View Previous TWP Restoration Contests
The TWP Wood Restoration 2023 Contest is closed!
First Place
Ron Cunningham (Page 1)
First Place = $500
Second Place
Trevor (Page 3)
Second Place = $250
Third Place
Rochelle Schaetten (Page 2)
Third Place = $150
Thanks to all the entries this year! All entries were excellent and that made it very hard to choose the winners!
We will be contacting the winners via email.
The TWP 2023 Contest Details
- All TWP and Prep products must be purchased first from this online retail site (TWPStain.com) between January 1st – Sept 6th, 2023.
- The deadline for entry is Sept. 19th, 2022.
- The winner will be decided by Sept. 30th by our team.
Contestant winners will receive
- First Place = $500
- Second Place = $250
- Third Place = $150
How To Enter Contest
- Enter by Sept. 19th, 2023.
- 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. Examples 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.
Done over Labor Day weekend: deck hadn’t been stained in years and had mildewed and dried out under the mostly shady area. I used the semi solid stain in cedar chest and did a two tone affect with a different dark cedar stain that i had from another project. Next up, I plan to use Cabin Fever in the semi solid on the wood siding!
Been using TWP 1500 on our deck and Log home since 2005. This is the original deck.
(delete last comment – this shows the pics in correct before/after order) Contest entry – One part of my deck was built in 2018 and the newer part attached to it was built last fall – all of it is pressure treated wood. I cleaned and scrubbed the entire deck and used Restore a Deck wood brightener on the older part to get it to more closely match the newer wood. I used TWP 1500 series Cedartone stain to complete the project. I used a combo of a brush, pad applicator and spray pump (for the lattice) to apply 2 coats of stain. It looks great and the older and newer parts match well.
Contest entry – One part of my deck was built in 2018 and the newer part attached to it was built last fall – all of it is pressure treated wood. I cleaned and scrubbed the entire deck and used Restore a Deck wood brightener on the older part to get it to more closely match the newer wood. I used TWP 1500 series Cedartone stain to complete the project. I used a combo of a brush, pad applicator and spray pump (for the lattice) to apply 2 coats of stain. It looks great and the older and newer parts match well.
I built our deck in 2012 using clear cedar. When it came time to put a treatment on the deck I used a product that some had given a positive review about on the web so I spent about $500 purchasing 7 or 8 gallons. Within the third year it was painfully apparent I had made a bad choice.
I then researched contractortalk.com and found so much high praise for TWP I decided to use it to rectify the mistaken path I took. I first had to sand my already grey ugly deck back down to bare wood again and a pleasantly surprised to discover it not to be the terrible ordeal I thought it would be.
From the first rain and ever after I’ve been thrilled with the result of using TWP. I used it for my own decks and for four others on rental houses.
As can be seen in the third picture taken this morning it sheds water like a duck’s back.
P.S. The stain I use is TWP 1501 Pecan
pps – oops, 1520 pecan
We built our 2 tiered deck in 2020, finally got around to staining it. Did some research on stains and decided to move forward with TWP oil based stain. We were told oil based stain was the best option for the metal spindles, as, any excess would wipe off the metal. We purchased 3, 5 Gallons of the TWP 1500 Series Pecan. See also decided on using a Wagner Flexio 5000 sprayer. Pressure washed deck 3 days prior. Day of, we prepped around the house and pool with plastic. Took 5 hours to prep and 5 hours to stain. We also used a stain brush on the floor of the deck to ensure the stain penetrated into the wood. We could not be happier with the finished look!
35+ year old bi-level cedar deck with outer benches, 2 sets of steps, and skirting (600+ sq ft)
Step 1: R-A-D Stripper/Brightener Kit to remove a PPG water based stain that had failed
Step 2: Because of benches I could not remove all of the original stain with power washer so I ended up sanding everything with a 80 grit orbital sander.
Step 3: Another coat of R-A-D Brightener because the nice people at TWP helpline told me I would get better results.
Step 4: Applied 2 coats wet on wet of TWP 100 Series in the Pecan 120 (started with a forecast of clear skies, as I neared the end of staining rain clouds filled the sky – I trembled as clouds held back as they passed overhead.)
