The TWP 2019 Spring/Summer Restoration Contest is closed!
Thanks to all the entered this year. Excellent job to all and we appreciate you entering our TWP staining contest for 2019!
We will contact the winners via there orders.
First Place
John Blenkush (Page 2)
First Place = $500 + Weber Grill ($500 Value) + 5 Gallon Pail of TWP Stain
Second Place
Romeo J Vista (Page 3)
Second Place = $350 + 3 Gallons of TWP Stain
Third Place
Bonnie Pollock (Page 4)
Third Place = $200 + 2 Gallons of TWP Stain
Sorry for all that did not win the prizes. We were extremely impressed with all the feedback and entries this year!
Do you think you will have completed the best TWP Wood Deck Restoration for Spring/Summer of the 2019 season?
Take some pride in your hard work and enter the TWP Stain Wood and Deck Restoration Contest for 2019!
The TWP 2019 Contest Details
- All TWP and Prep products must be purchased first from this online retail site (TWPStain.com) between January 1st – Sept. 2nd (Labor Day) 4th, 2019.
- Deadline for entry is Sept. 14th, 2019.
- The winner will be decided by Sept. 30th by our team.
Contestant winners will receive
- First Place = $500 + Weber Grill ($500 Value) + 5 Gallon Pail of TWP Stain of your choice!
- Second Place = $350 + 3 Gallons of TWP Stain of your choice!
- Third Place:= $200 + 2 Gallons of TWP Stain of your choice!
*Total winnings will be $2000 in payouts and prizes.
How To Enter Contest
- Enter by Sept. 14th, 2019.
- In the comment section below, post a short description of your deck/wood staining project, the products used to prep, and the TWP Series and Color used. Example of wood projects that can be entered: Decks, Fences, Wood Side Homes, Log Cabins, etc.
- Add 2 before prepping pictures of the wood that was restored (no more/less). You can still enter if you do not have the before pictures. Decks, wood fences, wood homes, etc are allowed.
- 2 after staining pictures must be included (no more/less).
- If having trouble uploading the pictures, please make your picture(s) size smaller (below 1 MB).
Any questions or issues posting, please ask in the comment area.
We look forward to all entries and wish everyone “Happy TWP Staining”!
*Disclaimer: All products must be purchased from TWPStain.com. The contest is not open to products purchased from other online dealers or from physical retail stores.
My deck was a mess and had not been stained in over 4 years. It had to be chemically cleaned and brightened using the RAD stripper/brightener kit from TWP. I also sanded it with #80 sandpaper before staining to remove tough stains that would not come off with the stripper and to open the pores of the wood for a more even stain appearance. I used TWP 1500 series cedartone (1501) stain. The results are amazing given the condition of this 22 year old cedar wood deck. TWP is the best product I have ever used in the life of my deck and I feel secure knowing that it will have many more years of life to come. Thank you for making such a great product!
Prepped and stained a deck using Restore-A-Deck Cleaner and Brightener system and TWP 1500 series Pecan stain.
I’ve been researching TWP and other companies, their response and your before and after pictures have sealed the deal!
I started my project three years ago – to chemically and mechanically strip SuperDeck Log Home Oil Finish from our log-sided garage and our 3000 sq. ft log home and restore our 1500 sq. ft of redwood deck – completion in August of 2019. Given the square feet, it was an enormous task, made less challenging by breaking it down into manageable projects.
For the past ten years, I’ve chased deterioration of the SuperDeck, which required spot removal – most-times entire walls – annually, as it discolors and blackens within a season. Given that SuperDeck is a film and is only “formulated to resist growth of mildew and algae on the coating’s surface,” this chore required both chemical (stripper) and mechanical (rotary sander) removal. Continuing this annual maintenance cycle was not an option, as it was leading to distortion of the log surface, not to mention the wear and tear on this old body.
Texas A&M University conducted extensive tests on wood finishes. They found that most finishes failed between 7 and 18 months of exposure. Of over 200 products tested, only three finishes offered a natural look for 2 to 5 years before refinishing became necessary; TWP®, Sikkens, and Seal Treat II. Seal Treat II is no longer available, leaving Sikkens and TWP. Since Sikkens is a film builder designed for adhesion to the wood – like SuperDeck – it offers little or no protection to the wood below the surface. (Credit to Jim Renfroe)
As I found out the hard way, films act like a greenhouse, incubating fungus and trapping water inside the logs, causing rot and premature discoloration. I found as long as the ‘film’ is out of the weather – under eaves for an example – they retained their viability. However, place them in direct sunlight and rain, and they break down – quickly. SuperDeck claims their Log Home Oil Finish is “Specially Formulated for Extreme Climates.” But ten years of my experience with the product – on a brand-new log home – proves otherwise.
