TWPStainHelp.com Tips: TWP Stain Application is Spotty/Shiny and How to Fix
Staining a deck can be a challenge. There are some common mistakes that can occur that may greatly affect the final results. One such common mistake is over applying the stain.
With TWP Stain it is recommended to apply the stain using a brush, roller, or some type of sprayer. If the wood seems very thirsty, you can apply two “wet on wet” coats. TWP is a penetrating stain so you should never apply more stain than the wood can absorb. Once the stain as had 20-40 minutes or so to penetrate into the wood, you should go back and wipe away or back brush any puddles, drips, or runs.
When excess stain (stain that did not soak in) is left on the surface to dry it becomes shiny. This can give the deck an unsightly spotty or blotchy appearance. If you notice your TWP Stain application is spotty/shiny you should know how to fix it.
Once the surface has dried you can see the extent of the spotty or shiny issue from over-applying. To fix it you can lightly wipe your deck with rags and mineral spirits to remove the excess stain that is on top of the wood.
Note: it is very important to saturate all oily rags with water once done. Lay the rags flat on the ground to dry fully.
If you are still having trouble removing the shiny spots, meaning the stain is too thick, you may have to use a stain stripper. You can also try sanding the areas using medium-grit sandpaper. Once the problem areas are cleaned or sanded off, allow the deck to dry before reapplying a light coat of TWP.
Only apply TWP to the areas you cleaned or sanded. Apply as much stain as the wood will absorb but no more. If the stain is not soaking in after 10 minutes wipe the excess away with a clean rag or brush. Try to even out the finish as best as possible without over-applying.
If you have this issue and need help. Please Ask below!
The attached is the result of a company that cleaned and stained my deck. The deck is three years old. I advised the company of my concern and was advised the result is due to not getting all the old stain off with cleaning and the deck would now need to be sanded. I’ve had many deck cleaning and staining done in the past and have never seen this result. I was never advised either of the risk of cleaning not getting the old stain off. There was a strong rain storm within 2 hours after staining. I asked about… Read more »
The rain did not harm it but there is some deeper discoloration in the wood. Does not look like an old stain but internal wood discoloration. Not sure if that would be their fault though.
Thank you for your feedback. Would sanding then and re staining turn out better do you think?
Not sure if it will come out, it seems deep in the wood grain.
We hired a company to clean and stain our deck. We’ve had this done before and always use TWP stains, but this result we have never seen before. I’m being told now after complaining to the company, that this is the result of the old stain not coming off with the cleaning and the deck will now need to be sanded. I was never advised risks of not getting all of the old stain off with cleaning. I was told there could be some “blotchy” look but that it would go away. There was a rain storm, heavy rain, within… Read more »
deck furred and twp taking unevenly. it grabs the stain darker over the furred areas. I tried lightly sanding whit 80 grit and it did not seem to help. should i have the deck sanded. the prep was stripped and brightened with Behr. I may have been too aggressive with the stripping product and the grain suffered
Yes, you would have to remove, sand, brighten, and then restain.
The brightener seemed to raise the grain. You would still have to use it after sanding? Is the Behr cleaner and brightener not a good choice? I would assume that they all do the same
You want to open up the pores so the stain can soak in after sanding. Do not use the Behr.
What product would you recommend to clean/brighten?
https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
How long after staining can you put rugs and tables back on deck? I finished last Sunday with the TWP Pro 100 Series.
You can do it now.
Hello, unfortunately my deck looks shiny after 48 hours of drying . The railing looks great because I used a paint brush. The floor looks shiny even l remove excess and the next day l used a mineral spirit to remove the shiness. I am so confused why the boards did not absorbed the stain and dried shiny. Can l leave like this or the planks will be damaged and prone to mold?
You over applied and or did not prep correctly. It will be fine though so just let it fully cure.
After it fully cures will the shiny spots go away I have the same issue with my tongue & groove ceiling ?
Yes, they should go away.
I applied TWP101 cedartone yesterday. I used wet on wet, spraying it on and brushing it in. I didn’t notice any pooling and it didn’t seem excessive. This morning I rubbed some of the boards and came away with kind of an oily residue. When I wiped it a little with a paper towel there was stain on the towel. It will be a good day of drying today, 90 degrees and windy. Should I try to wipe down the boards which seem a little “oily”. They don’t really seem shiny.
No, just let it dry out today, it should be fine.
We just paid a man $3000 to apply stain to our deck. We had new cedar flooring, rails and stair treads put on last fall. We let it age 7 mos. He came back last week to power wash it and prep it for staining. He said that it was the fault of the wood that it is spotty saying the knots soak it up faster. When we inquired about options for fixing it he said we just had to wait a year and a half for it to wear off. If he applied anymore it would just bubble up… Read more »
He is correct. Knots are a denser and will take the stain lighter there and adding more will not darken them and could lead to over-application issues. The stairs need time to cure and will even out.
So we will have a polka dotted deck til it wears off?? There are no options for fixing this? I’ve never seen this before on any decks I’ve been on. Is it common? Isn’t cedar a common deck material? I am feeling very frustrated.
It also rained really hard the night after he applied the stain. Could this have affected the stain?
Could this result have happened because it rained really hard the night after the stain was applied? If the knots take more stain than surrounding wood, why are they lighter and not darker? I’m having trouble finding any other examples of decks that look like ours.
No, and it is not the stains fault but your wood. It has a lot of knots, more so than normal.
I’m not trying to blame the stain. I’m trying to get help to figure out how to fix it and make it look nicer. Is it possible to power wash and restrain. Do I need to let the Wood age longer. I’d be fine if the knots looked darker not lighter. That is my question.
I am not sure adding another coating will work or not. You can try but it really comes down to the fact that this is the way your wood/knots are accepting the stain. I am thing the grade of the wood is not of the best quality?
