6.8K
TWP 1500 Series Deck Stain – The Best Low VOC Deck Stain
Need Help with your TWP 1500 Stain?
TWP 1500 Stain is a highly rated, EPA registered wood preservative that can be used for all types of exterior wood, siding and decking. TWP 1500 Stain will perform at its maximum potential when the wood is properly prepped and when the stain is properly applied. Unfortunately not all wood is in the same condition prior to applying the stain.
We are here to help with your project!
Please answer these few questions to achieve the best possible results with your TWP 1500 Wood and Decking Stain.
Age of wood?- Type of wood?
- Condition of the wood?
- Has it been stained previously and if so with what brand of stain?
- Small description of the area to be treated.
Ask Questions in Comment Area Below
On a new deck installation, We applied TWP 1520 stain. We love the look on the cedar rails, but the pine decking needs to be darker. Can we put another app of stain to the decking to make it darker. Are there other options? Thanks.
No, not on new wood. Only one coat. Did you follow the new wood directions?
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Weathering phase was only about 2 months. Then the deck was pressure washed, cleaned and brightened. Stain applied a week later.
So, if not a second coat, what? Thanks for your attention to this.
You would have to strip/brighten and start over with a darker color. You should also wait at least 4 months for new wood.
Correction Twp product
Tsp put on in what temperature
50-90.
I stained my newly constructed log home 3 years ago with one coat of 1500 dark oak. Love it!!! Is it time to re-coat? I’m in a pretty ideal environment in western Montana; mix of sun and shade. If it is time, what about mixing clear and dark oak to keep the wood grain showing thru?
When recoating you prep with this kit and pressure washing:
https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Then recoat with the same color as before. Do not dilute the color. Adding additional coats does not hide the wood grain.
I bought a 20 y.o. cypress log cabin which was stained during construction with an oil based product. Is TWP 1500 compatible after pressure washing?
You have to remove the old coating first and then you can use the TWP. For help with removing, post some pictures in comments.
Can your stains be used on log homes?
Yes, they work great on vertical wood.
We used your TWP 1530 product on our redwood fence and it looks beautiful. We recently got new exterior Fir doors. Can we use the same stain on our exterior doors? My concern is, the directions recommend power washing wood to pretreat — doesn’t seem like something we should be doing to the new doors.
No, TWP is not suggested for doors.
We recently re-stained our existing redwood fence with TWP cedar color and it looks great! We finally got this post repaired, but wondering if there is anything you can recommend to seal / close / caulk the gaps before staining the post the same color? There is another smaller painted wood post under there, so the wood outside is just cladding, but ideally we close these gaps to protect it. Anything that will take the stain color or is close to the same? Thanks!
No need to fill the gaps and it would cause more issues if you do. Just leave as is.
I have 750 sq feet of decking that is in three tiers. Bought 10 gals of TWP 1500. The wood really soaked up the stain and was only able to get two coats on two of the levels. The smallest tier only got one coat. Should I wait until next spring to apply a second coat?
Yes.
I have used your stripper on my log cabin. Did a great job and looked great initially however it has taken some time to complete the entire job and the wood has darkened. Began with wood brightener and it isn’t getting the wood as bright as it was when I first stripped. Do I need to do something different prior to brightening?
Thre is not anything else you can do besides brighten the wood.
PT pine, 10 years old. 2 previous staining using Olympic in canyon brown. wood in decent condition.. how/what twp product to use?
Post some pictures here.
Pls see pics. Suggestions pls?
Strip and brighten for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
Stain with TWP 1500 Series.
What is the difference between 1500 series and 100 series
VOC content. Some states do not allow the 100 Series.
I stained my deck with 100. I finished the floor about 6:00 PM. The deck is in the sun in the mornings so hopefully it will help with drying. If I need to walk on it 17 hours later will it hurt the stain?
As long as it is dry, you will be okay.
And I didnt start the 2nd coat for about an hour. Hopefully it will be ok because the stain was soaking in fast on the first coat and it is warm outside here in st. Louis
Hi. My painter has applied one coat of 1511 on my redwood deck two weeks ago. It looks great! He advised me to apply one more coat in a month. But I see your instructions the second coat should be wet on wet on the same day. Should I apply one more coat? How long should I wait?
No, you can in 6-12 months after a light wash for prep.