The garage is in its third season, the front of the log home in its second, (Honeytone 1500) and they look as good as the day I applied TWP. What a relief! To not have to spend my summers chasing discoloration. Can’t thank-you enough for putting out a superior product!
This deck was and was more a turkey roost than anything in else. When I started the deck was scratched and dirty. When I finished the whole house looked new again. I used the 1500 series natural color.
One of my friends used the twp 100 cedar tone on his house and he recommended the brand. I preferred something a bit darker and more reddish brown. So I got the 200 series, russet brown. I dipped 10 bundles of cedar shakes and I stained my milled cedar posts (8) and beams (7) and railings (4) all with a 5 gallon bucket. I have about 3 cups left. The 200 series is thicker and works well to coat exterior wood and does require a bit of stirring to get the particles on the bottom mixed in. I had to apply 2-3 coats on my posts to get the desired rich brown I wanted. It did develop a film every time after I used it which gummed up the end of the pail but I simply strained it all out and it was fine. Also, the 200 series is not as well stocked as the 100 or 1500 so if you need more you’re having to pay for shipping or getting another 5 gallon pail. That being said, I would definitely recommend this stain. It’s beautiful!
My husband designed and build this trellis. Since it is a major feature in our front yard and we want it to last, he stained it with TWP 1500 Series in Dark Oak. The trellis was made from pressure treated lumber. He stained it a couple weeks after building it. The stain made the wood look much richer. We had used the same color stain on a pergola built several years ago and we liked the way the stain had mellowed. We have been very happy with this stain.
Here is the fourth picture
My wife and I completed the staining of our wrap around porch. The project included staining 1,640 sq ft of decking boards, not including all the posts, header beams, railings, stairs, ceiling and wainscoting. I conducted extensive research of many different stain brands and obtained samples from TWP and several other companies. TWP was the winner!!! The reason we chose TWP was because if we ever want to stain the deck again in the future there will be minimal prep work, just clean surfaces and reapply stain.
The wood was close to 2 1/2 years old and once we used the Gemini Cleaner/Restorer the wood looked very bright and accepted stain very well. I did a test sample on a piece of wood, one without the cleaner and restorer and one using the cleaner, restorer and light pressure washing. There was a big difference in the end results. We highly recommend using the Gemini Cleaner/Restorer and light pressure washing to achieve best results. This project used 40 gallons of TWP 1500 series. We ordered dark oak (1503) and rustic oak (1516) and mixed the two together 1 to 1. We nicked named our custom color after the road we live on “Coxey Brown”
Applying the stain was very easy. We used the (Wooster 4” pro stain brush) for all the flooring, we simply unscrewed the small handle from the brush and screwed in an adjustable paint stick handle. For all other surfaces we used a 32 oz all-purpose plastic hand held sprayer purchased at Home Depot for $3.00. We actually utilized 17 bottles for the entire project. We found that the bottles were only good for about 2 days, so we just pitched it and used a new one each time.
We live near the top of a mountain in Maryland and the weather is un predictable. Using the spray bottle was the best way we found to control the stain during days with a light breeze. After spraying the surface we then followed up with a (Wooster 4” pro stain brush) to even out the stain. We only used 2 brushes for the entire project. There is no need to clean the brush, just leave the brush submerged in the sealed bucket of stain then remove from the bucket and wipe off and your ready to go. The first coat was time consuming but the second coat and third coats went very quick. We applied the stain on hotter days (90’s) which allowed us to put the first coat on day one and followed up with the second and third coats on the next day. It wasn’t quiet considered wet on wet but when we applied the coats on the second day it actually adhered very well. The second and third coat seemed to bring the first coat back to a tacky state allowing the second and third coats to combine with the first coat. If applied correctly this stain will not leave any brush strokes. It is best to practice on a piece of wood that is the same as your project.
