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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.
Key TWP Stain Tips
- Apply TWP wet on wet only when wood is older than 12 months and absorbent enough for more than one coat.
- Start with verticals like railings and benches, then apply to horizontal flooring, finishing with stairs last.
- Apply your second coat within 10 to 60 minutes of the first coat, watching for puddling under railings and benches.
- Do not apply 2 coats to new or recently sanded wood finer than 60 to 80 grit, as TWP may not fully absorb.
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!
I applied cedar tone and am considering applying a rustic for the second coat. I did not mix to begin with, so it would be 1 coat of separate stains. What should I expect?
You cannot do this. For one, the second coat must be applied wet-on-wet. You cannot apply another coat after the first has dried and cured. Also, it will not look very good.
Best is to wait a year, prep correctly and then apply a coat of the Rustic.
I’m confused about the “disposable shoes” guidance. Can you explain in more detail?
What part are you confused about?
Does disposable mean “they’ll be completely destroyed by the stain” or just shoes i don’t care about? Also “no rubber soles”, does that mean no tennis shoes?
Shoes you don’t care about since they will get stain on them. Black rubber soles can leave marks on the deck. White soles will be fine.
Any shoe covering work in case i don’t have white sole shoes?
None we know of plus it may make is slippery.
I just finished sanding the complete redwood deck. I was going to stain 1501 tomorrow on Sunday but the weather forecast says rain on Monday afternoon. I live in 1900ft elevation nights drop to 60 below 60 degrees. Should I wait and stain after the rain?
It will be fine if it rains on Monday afternoon.
I have cedar deck that was stained 2 years ago with TWP 101. I have replaced some boards with pressured treated wood. What do I need to do with the pressure treated wood prior to staining with TWP?
See this about new wood and TWP: https://twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Very large deck 15×40 ft.
Can I apply wet in wet in sections . Ill never have it done in 60 minutes. It is all prepped , washed and sanded with 60 grit. It’s cedar 10 years old
Did you power sand all the wood? Power sanding can reduce the stain’s ability to penetrate, so just one coat should be enough. You can always add a maintenance coat in a couple of years.
Yes power saved 60 grit
Our deck is 40ft by 15ft I’m staining the deck the long way. It is washed and sanded. Boards are 10 yrs old .
It’s going to take over an hour to stain . Can one coat cover ? I’m using a brush.
Cedar Siding, New, One coat only?
Smooth wood or rough sawn cut?
Rough Sawn
You will need two coats applied wet on wet.
How long after an overapplication of TWP is applied can it still be wiped dry? Our painters applied TWP last night and left at about 6 PM. It still has a glossy sheen over the entire deck, and I fear they failed to wipe off the excess.
Try it is as soon as possibible. See tips: https://twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
If I apply two coats of 1500 Natural to my deck, do I need to wipe off excess after 30 minutes?
Remove any excess stain that does not fully soak in after 60 minutes. Saturate any oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside when done.
Can I use a partial, 1/2 can of 6 year old 1500 Natural?
No, it has gone bad.
I have a cedar deck that’s 3 years old. It was sealed with Sikken poolux cetrol. How should I prep the deck for two 1500?
The Sikkens needs to be removed fully first. Add some pics of the deck in comments for more help.
My seasoned cedar deck is ~ 400 sqft and has 3-4 coats of semi transparent stain on it. Should I use RAD paint stripper or Restore A Deck stain stripper to remove the old stain? I plan on using TWP 1501, Should I apply a wet wet 2nd coat? I have a couple new boards should I give them a 2nd coat?
Need more info. What stain brand was used prior and add pics of the current condition. Thanks
The stain is PPG Proluxe semi transparent. Some boards have 1 coat, some 2 costs and mose 3 coats.
It looks heavily over-applied, like a varnish. You would need the RAD PaintStrip to remove.
Older wood needs two coats applied wet-on-wet.
Is it best to stain railing first and then the horizontal deck afterwards?
Yes.
I had a contractor come and stain my deck with the Semi-Solid Pro Series. Unfortunately he ran out of stain before applying a second coat to most of the horizontal portions. What is the recommended method of applying a second coat after several days of drying?
You can’t apply a second coat after the first coat has cured and dried at this point with the semi-solid colors. You can (if needed) lightly wash and apply a second coat next year.
Boy oh boy do I feel like I’m in a pickle. Bottoms is much darker than the top. How do I fix this now or wait until it’s time for maintenance coat? Used 1500 dark oak.
Test apply a very light coat to one board on the lighter area. If it fully cures and dries properly within 1-2 days, go ahead and apply a light coat to the rest of the lighter area.
