Rain Before or After TWP – Dry and Curing Time of TWP
Protecting your exterior wood surfaces with TWP (Total Wood Preservative) is a project that most homeowners can complete themselves. TWP will preserve the wood’s natural beauty and shield it from the harsh elements. The user-friendly formula is easy to apply and maintain but care should be taken when considering when to apply the stain. Weather can be a tricky and create problems. Most of all rain should be avoided at all costs.
A perfect forecast for staining would be 1-2 days with no chance of precipitation. Prior to staining, the wood should air dry for 24-48 hours after it has been cleaned. If it rains within that window soaking the wood again then wait an addition 1-2 days before staining. It is important the wood is dry before staining otherwise moisture could be trapped under the stain creating an environment for mold and mildew.
In most situations, TWP will take approximately 4-12 hours to dry but it will take longer to fully cure. Check the forecast and confirm that rain is not expected for at least a day or two. Once the conditions are right and the wood is completely dry you can begin staining. It should not rain within 12 hours of applying TWP stain to any exterior wood surface. A quick light rain will most likely not harm the stain if it has already been absorbed. A heavy rain however may leave separation circles on the surface and ruin the finish.
If an unexpected rain does ruin your TWP finish it may be necessary to sand or strip the stain off and recoat it. This would be unfortunate and obviously an extra expense so plan your staining project around any potential rainstorms for the best results. When applied properly under the right conditions, TWP will provide a long lasting beautiful finish that can be enjoyed and maintained for many years to come.
I applied your 100 series stain to a cedar pergola that was built last July. I did the pre-work getting it ready and only applied one coat of stain. Does the initial one coat of stain tend to need to be recoated sooner than old wood since it doesn’t soak in as much? Thanks
No, just prep and recoat as needed. About 2-3 years.
Applied two coats of your deck stain yesterday. About 3-4 hours later received light on/off showers (maybe .2″) over about 3-4 hours. Used a leaf blower to blow off the collected rain on the deck surfaces. For the most part the deck looks like it survived the water as I look at it today. There are some boards that appear slightly lighter than others as those are the areas that also receive more sun and were lighter even before applying TWP. Can I apply another thin coat over the entire deck (or only the lighter colored boards) to try to minimize the slight color difference in the finished product?
We would not suggest it. More is not better and it is not suggested to add a third coat. as it may not dry or cure correctly.
I had a contractor come and to stain my cabin this week. It rained the day before they started. On day one they arrived and pressure washed the exterior and sprayed borate chemical. Day two they sanded everything. No rain during those two days. Day three they applied the first coat of stain (twp 200 California cedar) and later that evening probably no more than 1-2 hours they finished there was a light rain that went on for about 4 maybe 5 hours. The following day they applied the second coat of stain and same thing it starting raining no more than 1 hour after they finished the second coat, it very well could have started before they even finished. This was a bit heavier rain and continued for 12+ hours. Should I be concerned that this is going to affect the outcome of my stain and what could be some indicators I can check/present to contractor if there are issues.
Hard to say since it is vertical wood but if any issue, it would be visible. Uneven apperance from the rain, water spots, etc. If you do not see that, it will probably be okay.
Hello, You cannot just clean off the mildew and not have some effect on the stain. What you can try is “wet and forget” from your local hardware store. Just spray on top of the stain and the mildew should disappear in a week or two.
Hello, You cannot just clean off the mildew and not have some effect on the stain. What you can try is “wet and forget” from your local hardware store. Just spray on top of the stain and the middle should disappear in a week or two.
What is the proper procedure for a maintenance coat? I want to do a maintenance coat on my rough sawn cedar gazebo posts that currently have TWP 101 on them. Finish is in pretty good shape. Can I clean, brighten and stain without removing the old coating of TWP 101? (Last time I pressure washed after cleaning and it took the wood back to almost new where I had to start from scratch.)
Prep with the Gemini Kit to clean and brighten and then recoat. If so or all the old stain comes off during prep, that is okay, and still preps it correctly for reapplication.
Two questions. After using cleaner and brighter, I’ve run into a stretch of bad weather. How long can I wait on applying the stain before I would have to clean again? Is it okay to apply stain with daytime temperature around 60 deg but nighttime temp in the 40 degree range?
1. About 2 weeks.
2. Yes.
Can you stain wood one way after its dry can stain again up and dawn?
Sorry but do not understand your question.