This was a very large project that took my wife and I about 83 hours to complete over the last 6 months. We are very please with all the products we purchased from TWP. We achieved excellent results!!! We have had many people drive by our home and slow down to look at our porch. Several people have stopped by to ask us what color and type of stain we used on our porch. It makes us very proud that people we don’t even know stop by to recognize our beautiful porch. Thank you TWP for providing excellent quality products that are easy to apply.
oops, the fourth picture didn’t attach to the orginal post for some reason.
This Log cabin was originally stained with TWP 5 years ago. Obviously it was time for a good cleaning and new coat. Homeowner was more than happy to reuse the same product. First we used the Gemini Cleaner and brighter kit, followed by TWP 100 series Rustic Oak. We ended up purchasing 25 Gallons (i’ll explain later) We did a combination of spraying then brushing in the stain. Definitely learned a bit of a lesson when it comes to spraying overhangs, ceilings, porches like the ones on this cabin. We wasted alot of stain from dripping after we sprayed it on. Yes, we were also brushing it in as soon as we sprayed. Maybe since the cabin had been previously stained it wasn’t soaking in as fast as it would if it had not been stained, this could definitely be the case under the porch ceiling where there is no exposure to sunlight or rain, original stain seemed to still look great; this is where we lost most of the stain; I know it should’ve been common sense. I know there is a percentage of stain you lose when spraying verses brushing but didn’t expect it to be this bad. Although it does make sense now, when we stain a fence we spray enough on for it to run so I shouldn’t have expected anything different from a overhang. I’m sure this was a lesson 101 but I like the old fashion way of learning how to do things correctly (learn the hard way). After we completed the front porch, which is where we wasted most of the stain. we started spraying a little less at a time and focused more on brushing, this should’ve been our strategy from the start. My concern was getting a brush to easily maneuver around the logs to ensure a smooth finish. I found a soft bristle brush that worked wonders with the TWP stain, actually since this job I’ve started using the same brush head for all of my stain projects. It helps by ensuring a much smoother finish and keeps the stain from drying unevenly. We don’t get too many calls for houses or cabins (this was the first one) We had to rent some scaffolding to reach the spots at the top. This job is located in Hardin, Texas which is about an hour and half East of Houston. When I first took this phone call the customer mentioned they needed a log cabin stained. My first reaction was great, I know a great product that we can use. Then the customer continues to qualify the lead by telling me they originally stained with TWP 5 years ago. That’s a smart customer and I made sure to complement them. The finished pictures didn’t come out so great due to the sun already setting. I didn’t realize this until after we made it back home. I probably should invest in a actual camera for good quality photos instead of relying on my phone. I would like some tips on how to effectively use the Gemini Cleaner and restore kit, we followed the instructions step by step but I felt like it should’ve worked better with brightening some of the darker spots. Thanks for reading my story, hopefully it can help in one way or another.
TWP Contest – Started my fence project April 2018 by hand with a pad and brush! Due to being busy, weather in Chicagoland, my fence being mostly a shadow box fence, having to do both sides being my fence on a corner lot, I finally finished this month. Almost a year and a half later! After power washing with two of the TWP cleaner, I used two TWP brighteners and 15 gallons of TWP 1500 California Redwood Stain for the job. My fence looks amazing and being on a corner lot at the entrance of a subdivision, I get asked a lot what stain I used. Happy to recommend TWP. Thank you TWP. Very happy with the results!
Can the same stains be used on wood and concrete?
No, TWP is for wood only.
There are 2 pics for before, during and after. The picture with the chairs is a before pic used by the previous owners when selling the home.
Our deck is over 17 years old and was not maintained very well. Roughly 800+ square feet. Made of cedar everywhere except the railings and one set of step boards. Those were built using pressure treated wood which were left bare and weathered for a little over 1 year. The deck was completely power washed 2 times (3 times in some sections) over the period of a few days and then completely sanded. We had originally planned to use TWP 1530 Natural on deck boards and railings then use TWP 1503 Dark Oak on all remaining verticals to have two different tones of stain. With the different types of woods we were able to achieve the same look only using TWP 1530 Natural. We put two coats on everything except the deck boards and used hand brushes everywhere to make sure that every corner, crack and edge were properly covered. My wife and I are extremely happy with the outcome of our project.
Bamboo wood deck. Used restore a deck A/B, light sand and TWP California rewood.