I want to re stain a cedar deck. The deck realy does need some light sanding what grit do I want to use? I wanted to use a 120 but its saying 80 grit max? Recently powerwashed and this is the result
60-80 grit and then clean and brighten after with the Gemini Restore Kit.
We re boarded our deck between 9-10 months but have not sanded or stained it yet. Should we just apply one coat?
Yes, see this about new wood: https://twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
I stained my deck and benches 5 years ago with TWP 100 Dark Oak. In the higher traffic areas it is much more worn than the low traffic areas. What is the process for prepping and staining something that already has TWP? I have some unopened TWP gallons from 5 years ago; they have been kept in a proper environment. Are they still good?
If uneven, it would be best to strip and brighten for prep. This way it ensures the new coating will apply evenly.
The shelf life of unopened stain is 2-3 years.
Okay. I have one piece that is worn evenly. what’s the process for that?
You have to strip and brighten all wood. Not spot strip.
I am sorry II should have elaborated. I have a deck that is unevenly worn- that would require the strip and brighten. When I do that does all the old stain need to come off?
In a different location i have bench that is just even wear and tear. does it still need to be stripped and brightened or can I just clean and reapply stain?
Yes, it all comes off. You can clean the bench or strip and brighten.
I’m getting ready to stain my 8 month old PT deck. I will use the cleaner and brightened and wait the 2 day dry time before applying the 100 series.
How long should the deck dry before it can get wet from rain? I’m trying to plan a safe timeline around the spring weather.
12-24 hours.
i had large deck resurfaced march 2025 treated pine now i need to stain want natural using 1500 series probably pecan do i do two coats or one and again next year
Since it has been a year, do two light coats. Make sure to prep correctly first with the Gemini Restore Kit to remove oxidation and mill glaze.
How long do you need to wait after sanding a pressure treated lumber deck with 100 grit to stain ? We installed a new deck 8 months ago; never stained it. We just sanded the deck 5 days ago to remove splinters and get the wood down to a smoother finish. It rained two days after sanding.
I did apply a test sample to two boards and I seems to have done fine.
You need to redo the prep. See our other response.
So we have about 2000 sq ft of decking. So what is the best way to get 2 coats without walking on the first coat? it says wait 15 -30 minutes between coats this will make it very slow…… I want to do this in one day 🙂😀
You can walk on the first coat. See step 3.
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.
Can TWP Stain be applied to a fence with a roller?
Rollers will splatter. Better to use a brush or stain pad.
Can you apply with a sprayer
Yes, but you should back brush if needed to ensure an even application if spraying.
Thank you!
Where can I find the Safety Data Sheet for your TWP1500? (Or Material Safety Data Sheet)
Attached is the 1501 Cedaertone. You can also Google search for different colors if needed.
I live in KY. My deck was built in May should I put some type of TWP sealant before winter?
You can stain in Fall or just wait until spring.
Not enough stain (1500) to finish deck. Ordered more but will be 4 days before it gets here. Have 2 days of rain. Do I have a mess or will it blend?
Not sure if it will or not, as it depends on many things. BTW, second coats, if applied, have to be wet on wet, not wet on dry.
I’m restaining cedar siding that was coated last with Twp 5+ years ago. The stain seems to be soaking into the wood in some spots but not others leaving and uneven/ wet finish on some places. Should I just give it more time to dry in? Will excess stain on the surface be glossy when it’s fully dried/cured? Thanks!
This can happen from improper prep and or over application. See here for tips: https://twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
is this a latex stain
TWP 100, 200, 300, Semi-Solids, and 1500 Series are all oil-based stains.
About 11 months ago, I had some floorboards on my deck replaced. As a result, there’s a mixture of old and new boards (see pic). I’m planning to use a semi-solid stain…hoping that will help blend the old and new boards better. Just to be clear, I should use the wet-on-wet application method for this situation – correct? Also, will adding the second coat help with blending? Thanks! (P.S. – I will also use a cleaner and brightener before applying the stain.)
The new wood will not be able to take 2 coats, so it’s best to apply one coat to all wood. You can always add a maintenance coat in the next 1-2 years or as needed.
How long after applying TWP 100 series before walking and putting furniture on.
24-36 hours.
I’m staining a cedar fence only 4 months old, that I’ve sanded using 80 grit. I would just need 1 coat? Or do I still attempt wet on wet application?
One coat.
Planned to do wet on wet but, first coat and absorbed very well with a beautiful results. Stayed very focused and removed any puddles ast I went slowly board by board. Deck looked great with little or no puddling. Stain seemed to absorb very well. At almost exactly 12 hours major downpour, deck left with large water puddles, but still looks okay. Any worries or was it on long enough?