My fence is cleaned/brightened/sanded and ready. I tarped it before it rained last night. This morning some of the plastic sheeting showed moisture underneath, but the wood looked dry. Not sure if this is a sign of the wood giving off moisture and condensing inside the tarp (it did rain 0.1″ 2-3 days ago), or a sign of the damp air overnight.
1. Given what I know, how long would you wait to stain?
2. Overnight dew is common right now. Would any presence of morning dew on the wood push us back another 48 hours?
3. On a night with possible dew, would a tarp be enough to let me stain the following day?
It needs to air dry, not be tarped.
1. 48 hours.
2. Let the dew burn off and stain later in the day.
So much for meteorologists. Not was suppose to rain and here we go. As soon as i applied 2 coats of stain it start to drizzle. It was small drizzle but laster around 5h. Now i am wondering what is going to happen. Checked today in the morning and looks like stain tried to repel rain drops, but you can see some weird black spots.
what i am suppose to do once it will be dry? Do i have so strip and sand it again, or i can apply 3-rd coat on top ? Please, help??
You will need to send us some pics after the rain stops and after the water dries off. Thanks
So today was sunny and i got home to investigate. Main area looks so what ok, only i have problem that 23 of area looks darker then other one(you can see on picture is on left side is lighter). Big problems occurred on the stairs and small “hallway” , you can see some discoloration.
My thinking is taking 60 grid sandpaper and sand those boards that got discolored by hand and touch up with stain. What do you think about that? Thank you for your time, really appreciate any help. Want to make it look good after all cleaning, sanding, staining..
You cannot spot-fix this. You would have to prep and stain all the horizontals. Since some areas are worse than others and if you want to get it all even, you will need to strip and brighen for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
I stained my deck on Friday morning with two coats of 1500 honeycoat, it looked great. Around 3-4 hours later, a totally unexpected storm came in an poured for about an hour. Wasn’t on the forecast at all.
I allowed everything to dry for 48 hours, it doesn’t look bad but I can tell it’s not perfect. Much of it looks good but there are ares that look faded and a few that even look like maybe we’re oil pooled and are a little off colored. I added a few pics below. Can I get by with applying a 3rd coat or at least just filling in the areas that are lighter / touch ups? I know stripping and sanding is probably ideal but I just won’t have the time to do this and stain again. Any advice would be great.
You cannot apply more now and you cannot spot touch up. Leave it as is and you can do another light coat in 9-12 months. It looks fine anyhow.
So do you mean that a 2nd light coat can be reapplied in 9-12 months *without* required strip and brighten?
You lightly clean and then reapply.
“Lightly” clean – with just some soap and water you mean?
Yes.
I have a deck that already had been stained 2 yrs ago with one coat 5102. Contractor just did 2 coats yesterday on top half the deck after it had been power washed last week. It rained last night for a few hours. So he should wait 24 hours to do the rest? What about the top of the deck already done can it be walked on yet and should I blow off the rain sitting on the deck if I can walk on it? Can furniture be placed on it?
Wait 24 hours to finish or walk on it. Same with furniture.
So these are water spots from a freak shower. Contractor wanted to send and restain. I thought maybe scrubbing might work. Any suggestions?
You would have to remove all and recoat to fix. You cannot spot fix it and scrubbing would not work.
Since my deck professional used a 100/200 series blend when he first treated my new deck a year ago, I have several questions as I am getting ready for my second application.
1. Does the deck need to be stripped and brightened before re-applying or switching to the 100 series?
2. If I switch to the 100 series this time around, will my future re-applications require stripping/brightening before subsequent applications?
3. My deck professional wanted to do the second application one year after the first one since it was new wood. Then he suggests doing subsequent applications every 2 years. I had significant fading after the first application. If I switch to the 100 series instead of the 100/200 blend, will the 100 series protection hold up as well for 2 years as the 100/200 blend would?
1. Yes, this would bebest.
2. No.
3. Yes.
Perfect. One last question. IF, my deck professional talks me into repeating the 100/200 blend (we do love the color the blend created), does the deck need to be stripped and brightened to repeat what I already have i.e. the 100/200?
No.
Finished staining my deck at noon on Saturday and it began sprinkling with a 4% chance at 6am on Sunday. Water is pooling and the weather is still unpredictable and calling for a 50% around 5pm. Is there anything I should do in the short term? Used TWP 1520 Pecan
No, just leave it as is. It is fine.
Fingers crossed ? thanks!
I have a deck with former TWP stain and removed a hot tub 10 months ago that left an 8′ octagon of decking without any stain. Can I stain the area with no stain first with one or two applications before going over the entire deck with the final coat to try and achieve an even coloration?
