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.
- 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.
- TWP Wood Stains can be applied with a stain pad, brush, roller, or sprayer.
If You Need any Help, Please Ask Below!
Wow. Just watched the news and now rain is a definite for Sunday around noon till evening. If I finish staining Saturday afternoon, is that enough time before rain? Also, it will be 2 weeks on Monday since I finished prep, hence why I am trying to get the stain down this weekend. So in a nutshell, last raindrop was Wednesday around 8pm and next raindrop is forcasted for Sunday noon. What should I do? HELLLPPPPP
You need about 12-24 hours after staining before the rain. You should be fine to stain if you get this done on Saturday am.
I’ve got 2 quick questions. Today is Friday. It rained heavily Wednesday and stop training around 8 p.m. that night. I finally have a decent opportunity to get my stain down before the next rain which is possibly Sunday but definitely Monday. I thought I was going to be okay to go with a dry deck tonight Friday but I just noticed that where the deck meets the pool skimmer, the skimmer had been overflowing with water from the recent rain and left a couple of boards wet that I just noticed now. And it would be chlorinated water. I… Read more »
You will need 48 hours for drying after any rain or prep. Dropping below 40 at night is okay but it cannot drop below freezing.
I read elsewhere that the minimum temp was 50F (for the 1500 series). Does that mean 50F at the time of application, or for a number of hours afterward? If I apply when it’s above that (i.e. during the day), but then it dips below overnight, is that a problem?
It can drop below but not below freezing.
Is TWP 100 better than the TWP 1500 or will it last longer?
No, they last about the same.
which grade is better for new pressure treated posts that will be in the water? new meaning aged for a few months in the sun but not previously stained or painted.
TWP will not work for wood that is submerged in water. No stain will.
thanks…. have things changed in 20 years? when the dock was built > 20 years ago it was stained with an oil based product and the lumber and posts that are in the water still have the same dark color… the parts in the water haven’t rotted or anything, but above the water is another story. any suggestions?
No, nothing has changed. What you are seeing is not stained areas in the water, just the wood discoloration from being in the water. No stain will work for submerged water. It will come off no matter what within weeks or months.
ok, thanks.
Any opinion on brush or staining pad for best results on smooth, knot free pine?
https://www.twpstain.com/wood-and-deck-stains/application-tools/brushes-stain-pads
I assume then that all application methods give equal results on all wood surfaces.
No. Pads are the best, then brushes. We do not like rollers.
Perfect. That is what I thought too. Thank you
Is it possible to get California Redwood in your 100 series?
Sorry but no.
Do you need to apply a sealant after the stain dries?
No, you cannot apply a sealer over the TWP stain.
How long does it take for 116 Rustic Oak to dry and not worry about rain?
About 12-24 hours.
I have applied twp 1500 following all prep and applications. Weather was 65 to 70 all week but the boards feel tacky to the touch. There was no puddling . Help what now.
It will dry and cure. Give it more time.
Is it ok to stain your deck before winter or should I wait in the summer
You can do it now.
We are having our house and decks (one with brick pad) power washed and stained next month. They say they will do it in 1 day. Will the decks be dry enough to stain? Shouldn’t they let them dry?
After prepping, the wood needs to dry for 48 hours before applying the TWP.
Hi there. We stripped, power washed, brightened and sanded our deck 6 weeks ago. Then we went thru a hot and humid time followed by distractions. Bottom line, we are looking to start staining with TWP 1500 which we also purchased at that time. Will the wood still accept the stain without further prep? If not, what prep would you recommend? Is another power washing enough?
Light reclean and then brighten the wood again. 6 weeks is too long between prep and stain.
Similar situation here but only one week between prep and stain (100). Do I need to brighten again or just power wash?
No need. Only if longer than 2 weeks.
Hi,
I replaced numerous deck boards on one section of my deck the first week of October last year.
I intend to just power wash those boards but will use a stripper on the older boards (17 years old with several coats of semi transparent stain) Once dry I will be doing wet on wet application of TWP101 cedartone for the old boards … but should I use this method for the 11 month old boards? If wet on wet is not recommended for the newer boards when (if at all) should I apply a second coat?
Thanks!
Make sure to brighten the wood as well. You can go ahead and do the two coats to all wood.
I dont know which stain to use for my deck? 100, 1500, ?? I cant find where the website states what to use. Very large deck that is 10 years old and has not been maintained to well. Will power wash or sand then use your deck restore and brightner. Which stain?
It depends on where you leave as it is a VOC state issue?