Thanks. Do you mean washing with a hose or power wash in low pressure? These are new woods.
Use the Deck Cleaner and light pressure washing.
Trailer decking with pressure treated lowes lumber (pine). About 6 months old since instaled..no previous stain
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
I am building a pergola with new rough sawn Doug fir in southern CLifornia. 1) Which stain should I use? I like blk walnut.2) since I’m not supposed to use sealer over the stain. Does the stain bleed out with rain? Thank you,
1. Use TWP 1504 Black Walnut.2. No, it does not bleed out from rain.
What is the lowest air temp I can apply TWP 1500?
50.
1. New big-box wood 2. Colorado Pressure Treated #2 Prime softwood. Feels ‘wet’, so needs dry time. Low humidity in Colorado3. New surface, many with rough knots, some have printed codes showing (had better surface)4. Never stained5. About 400 sf, I’m finishing construction now in Denver CO. One foot off ground. I replaced the original same size, down to cement-supports & brackets.I’d like to keep a semi-transparent light’ish color, likely Cedartone to show the woodgrain.I’m finding the printed text codes, and slight unevenness bothersome and want to sand the deck before treatment. (I’m ok with some uneven, but want that printing gone!) Should I do the sanding now before letting the wood dry? or closer to staining time?Can I use some kind of ‘liquid clear plastic’ (or other) on the rough divit-like knots to fill those in first?I’ll use RAD cleaner and brightener to prep before staining
Sand now and then weather and prep: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Do not use any filler for the knots.
Not sure, at least 30 years.Bamboo fencing.Good condition.Was stained in rich cedar color, we sanded it and are ready to restain. There are still some remnants of the old stain, do we need to remove it? If so, how?What kind of stain and color should we use and how many coats?
The TWP stains we sell cannot be used for bamboo.
Can you use a sprayer to apply and roll and brush as needed after spraying on deck and siding?
Yes.
installed a new white cedar deck in May 2021- approx 500 sq ft. Wood has not been treated with anything yet. looking to stain it before the winter. This is south facing deck and we live in Vermont. Looking to preserve the natural color of the wood and want to stay away from the darker colors.
Prep with the Gemini Restore Kit. Honeytone 1515 is the lightest color.
Thank you. Will we need two coats, or is one enough? How many gallons will we need?
One coat. About 3-4 gallons: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
Atlantic white cedar deck on oceanfront in Maine. 5-6 yrs old. Ben Moore Arborcoat disaster now stripped back to cedar bare wood. Want natural cedar tone but not too dark. Afraid dry cedar with suck in stain and darken too much
Honeytone is the lightest color: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series-stain-colors-and-photo-albums/
1. New wood dried 13 months2. Wolmenized wood3. Never stained or cleaned. Been outdoors 13 mo on Lake Michigan. Harsh 4 season climate. 4. Want sheer grey stain to blend with paint of the house. Plan is to stain this August and restain 2 coat next summer.
Can you tint TWP 1500? I don’t see sheer grey. What are your suggestions for product.
You cannot custom tint any of the TWP products.
Can you tint TWP 1500
No.
216sf
Hi. What was your question?
What product should I use for a 216sf deck that is 9 years old, cedar, Good condition, Twice Stained before with TWP
Use out RAD Stripper and Brightener for the prep. Then coat with the coat with the TWP.
Thanks. How much of each product will I need to prep and recoat the deck?
One prep kit and 2-3 gallons of stain
Deck is 9 years oldCedar Good condition Twice Stained before with TWP
I have a 6 year old deck that was stained 5 years ago with TWP 100 series stain (dark oak). I am planning to re-stain it in a couple of weeks, and based on what I have read, it is probably smart to use TWP 1500 Series stain this time (same color) to get more UV protection. Or should I consider using the Semi-Solid Pro stain for the “max” UV protection? Wood is in very good shape. Sounds like I can make either change relatively easily by just using the deck cleaner and brightener kit…yes?
You should strip and brighten for prep when switching. Very easy, just a deeper cleaning. The Semi-solid would give the max UV protection. The 100 and 1500 offer the same protection for a deck.
I have 12 year old untreated cedar shingle siding. Planning on powerwashing 4000psi with bleach, maybe do again with brightener. I’m wondering if this would be enough prep. Plan on applying 1500 Cedartone. Thank you for any input.