All good!
i have applied 2 coats of TWP 1500 to my deck flooring, do i need a sealer?
No and you can never apply a sealer over the top of a deck stain. It would peel if you tried this.
Last fall (2024) I applied TWP1530 Natural to my deck. I went on great and has looked really good. I noticed recently that the part of the deck that is exposed to full sun most of the day has faded somewhat compared to the rest of the deck. What should I do to “even” out faded portion to better match the rest of the deck. Thanks!
Hello,
Please add some pics in the comments.
Left side gets much sun exposure and has faded somewhat. Right side is not much faded from less sun exposure.
Prep all floors with this kit:
https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Then apply a coat of TWP to all floors.
I restained my deck & stairs with 1500 series stain last week. Unsurprisingly, the stairs came out much lighter in tone than the deck (as they have been significantly less well maintained… they’re stairs!) Would it be appropriate to apply a second wet-on-wet coat (to the stairs only) this next week? Thanks.
It may not take since your first coat has already dried and cured. You can test spot one step to ensure it dries correctly after a few days.
You do not want to overapply the TWP.
Makes perfect sense (now that I think about it). Thanks again!
I want to thank TWP very much for working with The Sealer Store to obtain a credit for us and send out the correct stain and stripper product. We have been looking forward to using these products after we read so many recommendations for it from so many people. Additionally, our local hardware store carries TWP transparent stain and cannot get the TWP PRO Semi-solid stain 550 VOC from its supplier. Despite that and the fact that they carry a lot of other high quality brands, the salesman raved about TWP stain and we took his advice. So, again, I want to thank TWP and The Sealer Store for their help. Sheila
No problem! I wanted to mention tips for the RAD Paint Strip. It is vital to test spot first. This helps to determine dwell time and how thick to apply it.
Test Patch:
Before general use, test on a small area to determine compatibility, required dwell time, and coverage for desired results. For an estimated 5 or less coats, scrape a section of the area with a stripping tool after one hour of dwell time. If not easily down to wood after one hour, leave on longer and test again hourly. For 10 – 15 coats of paint, cover with plastic and wait 24 hours to test. For best results, cover the stripper with plastic and do not allow to dry.
I have both an airless and a pump sprayer, which is the preferred application method for a post and beam patio cover.
We are planning on using TWP 100.
We are also leaning towards the dark oak color but are concerned about it being to dark. Does multiple coats make it a darker appearance ?
Either will work well. Second coats (if needed) more or less even out the final color, not necessarily make it darker.
I plan to apply semi-solid pro stain to my treated wooden deck. The deck is 10 years old and has Behr deck paint on it that is peeling off. The location is in Maryland. I plan to use RAD stripper to remove the paint. I have a few questions before I start: 1. Will RAD stripper damage vinyl, should I cover the siding and railing? 2. Do I need to apply brightener after stripping? Do you recommend semi-transparent as opposed to semi-solid for this type of wood (treated pine)?
Which RAD stripper? Do you have pictures of the deck with the Behr?
RAD Strip Paint & Solid Stain Stripping Gel
Yes, cover or protect surrounding areas not so much from the stripper itself but all the old stain that will come off during the pressure washing.
Make sure to test spot the stripper first:
Test Patch:
Before general use, test on a small area to determine compatibility, required dwell time, and coverage for desired results. For an estimated 5 or less coats, scrape a section of the area with a stripping tool after one hour of dwell time. If not easily down to wood after one hour, leave on longer and test again hourly. For 10 – 15 coats of paint, cover with plastic and wait 24 hours to test. For best results, cover the stripper with plastic and do not allow to dry.
Do you have an estimate of how much stripper will be needed for a 12×18 deck that has 3 coats of paint, and do you recommend using any of the additives with the stripper? Finally, should I use brightener after stripping?
Coverage is 50-100 square feet per gallon. The additives are for the deck stain stripper, not the PaintStip.
Hi,
Looks like there’s been an update? We are ordering TWP Pro 100 series blue label 550 VOC oil semi-solid, as advised. Is that description still accurate? Can you please send link? We were advised to use TWP RAD Wood and Deck Stripping Gel and it appears to have disappeared from your site? I don’t understand. Thanks.
https://twpstainhelp.com/how-to-apply-twp-semi-solid-pro-series/
Can I buy locally, Traverse City, Michigan
We sell online only as a TWP Dealer. Shipping to TC only takes 1-2 days from our website!
How long after applying TWP1500 to stairs/decking do we have to wait before walking on them and before they could get wet with rain? Is 24 hours sufficient?
12 hours for rain, 24-48 hours for walking, furniture, etc. Just make sure it is fully dry.