Do a test board and see how it looks and dries after a day or two. If better and it dries fine, then lightly recoat all floors.
Applied TWP two days ago. Stain is dry to touch, no spotty/sticky/glossy areas, but when walking on the deck and coming indoors their is a slight oily brown residue on our feet. Does this eventually go away or is there an issue?
It will cure fully, give it some more time.
So I used the restore a deck and brighter. I used one coat TWP dark oak using a brush. This is the result. If I let this go will it be ok. It’s a little tacky. I don’t want to strip this deck again.
It will be fine.
Hi! So I over applied…. Tried wiping w mineral spirits but it kept raining and more kept coming out… Huge mess. I’ve stripped the deck twice and it looks good except several places w larger cracks have oily spots still. Do I need to keep stripping it until it’s gone or move on to the cleaner/brightener?
Also, the wood (cedar) seems so thirsty. It was neglected before I moved in. I applied w a brush. Would a roller put on less stain maybe? I don’t want to screw it up AGAIN
Post a picture of the prep so far. Apply with a stain pad, not a roller.
Ok – pad it is.
Here’s a picture of an oily board. Don’t have a dry picture and probably won’t for a few days but when dry, it isn’t shiny and tacky anymore just darker in the more open grain spots
We would need to see a dry picture.
Ok I’ll get back to you. Thanks for the quick responses!
Okay, here’s the deck dry. The dark spots are where it’s still getting a little oily when wet and actually I can rub off a little excess still in some spots.
Sorry if this is posting several times, I’m having technical difficulties!
Okay, here’s the deck dry. The dark spots are where it’s still getting a little oily when wet and actually I can rub off a little excess still in some spots.
Looks fine for prep. Use a stain pad for applying, only one coat.
Great, thank you!
I applied test patches for a few of the TWP 1500 colors I’m considering to my deck that was sanded, stripped with RAD and pressure-washed off, sanded again (60 or 80 grit), and RAD brightened. The stain didn’t seem to be absorbing well, and the colors look essentially the same. There is more color variation of the same stain on different boards than there is between different colors on the same board. The railing pic from L to R has pecan, cedartone, and natural. The floor pic top board has natural, clear, and pecan. Bottom board has natural, clear, cedartone.… Read more »
If it is not absorbing well then it is use to the sanding as that reduces stain penetration. Might want to let it sit for a month or two and then do a cleaning and brightening then. This would make the wood more porous.
Deck is about 2 years old. First staining was with honeytone twP 100 last summer. Now looking to apply second stain coat. Should I choose 100 again or go for the 1500 series? any other specific recommendations on prep or stain application?
Prep with this: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Stain with the same 100 Series.
I have some 1500 stain that has been sealed in it’s 1 gallon container for at least 5 years. Is it still good?
See this: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
I pressure washed, stripped sanded and brightened my deck, then applied TWP 100 Cedar, 2 coats. I’m almost done but (like many on here) I’m worried about the shiny spots. I’m now 20 hours out. I’ve been searching through advice, and on some posts you say to let it dry more, on others you say to strip or wipe the excess with mineral spirits, or even to strip it in a few years and try again. Would you mind posting example pics of each?
We do not have pictures to post of different variations. If after twenty hours you can wipe down any excess that has not dried or is over-applied.
We hired a contractor to restain our 5-year old deck. The contractor recommended using TWP 1500 stain and we chose “rustic” color. I know he power washed our deck 2 days before staining. I’m pretty sure he didn’t do anything else to prep it. The day after it was stained, It was shiny in spots and dull in others and that has not changed after 3 weeks. I contacted him several times in the days following the stain application regarding the look of the deck. He kept telling me it had not completely dried yet. He didn’t seem to know… Read more »
He didn’t prep correctly and over-applied. You will have to strip it all off and start over to fix this. https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
It is not possible to match new wood to older wood as the new wood is much less absorbent and therefore will be lighter in color the first time staining. In a couple of years, it will blend.
Thank you for replying so quickly and giving us a solution. We will have to find someone else to do the work, but we don’t want to rush into it. If we can’t find someone this year, will it be okay to wait till next spring?
Yes, and easier to fix it then as well.
That’s great. But I’m curious – why will it be easier to fix?
Weathering makes it easier to strip.
Is there a clear TWP sealer. After deck treatment a segment that had more exposure to sun looks different (duller) than rest of deck. Can something be done without sanding it all down
You cannot add a clear to enhance the area so it evens out. Post a picture or two.
I had a little dent on my stained table and I fixed it but than I wiped it several times and the spot I was doing came to shine how can I get rid of the shine my table is Matt finish
This website is for help related to TWP exterior wood stains. We are not experts or have any experience with indoor wood table.
I stained the deck 4 years ago. I cleaned and prepped the deck on Tuesday, stained Saturday. I had some shiny spots where the deck doesn’t get a lot of use. I used mineral spirits on them, hoping that works. Do I need do anything to the deck where I used mineral spirits? My problem is that the deck is still tacky. I’m a little over 24 hours out. I’m wondering when it will cure. When can I let my dog into the deck and when am I able to put my deck furniture back on it? I used TWP… Read more »
No need to do anything. Just wait until it fully cures and is not sticky before dog/furniture is on the deck. Could be a few days.
Thank you. It is pouring here in Michigan tonight. The deck looks good today. Water is beading up nicely on the deck, except where I used the mineral spirits. Do I need to do anything to it?
No, just leave as is.
Our deck: New wood, #2 cedar, weathered 4 months, no graying…. I saw a Youtube video that refers to a TWP product called Gemini Wood Prep to use on new wood. Is that product still available, or do you just recommend the Gemini Restore-A-Deck cleaner/brightener for all prep situations?