Best would be to use this kit for the prep: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Sanded siding cedar
I just recently put up solid cypress 6×6 porch posts (late last year after Hurricane Laura) and installed cypress doors in February or March. Both posts and doors were stained with Redi-Seal but we noticed today that there is mold on some of our posts and areas of our doors and the color is already fading. Do we need to sand it all before restaining with TWP1500? Note to self, go with the better stain/sealant the first time!
Strip and brighten for prep, do not sand. It is easy to remove Ready Seal as it is very thin: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
New fence installed this week. Told it is treated cedar. Am we able to use your product right away?Regards
Rough sawn wood or smooth wood? Pictures would help.
How do I open the gallon stain cans with the plastic seal on them?
The ring pops off and is separate from the can. Pry inwards.
I’m re staining my deck with TWP 103 Dark Oak. It is the same color that was used last time. An area of the deck I removed a hot tub and the deck boards were never painted. Will the 103 Dark Oak cover the deck boards that are natural to blend in with the rest of the flooring?
Not perfectly as the wood there is not at porous. it will stain lighter.
Hi, I’ve stripped the spindles of my deck to bare wood (that was a lot of work) and I’m staining them in TWP dar oak. I’ve followed all directions but it looks so ugly, it looks like there is dirt on the spindles trapped under the stain. It looks worse than before, and before they had an ugly Superdeck stain. What could be wrong ? Please see pictures of the spindles before and after.
I’ve also used this same TWP stain in dark oak on an outdoor wood table and that came out nice. Please help! Thank you.
That is your wood grain of your spindles being enhanced under the TWP Dark Oak. TWP enhances the wood so the final color is based on the TWP color you choose and the actual wood itself. Internally, your wood has dark discolorations.
Hi. I am about to restain an old P.T. deck (ACQ, not CCA) previously stained with TWP. The color I used last (which at over 3 years is virtually all gone) was 1516 Rustic. This came out way too “red” as what I am shooting for is the color of mahogany. I was thinking possibly mixing 2:1 either dark walnut or dark oak with the rustic to achieve the color I’m looking for – what do you think? I managed to just get by with 2 gals last time, but am planning a small extension so I will purchase 3 gals in total this time. Thanks for any insight you can give me!Charlie
You can mix colors but as to what you want to achieve color wise, you can only test the ratios to see how it will look on your wood.
Thanks for the quick reply!Ok so mixing works, great.Next question, can I get samples locally to experiment with? (Suffolk County N.Y.)
No. Online only: https://www.twpstain.com/stain-samples
Hi, we are about to restain our large cedar fence with TWP 1500, which we used to stain it 4 years ago after the wood had aged about 18 months. We’re really happy with how the stain has held up. The wood is in largely in good condition, except for some top pieces where snow and rain collect. We live in an area with intense sun and wind.
1. Do we need to power wash it?2. Do we need to clean it with the Gemini kit?3. How many coats would you recommend for the stain?4. How many gallons would you recommend for this restaining of the fence? It’s 147’ long x 5’6” high including about 1.5” x 1.5” wood (baluster) spindles and small crosspieces at the top that involves a lot of in-and-out painting. In addition, the vertical fence boards are separated so must be stained on the sides as well.
Thank you!!
1. Yes2. Yes3. 2 coats.4. Need total sq footage added up for help with this.
Thank you! The fence is roughly 800 sf. x 2 sides for a total of ~1,600 sf. Again, this is a re-stain after 4 years; don’t know if that means we’ll need less product than for the initial stain. We were advised to purchase 15 gallons the first time but had a lot left over. Also, how many Gemini clean/brighten kits would you advise for this square footage?
Thanks again. Your customer service is really awesome.
10-15 gallons for two coats applied wet one wet and 2 of the Gemini Kits.
Where can I get stain mixed/ spun? Do you know?
Just go to your local paint store and get a drill mixer for paint. Attach that to any drill and mix. Very simple.
I have a 4-5 year old redwood deck that was originally stained with Armstrong deck stain but I would like to re-stain with TWP 1511 California Redwood. What prep work is necessary before using the 1511?
Use this kit for prep: https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit-detail
The deck is 20+ years old. It was last stained with TWP in 2015. (We bought the house in 2019.)