No. The only way to even this out is to strip it all off, sand it all to about 80 grit, and then coat.
I completed using the cleaner and brightener yesterday and now the forecast has changed. I’m not sure I’m going to have a window for adequate drying and staining times w/in 14 days. What is the minimum drying time after cleaning and brightening? If I have to wait more than 14 days after using the cleaner / brightener what are my options/steps?
48 hours after prep or rain to stain. If longer than 14 days, lightly redo the prep.
Rain is expected in the forecast but I’m staining my screened porch. If it’s windy enough a little rain might get on the edges but otherwise stays dry. Should I stain or wait? Is it the water itself or the humidity that’s the issue?
No water or rain can get on the deck while you are applying or until fully dry.
My staining professional applied a blend of 100/200 series TWP stain. We started getting rain about 40 hours after the staining was completed and has rained off an on for the past 3 days. 5 days after completion, I can still rub off a little bit of stain on a white paper towel. Did the rain hurt the curing process? So far I don’t think I can see spots on the deck, but it does look slightly lighter in color than when the stain was applied. It is my first time with TWP so I’m just looking for your opinion. Did I make a mistake using a blend of 100/200 series?
Yes, you are not supposed to blend the 100 and 200 series as the 200 is for shakes and shingles and it has a high amount of non-drying oils in it. Tt should still cure and try though but it may take a couple of weeks. To help speed up the process, wipe down the entire floor with rags to remove the excess oil. Saturate all oil rags in water and lay flat to dry outside.
2 questions:Is there paraffin oil in both the 100 and 200 series? Since I just had my deck finished with a blend of 100/200 series and it is taking a long time to cure, my next staining I would like to use 100 series. Is it ok to use 100 series the next time or do I need to stay with the same blend since that is what I started with on my new deck?
There is in the 200 Series, not the 100. You should strip and brighten next time if you want to use the 100 series to be certain the curing issues do not repeat.
It’s about time for my second application of TWP (one year after my first stain applied to my new deck). I am still confused about series 100 compared to 200. In the TWP website description, it says 200 is used for Decking. My professional used a blend of 100 and 200 series stains, yet you have advised that 200 is for shakes and shingles. Is it the blending you object to, or do you just not recommend using 200 for decking even though your website says it can be used on decking. By the way, i appreciate how you all answer all of our dumb questions!
The 200 is designed for shakes and shingles. While it can be used on a deck, it is not typically suggested. The issue is that it can days to fully dry/cure.
You are right about the lengthy dry/cure time. I would say it was at least a month before it would not rub off on a rag.
I stained my deck last evening finished at 8:30 it rained unexpectedly after 4 hours wanted to apply a second coat today can’t because it is wet it will be sunny today can I apply a second coat tomorrow?
You may not need it. Post a picture after the rain dries off.
I stained my deck yesterday finished at 8:30 pm it rained unexpectedly about 4 hours later does that mean it will peel immediately or over time
I sanded my deck and had unexpected rain. If k allow to dry for for 48 hours can i apply stain or do I have to sand again?
No need to sand again. Just let the wood dry out.
i dont really have a choice to stain out of sunlight unless it is night time. help?? literally sun up to sun down on the deck. the only cloudy day in the next 5 is on saturday, friday has a 30% chance of showers. I am assuming my stain day is sunday due to that right now.. not cloudy
im fighting the mid 90s this week but no rain for 5 days. 90 seems to be the limit so stain in the morning and night. But – does staining in the am when it is 80 make an issue when it heats up to 94 during the day and the sun beats on the deck? since it technically wont be done curing yet?
No. Heat later in the day rising is not an issue, it is when you are applying.
I stained my deck on Thursday, I did a couple coats on the banisters and railings etc, but only got one coat on the floor. Can I apply a second coat this Sunday a few days later, when there has been rain in between the dates? (Been respecting drying times etc)
It may not take and dry sticky. When applying a second coat, it should be wet on wet. Do a test board and make sure it dries okay after 24 hours.
We used the TWP 200 California Cedar this past Sunday 5/2. The deck is covered (screened porch) and it is still not fully dry (5/5). Any suggestions?
The 200 Series can take 2-7 days to cure and even longer if under a covered porch. Best to wait it out.
Year old PT Pine. Cleaned and prepped. Weather here, getting multiple dry days is a major challenge. No rain the past two days, but I’m racing the forecast (chance of rain late tomorrow evening) so started staining today at about 8:30 am. Using 1500 Black Walnut stain. At 9:30 am I’m about 2/3 done and have stopped. It’ll be 80’s and totally clear today and during the day tomorrow, and deck is entirely in direct sunlight.