I live in Michigan so the 100 is fine correct?
That is correct.
Had contractor apply stain: stain is still wet after two hot days. This was new cedar and they may have applied two coats, but is not penetrating. What do we do now?
You cannot stain new wood right away and only 1 coat. See this for tips: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
If it does not dry in a few more days you probably will need to strip it down and start over. Give it some time and hopefully, it dries.
I have a 20 year old deck made out of “sunwood”, which I think is a treated pine. I stained it several times over the years, but it was pretty beat up. Last fall I replaced several boards with regular pine. Then I used BEHR Deckover which started peeling off all the old wood (but not the new wood)by spring. Now, I want to use TWP stain. What do I need to do to prep? Thank you
You will need to remove the Deckover and that will require heavy power sanding.
Just wanted to post a couple pics of my 35-year old deck using TWP115 Honeytone. Thanks for your advice on spotty/shiny. Wet-on-wet, no brighteners, just good powerwash. Very nice.
I stained my deck with 100 last August and can see areas that need more stain this year. Can I apply more stain on top of whats already done?
Yes but make sure to clean the wood first.
We are in the process of doing our L-shaped cedar porch. It has been stripped, sanded in places and brightened so we are ready to stain. We are thinking that we need to start with the ceiling but also need to put down covering on the floor to protect from drips. Do you recommend doing all the ceiling and then the walls, and then the floor?Thanks for any recommendations
Yes, in that order. Do tarp the floor.
Just finished staining my deck, wet-on-wet with TWP115 Honeytone. There are some tacky boards. It was previously stained 3 years ago with the same product. It was properly powerwashed. Can the tacky boards be lightly sanded just to get the tackiness off and not have to be re-stained? I tried mineral spirits but did not work. I read your article below, but want to know if just light sanding by itself would do the trick assuming there is plenty of stain in the fibers. Thank you.
No, you cannot sand this off. Best to leave it until it dries fully.
So are you saying that plain weathering will resolve the tackiness? I thought those areas were already dry, but just caked with oil which cannot penetrate or evaporate. I am ok with that, just didn’t think that would be the case. Some of the areas do not see any sun, some see quite a bit of sun. There are also some areas that do not get rain either, as there is an overhang over part of the deck preventing rain or snow from hitting it. I may try to very lightly sand some inconspicuous areas to remove just the upper… Read more »
It will cure eventually and not be sticky.
3 year old redwood deck that I stained last year with one coat of TWP 1503 after prep with Gemini Restore Kit. I want to put second coat on. What steps do I need to do before staining? Thanks.
Prep with the Gemini Kit again.
Use both stripper and brightened?
Cleaner and brightener.
I applied a heavy not piddly g pat of semi transparent oil stain. It has been three hours. Is it too late for the second coat.
It looks fine
Leave it as is. Do not over apply.
Hi,
I am staining a old cedar deck in Canada with TWP 200. Can you confirm that I will need to apply two coats wet on wet. The wood is quite dry. It has been sanded and I plan on using the Gemini kit to prep the deck
Thank You,
Two light coats applied wet on wet will work.
There was a few spots that we had to retouch and now it oops like it’s not drying what should we do
See this: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
Hi,
I bought a 5 gallon jug of TWP 100 14 months ago, and got lazy and didn’t apply it. I’ll likely be using it in the next few weeks. Is it still good? I’m not sure if there’s a shelf life on this stuff or if it will require some thorough mixing before I use it now.
Thanks!
It should be fine. Mix it well: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
12 TO 14 HOURS AFTER OUR SECOND COAT OUR FLOOR BOARDS ARE STILL STICKY? WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
It will dry but you can speed it up. See this: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
Hi guys! Just had a pole building constructed and had T1-11 siding put on it. I’m located near Seattle in the normally very wet Pacific Northwest. I’ve ordered 15 gallons of TWP 1500 in Dark Oak, trying to match the finish on my house as best I can. Questions are, since I have brand-new T1-11, which has a pretty rough finished surface, do I need to put one coat or two on? It seems from other responses that I only need one, but it also seems like the rough surface would really soak up the stain requiring a second coat?… Read more »
Do two light coats wet on wet. Lightly spray on the first coat and back brush in your second coat within 20-45 minutes. If rough cut, dry, and clean, you do not have to prep.
How long after application is the deck ready for use? When can we put furniture on deck after application? How long before it’s ok for rain after application?
Typically 24 hours after but that depends on on the weather and the wood. It can rain about 12 hours after.