My wife and I were staining a very large dock located in Florida, where the sun and weather can be brutal.
Florida’s weather can be challenging, 95 one day and rain the next. We started the prep work and WOW the dock looked like it was built yesterday…. Can’t say enough about what a great product Gemini Cleaner and Brightener is for prepping old weathered wood back to its original look. Just sprayed it on with my trusty pump sprayer and waited. I had to keep wetting the surface because it said not to let dry and being in Florida with full sun in 90-degree heat, well it was a challenge. Used the pressure washer on the lowest setting and magically a new deck appeared. I have a pic showing a section before and after.
I like many others had trouble remembering that I was staining, not painting. I was obsessed with making the wood soak up more and more stain. We used TWP 100 Cape Cod Gray.
If I can make a few suggestions that I learned:
1. Wet on Wet means just that the wood can only soak up so much stain. I did spray it on sort of heavy, but the wood absorbed it just fine. Then I used a stain pad which worked great and applied another coat on top of that. This is where you need to stop!!! Even if the wood looks like it is still soaking up more stain.
2. When applying the stain with the pad stay with the grain. Don’t go against the grain it will show.
Thanks for a great product! Our dock looks great!
Do a wipe down after 2 hours of applying the sealer. Always do coatings in the shade. Ive done over 2k deck.
Here is the Deck before and after
Before….
Our house was rebuilt strong, better and raised after Super Storm Sandy 2012
We moved back in 1 year ago and have three decks. Waited one year for pressure treated pine to weather. Power washed and lightly sanded 80 grit boards on back deck with stairs(both sides). Applied TWP 1500 in Dark Oak. Could not be happier with results. Front two decks are next
Our deck had been stained with TWP 1500 Series stain color Pecan for the past 5 years. The best stain we ever used. This year my wife decided that the Pecan color was too “dark”, which resulted in me having to strip the old stain off the deck. I pressure washed the deck, and then used RAD stripper and brightner kit. The first pictures I have attached are just as I was as I was beginning the project.
I then applied TWP 1500 Series stain color Natural to the wood. The deck floor is pine while the seating, flower box and railings are cedar. The result is amazing!! See attached pictures of the finished product.
We had a party this past weekend and the compliments on the deck were nonstop. You will be getting quite a few new customers from the Bucks County area.
While the work this year was time consuming, it was well worth the effort. Thanks for the great product.
We have approximately 1200 Sq. feet of deck, consisting of an upper deck, main deck and spa deck. A large 100 year old maple tree makes it difficult to keep the decks clean. Our decking combines areas under roofing, a wet area near the hot tub and other areas that get sun during part of the day. With so much decking we also wanted something that would go on easily. We were looking for a product that would address all these issues and TWP does just that.
We began the project by cleaning the entire deck with Gemini 895 Restore Cleaner and Brightener then brushed on TWP 1500 Natural finish with the wet on wet application. We used 2 kits of Gemini 895 and a 5 gallon drum of TWP 1500 Natural finish.
We refinished our front porch (and two side stairways not pictured) this year with TWP Redwood 102. The original porch was 7 years old, finished with whatever the builder probably figured was cheap. The finish had completely failed, was flaking and was covered in mold and mildew.
We prepped with Restore-A-Deck stripper, then sanded the remaining semi solid stain and mildew penetrated wood off. Then I used Restore-A-Deck brightener and finally the TWP Redwood 102. I found a 4 inch trim roller and a standard brush worked best for this project since we don’t have long stretches of decking.
The result is beautiful and I was surprised at how little stain we needed.
I have an approximate 20 year old 350 sq. ft. treated wood deck. Over the years I have tried several different brands of stain, but once I tried TWP, it’s the only one that I will use. For the last 3-4 applications (about 8 years) I have used 105 Cape Cod Grey. In the past I used a pad applicator but had trouble keeping a wet edge – the longest stretch of board is about 36′. This year, after prepping the deck with a deck brightener and scrub brush, I used the Wooster Bravo Stainer 5.5″ brush. The Bravo staining brush worked great – it holds a lot of stain and I was able to maintain a wet edge in about 80 degree temps. We finished the staining in about 2/3 the time compared with the pad applicator (90 minutes with my wife cutting around the screen porch and house). I think it looks great especially considering the age of the decking.