1. Should I use pressure-treated wood for the deck boards if I intend to use TWP semi-transparent?2. What manner of surface prep should I do since I’m restaining over a TWP stain?
1. Pressure treated wood.2. Use the Gemini Kit while pressure washing: https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Do you recommend TWP 1500 or Semi-Solid for the following situation?
1. ~1500 SF Pressure treated pine deck in Central Texas, most of which is 15 months old and grey, but ~6-7 boards were replaced 6 months ago and are still yellowish.2.nothing has every been applied to the wood, but it has been cleaned with a wood brightener and brush3. The deck is off the back of the house, and a small chlorine pool is off to one side. Large live oak trees grow over most of the deck, so pollen sticks and leaves drop heavily 2 times a year. Light traffic.4. Of primary concern is longevity of application (protection), natural appearance, and ease of maintenance.5. Seeking medium to dark brown color with no orange or pink/red hues. Color advice? Thanks for the advice.
Use the 1500 Series. Black Walnut or Dark Oak.
What is the shelf life of unused stain. Still in original 5 gal can ,sealed and kept in basement controlled temp.? I have 1/2 a can left over.
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
Ny deck is partly exposed (for 20 years) and partly covered (for 30 years). The exposed portion especially is heavily blackened in places. Can I pressure wash it and then stain it, or do I need somethin else to remove the black stuff before I stain it? (I have pressure washed a portion of the uncovered part and that cleaned off maybe 75% of the black stuff).
We would need to see some pictures to give proper advice on the prep. You can post them here.
Newly milled and kiln dried, rough cut pine, never been stained. Pool house/outdoor kitchen under roof but not enclosed – 4″x12″ beams and 2′”x12″ exposed rafters. I’d like a dark walnut color for the beams and rafters, and would like as much grain to be visible as possible. Above the rafters will be new wood, 1″x6″, tongue and groove, clear pine, smooth surfaces never been stained. I’d like to use a lighter shade on this area, something like a honey oak. Could you offer suggestions on best products?
See here about the new smooth wood first: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
For the smooth wood, look at Honeytone 1515 color. For the darker stain, look at Dark Oak 1503 or Black Walnut 1504.
Does the 1500 series contain paraffin? If not, could I add it myself without harming the product?
It is not paraffin based and do not add it. There would be zero benefit and could create curing issues.
How much wood grain shows through on the 1500 black walnut vs a similar color of the semi-solid pro series? I have an older deck that has not been maintained well. I’d like hide some of the cracking but would also like some grain to show so it doesn’t look like it is painted. what is the best option? I’m in Virginia beach, deck gets mostly sun, however, areas close to the house are completely shaded.
Semi-solid colors will always show less wood grain compare to any of the semi-transparent colors. Either would work for you but you will get better UV protection with semi-solid colors. Maybe try samples to see what you like better? https://www.twpstain.com/stain-samples
Hi, 5 yr old, covered deck, pressure treated (I’m assuming pine?), never treated, but cleaned every year and looks like new since very little exposure to sun or rain. I want a light color but at least some protection from UV for small outdoor section that will be the same color. Also want water base, not oil. Recommendation?
Sorry but we do not sell a water-based TWP stain on our site.
Deck is 8 years old. Pressure treated and stained with sherwin Williams semi-transparent stain. Wood is in good condition. Needs to be re-stained. Do I need to strip it before I use TWP or will the cleaner/brightener be enough? ThanksLori MiserLoribluemiser@gmail.com
Strip and brighten for prep.
Rough sawn pine is 15 years old I pressure washed it today now it looks like new wood. What do you recommend?
Use the TWP 1500 Series for this: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series
15 years old
We live 100 ft from the Pacific Ocean and our patio furniture is mostly teak and our doors are alder and line that was previously stained a varnished with marine spar. Most of the varnish has peeled off and we would like to apply twp 1500 to all furniture and doors thinking we could save ourselves the stripping process and just apply TWP as needed without all the fuss. Is this a good idea? Is TWP alone without varnish a good protectant against the constant ocean abuse? Is is advised to apply a varnish over the twp? My wife would like to apply a wax. Is this a bad idea? Any advice is recommended. Thanks
No, you cannot apply TWP over the old coating. It must be removed 100% first. You also cannot top coat TWP with a varnish or any type of coating.