I wanted to purchase Gemini cleaner only and was directed to the manufacturer. They said it was only sold in kits along with the brightener. I had a technical question about how long to leave the brightener on, and was referred to someone in that department. When I asked him how long to leave the brightener on, he told me that it stays on – not to be rinsed off using a hose. Just let it dry. I was confused, and said that the directions on the canister were to spray it on and hose it off. He said that… Read more »
You can actually do either. Rinse or leave on if you are using the TWP. Most rinse after 20 minutes.
Hi – I have a 30 year old pressure treated wood deck. Wen I purchased the house, the deck had a Cabot solid stain on it that eventually peeled and was a mess. The Cabot people told me that the deck should have been primed first. I told them that if a deck needed to be primed prior to staining – that they should just call their product “paint”. I tried everything to get the old stain off and finally had to actually take paint stripper to get it all off. That’s when I learned about TWP. I have since… Read more »
I plan on staining today with the 1500. The deck has been prepped and dry for 5 days so it’s in perfect condition to stain. Weather is perfect today but tomorrow forecasting a slight chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Is it safe to safe today? How long does the stain need to set before it can get wet? How long before you can walk on ? Also I have a small staircase going up from the deck which I was going to stain another day since The main horizontal decking is the majority of the project… Read more »
Yes, you can stain today. 12 hours to set, 24 hours to walk on. Should not be a mismatch on the steps if done later.
I put one coat on last evening on my deck. Seemed to soak up ok. Is ok to put second coat on 24 hours later or did I miss my opportunity? using 100 series clear Honey tone
Best to not to do this as it already started to cure. You can only do this if still very absorbent.
what are my options then. Its a covered deck, so it isn’t exposed to the elements as much, but I feel it needs second quote.
Don’t do it now. Light wash in Spring and recoat it then. More is not better.
Great! Thank you for quick response.
What type of paint brush to you advise using for the 2nd coat for a wet on wet application?
See one of these types of brushes or stain pads: https://www.twpstain.com/wood-and-deck-stains/application-tools/brushes-stain-pads
2 questions
Fence is 8 months old and not very weathered. When using the Gemini Restore Kit will I need to pressure wash or will a hose work?
Is it necessary to stain the top of the fence?
My deck was stained with TWP 100 Series Cedar Tone 2 years ago by 2 different people (husband & I) causing a mismatch tone. I don’t think the stain had been stirred frequently during his application. After the RAD steps 1 & 2, I will be ready to stain. Can I expect this mismatch to continue until I strip the whole deck?
Most likely, yes.
I’m going to opt out of stripping this year. We are the second owners of our cottage in northern Michigan. I contracted deck staining previously and in 2017 I wanted to strip everything off and start with TWP. We never maintained a wood deck before and I sure appreciate the service, knowledge and products you provide. Thank you.
I’m going to skip the strip this year. We are second owners to this home in northern Michigan. I never knew what products were applied. I stripped, cleaned, brightened, sanded, power washed between those preparations and enjoyed doing it. This is our first experience with a wood deck and I’ve learned a lot from your web page. Thank you for making a great product and very helpful information you provide. Photos from 2017.
Hi, I plan to apply 1500 series on the railings of my deck tomorrow and the day after, July 20-21, 2019 . In my town, Boston Metro area, MA, for these two days the forecast is: sunny, humidity 55%, max temp 101/102 degrees F, feels like 112/115 F, min 81/82 degrees. Is it a good idea to apply in these temperatures?
Best to not apply above 90-95.
can i use deck brightener twice on same wood and how long after i brighten the deck can i stain with twp100
Yes, you can brighten twice. Stain 48 hours after it dries.
I power washed and Brightened my deck about a month ago. Is it OK to Stain or has it been setting to long ? Do I need to powerwash again?
Prep again.
I have a 500 sq ft deck with 3 year-old, Behr Redwood Semi-transparent. Don’t know what the wood is. Deck is peeling and greying, but the railing is fine.
I am in CT. I plan to use the TWP 1500 series Redwood stain.
Questions:
1. Should I strip the railing as well to make sure the color matches the boards? (Using Restore-a-deck)
2. How do I protect the house siding from stripper and stain? Plastic sheets?
Thanks
Brij
1. Yes, you should strip. TWP cannot be applied over the Behr. As for removing, Behr can be hard and sometimes impossible to strip so sanding may be required as well. You will need to use the additives as well: https://www.twpstain.com/wood-stain-strippers/rad-stripper-additives
2. Just pre wet and rinse any overspray while you are working.
Thanks a lot.