One complication and one question:
I have one large piece of furniture (a fire pit) that I can’t really remove from the deck. Is 8-10 hours enough drying time to walk on fresh stain and set fire pit on it (it has small feet)?
Also, still have some touch-up that needs done in board gaps. Do I try to get those done today or wait until I have another 3-4 day window (if one ever comes)?
-Should be fine with the fire pit.-Best to do touchups now.
I’ve used TWP every other year since the deck was built 10 years ago. This year I had it done for me, deep cleaning as directed, and two coats as directed. In A few areas that do not get direct sun The deck is not yet dry after five days. One place in deep shade is still quite wet. Should I wipe these areas with a rag to remove wet zones?
Rag and mineral spirits. Saturate all oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside when done.
Thanks!
If it rains shortly after staining using TWP 100 series stain, can you use a leaf blower to blow off the water spots once it stops raining
Yes.
Can I stain at night in Louisiana?
Late in the day is okay but it does not sunlight to cure. At night may be pushing it.
Hello, I refinished a friend’s deck… Sanded, Gemini cleaner/brightener, waited for dry weather stretch. I finished staining and about 5-6 hours after finishing a stray rain came through with 0-10% chance of rain. 🙁 Now there are spots. Can I try to reapply a very light coat now or should if I waited until spring would that be better and cover spots evenly? I’m attaching a couple photos before it rained taken at sunset and a couple pics two days later after it’s dried.
Wait until Spring. Lightly clean room remove dirt first.
Here are the photos with the deck completely dry. We stained on Saturday, July 11th. It rained 6 hours later and has rained every day since – non-forecasted pop-up showers.
I can tell we need to wipe down some of the shiny parts with the mineral spirits but what can we do about the water damage in the photos attached?
The only way to fix the water damaged spots would be to strip it all and start over. Brightener after.
Used twp 1500 stain hired someone and it rained that night said he had to scruff up to reapply and I saw him using putty knife gouging the deck…do the water spots go away
I am not seeing any water spots in the pictures. Putty knife is not the way to prep. You would have to prep again.
There are giant spots
With 120 grit?
No, strip and brighten to remove: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Follow up pictures for above
You will need to remove to fix this and start over: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Sorry about that was typing on my phone – meant to say that every day there have been random pop-up showers that aren’t forecasted and I am so worried about what this will mean for the deck. I cannot get a dry day for the life of me! Today it finally dried out as much as it has since Saturday night (the night after we stained) and now it is raining again. I truly hope we don’t have to strip and start over.
Just wait until it fully dries and send a picture.
We live in NC and stained the deck yesterday with TWP 1500 and finished around 530p. Zero rain in the forecast for the next 3 days but alas, a pop-up storm hit last night at 2am. It was brief but we have pools of water on the deck today. Should we allow it to just air dry or should we try to sop up with towels? Sweep the water off?
Just let it air dry.
@Mark thank you! We had another non-forecasted quick 5 minute shower this afternoon before everything was dry back there. How long do you recommend waiting after application to move things like a grill and seating back on the deck (knowing we’ve had 2 short rains)?
24-48 hours.
Here is a photo of the deck this morning- lots of water blotches but it’s not completely dry. Do I wait until completely dry and then send another photo? I’m so worried I will have to strip and re-do with my husband deployed ay yay yay!
Let it completely dry for a couple of days.
Thankyou-I’mquitenervousastherainkeepscomingdailyinshort burstswhilenot beingforecasted. I trulyhopeitisnot goingtoruinthestain.
Sorry but no idea what you are asking?
I have a gallon of TWP100 Series from June 2017 tightly sealed. Is it still good to use this year
Hard to say if good or has gone bad. Open them up. If they mix 100% smooth without any clumping or skinning, then they are good to use.
Cleaned, stripped and brightened deck, 2 coats of TWP stain 10 days ago and 90 deg weather since, took a few days to dry over the last weekend, looked good but maybe in some areas too much stain. Today rained heavily and stain has washed off in some areas…what to do? Wait and recoat on top on those areas?
Let it dry and touch up.
We live in MN and I stained my deck 72 hours ago with 101. It is still tacky? We have had very humid hot weather. I just put a fan in there to help dry it out. Any other suggestions?
See here for tips: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-is-spotty-or-shiny/
If I power wash my mahogany deck, do I need to sand it before I can stain or do I need to sand it after it dries and then stain? I am getting conflicting info on this question. Thanks, jeri
You really do not need to sand at all.
