don’t think I did the wet-on-wet application properly, as it is already showing “dry” or very light looking spots. So I’d like to re-stain to protect it over the coming winter. There is minimal mold/mildew, mostly dirt and dust. What type of prep should I do? Do I need to start from scratch with the cleaner/brightener?
Yes redo with the Gemini Restore Kit as the prep.
Looks like it was too hot and flash dried on you.
I have a pine deck that I have your 1500 cedar tone stain on and want to go back to a clear or natural look. I have pressure washed it and removed a lot of the stain. what do I need to do to prep the wood before going to a clear or natural stain? Part of the deck is covered and part of it is exposed.
Use the Restore A Deck Stripper Kit:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Lightly clean and prep with the Gemini Kit all the horizontals and stain again with the same color..
Did you use a pressure washer? That would have helped to remove the oxidation (white fuzz). Please send a picture.
I used a gutter cleaning spray tool which seems to be pretty powerful. Im finishing the ipper part using oxiclean and laundry detergent. Its working but Im having to scrub the dirt off. Will brightner help or will I need to sand?
You are not using enough “pressure” to remove all of the gray oxidation. Best to reclean and use a pressure washer. Another option is to sand or buff off. Brighten after. One other tip, most of this will not show when stained as the wood does darken.
I re-cleaned it but I dont have a power washer. I used alot of elbow grease with a brush.
Does this sound right?
1. Let dry completely
2. Sand or buff
3. Wash off and get completely wet.
4. Spray with brightner.
5. Wash off completely.
6. Wait 48 hrs and then add stain.
If I do stain without sanding, can I remove the fibers after staining if they show up? Thanks again for the help.
Steps sound correct. You cannot remove the wood fibers once stained.
Hello, My question is in regards to colour. Living in Toronto Canada I want to try the TWP 200 stain. I want a natural cedar colour and looking at your chart I am thinking of the Cedar Gold. The Cedartone seems to be more on the brown side. The stain I am replacing is the Flood UV5 Cedar. Any recommendations?
There Cedar Gold is a very popular color and a lighter tint than the Cedartone.
I followed all the steps last year and the deck looks great. I just want to do a cleaning this spring. What products & techniques do I need?
Are you reapplying another coat?
No, I just want to clean it. I used 1515 honey tone.
Try warm water with some dish soap and a soft car wash brush.
I stained my deck 2 years ago using TWP 105 Cape Cod grey.
I want to re-apply the same. What prep work do I need to do?
Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit.
Thanks. I just tried to order it and it appears it can’t be shipped to me anymore. It suggests using 1500 series but there is not a Cape Cod grey. What can I do?
I am sorry but there are not any gray colors in the 1500 Series and the 100 Series is restricted in certain stains. You could strip it down and go with a different color of the 1500. What state are you in?
I have a partially stained covered deck. Some areas, like the underside of the roof were never stained so it’s just dirty. I also replaced a number of boards last summer (from your postings, I decided to give the wood a full year to dry out).
Here’s my question – it appears to strip and restain the deck will be a 3 step process. Please tell me if I’m right:
1. Strip deck using Step 1
2. Neutralize stripped area using Step 2
3. Go over entire deck (including originally unstained areas) with “Restore-A-Deck” to clean.
No need to use the cleaner in the same areas you are stripping.
1. Strip what needs to be stripped.
2. Clean the dirty areas.
3. Brighten all when done.
Thanks. And I need to use “Gemini Restore-A-Deck” for #2 and “Restore-A-Deck Step 2” for number 3.
Yes.
A final question – I see a brightener that comes with the Restore a deck kit and a brightener that comes with the stripper package. Are these two brighteners the same?
Yes they are.
You should not use wood filler on exterior wood. It will not blend with the stain and will not properly work either. Yes, you should use the Gemini Kit after any sanding. The TWP should work on wood furniture as long as it prepped and applied correctly.