Hi, Two follow on questions please:
1. If I expect to sand, is it better to sand before using the stripper or after? Is 80 grit sandpaper what I want – my deck is a few years old and the wood has a few cracks?
2. If I sand in addition to stripping, any more steps before I stain – or can I just blow stuff off and stain?
Thanks
Brij.
1. Sand after stripping. Brightener last.
2. Pressure rinse well, apply the brightener, rinse.
I intend to use the 100 series to preserve the exterior of an 80 year old log cabin that is long overdue for staining. Do you think that one coat would be sufficient or would two be better? Would the “wet on wet” process be necessary and, if so, how should that be done on the vertical sides of the cabin? It seems that getting the second coat on within 10-60 minutes of the first coat might be difficult’
Thanks
Yes on the 2 coats and has to be applied wet on wet. Do one side at a time. Spray on the first coat and then apply the second with a stain pad.
How soon prior to forecasted rain can I apply wet-on-wet TWP100 to well-prepared old redwood decking?
12-24 hours.
I Have a cedar deck aged 10 months. I cleaned and brightened it about 24 hours ago with deck-wise cleaner and Brightener. Is it okay to stain 24 hours after? Trying to work around the potential of rain!
No, 48 hours after prep or rain.
Okay great. If there is potential for rain in the forecast in the future after we stain, what is an appropriate amount of dry time??
Finished striping acrylic stain off a 15 year old deck, have burrs of wood from too strong of pressure washer spray, know this needs to be sanded before TWP application, what grit sandpaper should be used, is a brightener needed before staining ?
Sand with 80 grit paper and then clean and brighten for the last prep: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Had a large wraparound pressure treated pine deck installed in April 2019. It has shrunk considerably, is beginning to warp slightly at some of the ends and has developed typical small cracks. I tried a sample of 3 colors-103, 115, and 120, and none of them seemed to darken the wood very much, not even 103 which is dark oak. I assume it’s because the wood hasn’t dried enough to absorb sufficient stain, but the shrinking, cracking, and warping seem to indicate otherwise. Should I actually wait until April 2020 before putting any finish on the deck? I’d like to… Read more »
See here about new wood: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
New wood is not very absorbent so it will always stain lighter. If you did this in April, then 4 months would put you at August or September.
Thanks, will wait til fall then hit it before winter.
Hello there…I just finished applying TWP 1500 Natural to my deck. We wre able to get in in among the raindrops just fine with a couple good days of 90+ heat before it rained. Picture attached. Generally I am very pleased with th results. The deck is 25+ years old and was previously stained with a Sherwin Williams oil based product. I spent a couple of weeks belt sanding that off with VERY coars sandpaper last summer and those old board weathered over the winter. I applied the 1500 wet-on-wet as presecribed. Those old boards soaked it in pretty good… Read more »
Wait until Fall or Spring. Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit. Lightly pressure rinse off.
Thanks!!
My cedar fence is now 10 months old, and I’ve just finished with your cleaning & restoring products. As its the first application of your 100 pecan stain, should I do a wet on wet 2 coat, or just one coat and then recoat next spring?
Rough sawn wood or smooth?
Small semi rough pieces in the lattice and trim but mostly smooth. Some panels are slightly rough.
Just one coat this year.
Thanks very much… this is an awesome service!
You are welcome!
I’m in the process of sanding all my cedar decking and Douglas Fir porch prior to applying restore-a-deck cleaner and brightener and then a Weatherwood reactive oxidizing stain (Reclamation) followed by TWP-1500 in clear. I’m replacing a few rotten boards with new cedar and tested one of those by doing the RAD cleaner and brightener and then applied the Weatherwood followed by TWP-1500 a few hours later. After 24hr the TWP seems to be drying blotchy and not drying completely (See pictures). This happening on the other side of the plank that isn’t treated with Weatherwood. Is this because it’s… Read more »
You cannot use the Weatherwood prior to applying the TWP Clear. Basically, the TWP cannot be applied over a different brand of stain.
My flats are 2x cedar. Posts look to be fir. Any issues with color in this csse?
Different wood types can stain slightly different when the stain is applied.
How long after brightening can i wait to stain?
I plan on brushing but saw where spray and back brush are preferred?
If i apply in early am then temp goes over 90 in an hour or two will that affect proper drying?
Can i stain deck that is in both shade AND direct sunlight at same time?
After prep, wait 48 hours to stain and stain within 2 weeks. You can brush all. Temps are for application not later on. You can apply in the shade and direct sunlight at the same time.