Staining our deck took longer than expected and we just finished this evening. Tomorrow, early morning, rain is to begin and hang around for multiple days.
we know the deck stain was dry, but realized it’s not completely cured.
we made decision this evening to cover entire deck with multiple tarps snd plastic covering to keep it from getting (as) wet.
was this okay? Better than sitting in rain for 3-4 days? Wasn’t sure if the tarp coverings will affect the curing process with lack of air flow etc?
No, remove the tarps. It needs air to dry/cure and this may cause issues.
Used TWP100 on the railing yesterday morning with hot 85 degree sun on it most of the day. Finished the decking this morning and it has had the same some most of today, but support to rain between 5:30 and 7:30 this evening. Should I cover it with plastic and then remove it after the showers and blow off the water? Thanks.
No, just leave it. It will be fine.
Thanks! It rained for about 2 hours. I didn’t blow the water off afterwards and everything was fine. Going to rain again tonight but not going to worry about it.
I stained my deck last night and wrapped up by 9:30pm. There was no rain in the forecast. Woke up this morning to a wet deck. Is there anything I can do? Should I wipe it down?
Wait unit the rainwater is dry to assess. If it looks blotchy, you may need to recoat.
It seems ok. Only some slight splotch. What is the process for a recoat? Do I need to wait a certain period of time and just apply a 2nd coat on?
It does not need another coat, you are fine.
Here are some pictures after deck dried.
Use the Gemini Kit for prep and apply one light coat.
Applied two coats of TWP 1500. Finished around 6 pm. At midnight there was a large thunderstorm with heavy rain. The next day the deck was covered with water so the stain repelled it, but in many spots the rain washed off the stain so the finish now looks terrible. What do I need to do? strip the whole thing and start over or is a lesser solution possible to restore the finish?
Wait for the rainwater to dry off and then send a picture.
How long should I wait to apply TWP stain to premium pressure treat ed lumber from Lowe’s.
See this: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Oops got another question.
Power washed 1 year old fence. Looked great until it dried. Sap bleeding in spots? Should I remove dried sap/? or apply stain (clear) directly over? If I need to remove, how should I do it?
You do not have sap bleeding but you have oxidation that was not removed. You should use this kit while pressure washing: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Washed and Did light power wash of my deck yesterday. There is one layer of stain (cabbot semi -solid oil) on deck from last year’s application. It rained lightly last night. Gonna get a sunny day today and (75 degrees )tomorrow with rain on Monday. I’d like to put a coat on today at about 3 PM if possible. I’m assuming that because I’m not applying the stain to a fresh wooden surface that I can proceed after -6-7 hours of warm sunlight exposure. Am I wrong?
You cannot apply TWP over the Cabot. That has to be removed fully first by stripping and sanding. Brightener last.
Last year I only applied single light coat after sanding. The power washing took the shine out of the finish. I just want to add a second coat. I have to sand again and apply?
Pressure wash and then apply a light coat. BTW, TWP is not supposed to be shiny.
I stained the part of the deck that is in the sun in the photo two days ago. Yesterday I stained the other side and overnight we had a light rain. The last photo is a pic of the rain on the wood. Will it just dry or should I wipe it off?
Just let it dry.
Stripped, light sanded, cleanded and brightened my deck this weekend. Was planning on staining with TWP tomorrow (48-60 hrs after no sig precip). Getting a light dusting of snow today. Temps in the high 50s low 60s tomorrow. Think it’ll be ok to apply TWP?
No, wait another day.
Ok. Thanks. Might have to push to next week. Slight chance of rain otherwise.
Agree. Your best bet is at least 24 hours… maybe 36 hours without precipitation and over 50º (which sounds like you have).
What will happen to my deck that I stained yesterday and last night an unexpected shift in temp dropped temps down to 36 F
You will be fine just will take longer to cure and dry.
Our deck is in a treed shady area for the most part. Overnight temperatures for the next week or so are expected to be in the low 40’s, daytime temperatures in the 60’s. I am wondering if I should proceed with washing/cleaning and staining with TWP 1500 or wait until spring? I thought it might be OK as long as we don’t hit freezing, but a representative at Gemini said he recommends overnight temperatures do not fall below 65 or it might take a ‘long time’ for the stain to properly cure.
Temps are okay for now or you can wait until Spring. It should not drop below 40 at night.
Thanks, any idea how long after staining temps need to remain above 40 without rain to allow for proper curing given that it is in the shade?
12-24 hours should be okay.