We have an upper and lower deck that we just love and so I knew I needed the best stain to continue to enjoy them for years to come. After doing research I decided on TWP stain. I ordered the Gemini Restoration kit and a 5 gallon bucket of TWP 1500 stain in the Redwood color. Shipment was fast and the cleaning products were amazing. The stain was beautiful and using the Deck Stain Calculator I knew exactly how much was needed. I literally had just a thin layer at the bottom of the bucket when I was finished. It was a lot of work but it turned out amazing!! So glad I went with TWP !!
I have about 2 gals. of TWP stain in the bottom of the 5 gal. can which is in the consistency of jello. Can I thin it with mineral spirits or some other solvent chemical and continue to use it?
Sorry but no.
We selected TWP 1500 Series in Cedartone Natural for our 2019 deck restoration project. We have lived in our house for 3 years, trying a different stain each year, and not being satisfied with the outcome. My parents used TWP products on projects at the house I grew up in so we decided to give it a try! I power-washed the front entryway deck and then applied one coat of the Cedartone Natural Stain. The deck absorbed it perfectly and dried to be a wonderful color. We are completely satisfied with our purchase and project!
We built a shed and I wanted to match to the color of the fence TWP 1500 Pecan. You can see the before pic in Pecan, which didn’t come out as I liked because the shed is Pine and the Fence was Cedar so it didn’t take the color the same. After staining the shed Pecan I purchased another 5 gal of TWP 1500 in Dark Oak and did the second coat. Liked it much better and was a match to the fence.
It had been 5 years since my deck had been stained (with Cabot) and it was a dirty mess. I had pressure washed it before discovering TWP. So, after having pressure washed, I stripped it using Restore-A-Deck stripper (actually went back and ordered more stipper), and used the brightener before applying the stain (TWP 100 Series 5 Gallon Cedartone 101). Sorry I don’t have any “before” pics.
It had been 5 years since my deck had been stained (with Cabot) and it was a dirty mess. I had pressure washed it before discovering TWP. So, after having pressure washed, I stripped it using Restore-A-Deck stripper (actually went back and ordered more stipper), and used the brightener before applying the stain (TWP 100 Series 5 Gallon Cedartone 101). Sorry I don’t have any “before” pics.
(forgot the pics)
Hi!
We bought TWP200 11 gallons for our deck and railings.
I used the RAD stripper/brightener kit with chapin 2- gallon sprayer and pressure washer.
Then stained with TWP200 cedartone. Looks great!
Back in February I started by using a 2000 PSI pressure washer and Olympic deck cleaner to clean my deck. It started out gray/black and turned a uniform light gray. I was hoping to get 3 days of dry weather before staining and two days after. I was super paranoid about ruining the finish if it rained too soon after. I had purchased an expensive stain brush but at the very last minute I read a few comments from people who had used paint rollers. In April I finally found a clearing in the weather that timed with the weekend and decided to commence staining. I picked a corner and tested the stain. I was SHOCKED at how easy the stain goes on. My deck soaked it in pretty fast and I realized several things 1) The roller works WAY better than the brush. The brush was better for the cracks between boards 2) The stain is very forgiving compared to latex paint. I ended up applying a quick second coat on horizontal surfaces before the first coat dried. I essentially worked a 10×10 ft section at a time and moved along the deck. I started with a 5 gallon bucket and when I was 1/2 done with the deck, 2/3 of the bucket was gone. I had to apply it more sparingly from then on. Next time I’ll have extra stain on hand. The end result is fantastic. Unfortunately the deck started in such poor condition and absorbed so much stain, I think I’m going to have to apple another coat in the fall. It also spontaneously rained about 3 hours after finishing but it didn’t seem to have hurt anything. I’m impressed.
One pic didn’t upload.
This was TWP 1500 in Cedartone
I built this deck back in March of 2018 from pressure treated pine. In April we prepped the deck with Gemini Cleaner/Brightener, a simple 2 step process and power washed it off. The deck looked great at that point. We followed it up TWP 100 Series Honeytone 115 stain. We applied a 2nd wet on wet coat and it came out beautiful. All my family and friends love it. Thanks from just outside of the deep South of New Orleans,La.
I replaced decking and benches on a 1200 sf, 26 year old SYP treated deck with new SYP treated decking and railings. The old deck was treated with Sherwin Williams Redwood stain. I installed new decking/ railings in June 2018, and allowed the wood to dry/ season for about 9 months before cleaning and brightening with Gemini kit, and staining with 1 coat of TWP 100- Cedartone 101. I am very pleased with the result. I plan to add another coat in the fall.
I had a 3 year old cedar deck which was stained with Cabot’s semi transparent Mahogany stain. It never soaked in wood and peeled and wore off. I used your Stripper, and Brightener with some power washing and sanding, all according to your directions to the letter. I then stained with TWP 1500, Rustic, stain. Utilized the wet on wet 2 coat application. I am thrilled with outcome, although a lot of work for me. I hope this stain has penetrated and holds up for couple of years. I am now 69 years old and don’t want to strip again. Very pleased and appreciative of all your help. Please consider me an entry into contest. Thanks again. Maureen
Hmm doesn’t like them for some reason! Here’s the other before picture :/
2019 Spring Entry – (Continued) Only posted half of the pictures, made sure the total size of all four was less than 1MB but lost half of them when posted. So here’s the other two!
2019 Spring Entry – 20+ year old pressure treated pine stained with a Sherman Williams solid stain around 6 years ago by previous owners. Stripped and Brightened with TWP RAD kit and then stained with one coat of TWP 1501 Cedartone.
New Sky Deck 2018.. 1st coat last June 2018, 2nd coat this June 2019. Used a two-tone effect to create a rich elegance … coated 50% of boards with Black Walnut and other 50% of boards with Dark Oak (both 1500 Series)
After
Inexpensive deck, weathered over two years, cleaned with Gemini RAD. Then stained with TWP Honeytone 115.
Three deck sections, three projects. Here’s the photos for the third deck that exceeded photo limit in prior post. Color, series and prep notes in previous post.
Three sections of decking wrap around the house. All were coated in solid stain and were sanded by hand. Center covered deck is series 1500 coated in California redwood and black walnut accents. Center deck is bookended by 1500 series redwood. The cedar siding on the house is four year old 1500 natural (hand sanded for prep) followed by redwood this year. Color will lighten slightly. Before and after a for each project posted. Now to enjoy summer 2019!!
Sandy Fuhrman 6/2/2019 We power washed to prep,and used TWP Series 1500 Cedartone 1501. Quite pleased with the outcome.
Sorry, looks like one of the pictures failed to load properly. Here is the additional before picture.
I had a new deck built for my Park Model on Douglas Lake in Northeast TN back in September. I found TWP stain on the internet and thought I would give it a try. Sure glad that I did! I cleaned and brightened the deck first with the Gemini Cleaner/Brightener kit. A few days later I stained the deck with TWP 120 Pecan. I only applied one coat as per directions on website for a new deck, and plan on re-applying in the Spring of 2021. Since application it has rained and I have to say that you can tell the product is doing its job! Thanks for a great product.
Great product. Used the clear on outside wood furniture and the Cedar tone on my back porch. Planning to do my front porch this year but going with a darker shade than Cedar.
Northern VA-I recently used TWP 103 dark oak on the posts and beams of a screened deck project. Pressure treated pine with about 10 months of drying time, no other prep. Very pleased with the coverage, absorbtion and outcome. We’ll be using the same application on two more large deck projects.
Looks nice!
Thank you very much the stain capped off an 11 month DIY project! Was planning on using Sikkens but was impressed with the amount of online reviews I read as well as the sample I received.
another pic
I have been using TWP stain 100 for our Deck We built 5 years ago. Very happy with it. Last year just for experiment while restaining our deck, we purposely left two deck boards to be stained by another brand (Home depot?) just to compare. After one year, please see the results. uploading the Pictures soon. TWP definitely hold much better. The two planks in the middle have a lot of green algae and black mold than the other planks that were stained by TSP100 year ago
Thanks
Hello, no pictures were uploaded.
I am building a log cabin from antique pine logs from a tobacco barn. What product would you recommend to preserve, yet maintain as much of the originality of the logs? I already bought a gallon of 1500 cedar tone, but think it may alter the appearance too much. The picture is a log I just cleaned.
Thanks
Checkout our photo album to help deter which color you would like: https://www.twpstain.com/twp-1500-series-stain-colors-and-photo-albums/
We also sell samples on this link: https://www.twpstain.com/stain-samples