Step 5: After drying for 48 hours I replaced deck furniture, poured myself a cold one, and enjoyed the view!
Step 6: Hosted lots of guests and parties throughout the summer and got lots of complements on my beautiful deck (making the project so worthwhile!)
This deck was built just before I bought the home about 9 years ago with pressure treated lumber. I had used Ready Seal previously and found it to fade quickly as I get lots of sun. I needed to stain again this year but realized a lot of the railing and some posts were rotted out. I replaced the railings completely with a new style and decided to stain what I could while the new wood weathered. After reading a lot of reviews for the best stain with UV protection, I bought TWP Semi Solid Pro Series in two colors: Thunderstorm & Super Cedar. Along with the stain, I ordered the RAD stain stripper/cleaner bundle as well. The flooring of the deck I did in Super Cedar and the rest in Thunderstorm (the railings will be too once I can stain the wood).
Earlier this year we rebuilt our deck with pressure treated pine. After letting it age for 6 months we applied the cleaner from the Gemini Restore-A-Deck Kit and pressure washed. After letting it dry, we applied TWP 100 honeytone 115 stain. The results from this high quality product are great!
TWP 2023 contest. This is our cedar deck that was stripped and restained with TWP 1500 Pecan. We love the color and how it turned out!
2 additional picture
Our deck and screened-in porch are our home sanctuary. We had it all refurbished 7 years ago and stained with California Cedar 205. It is standard pressure treated lumber, but has a beautiful nature color and glow when the sun hits. I power wash once a year with straight vinegar in reservoir to control black mold and green algae. I lightl sand and stain flat deck every 2-3 yrs and rails have looked good for 5. Thank you TWP for the highest quality product that makes more time for serenity with less work.
Our deck had years of stain buildup so we started with Restore-A-Deck. So easy to use and the results removed all the stain to the bare wood! Part of the deck is exposed to all day sun so we used the TWP 99 Pro Series! We also wanted a two- toned deck so Cabin Fever was stained on the spindles and railings producing a dark wood finish.
Heartwood was used for the floor but was a little too red so we toned it down by adding 2 quarts of Cabin Fever to the gallon and got the look we wanted!
We used two coats for the finished look!
Here are my photos
Here are pictures from my deck project. My deck is 35 years old. I used the Gemini Restore Clean Kit to prepare it for topcoating. Attached are 2 pictures showing the results. Attached are 2 pictures showing the finished project after top coating. I used Cedar Tone 100 using the brush also purchased from TWP that is a must have for ease of use. Although this is my first time entering the contest, I have been using TWP products for my years.
No pics.
TWP 2023 Contest: custom pergola with hardscape project. Pergola wood is new pressure treated lumber: 6x6x12 posts; 10x2x16 beams, 8x2x16 & 6x2x16 rafters. Allowed pergola to weather 6 months after construction; applied TWP 1503 Dark Oak stain in spring of 2023. Used cleaner brightener prior to staining as directed. Recommend to tarp over brick pavers to avoid white film from cleaning solutions; however, film does come off pavers with washing so no worries. Project required two gallons of stain for single coat application. Stain primarily applied with pads; also used brush for narrow sides and rags to wipe off excess stain. One man week to complete project (full-time).
gorgeous!!! Now you can come on down to my house and build me one!!! hahahah
really stunning and will be beautiful for years.
Thank you! My wife and I love the result and enjoy spending time there. Definitely worth the investment and effort.
Replaces all screws. Replaced damaged/warped boards. Sanded severe inch of ramp. Painted rail trim. Stained rail slats and ramp floorboards using TWP Cedar Tone 101 purchased from Hootens in Emory TX.
where are you shipping from? more than 1 location? I’m in NJ & placed an order and wondering how long it will take to receive
We are in MI. Takes 2-3 business days to ship to NJ.
Before stripping deck had behr deckover applied which was peeling.
Used angel grinder and dimablade disc to strip the surface, used gemini cleaner and brightner applied TWP 1500 semi transparent rustic stain.
how long will it take to be shipped and received
That varies based on where you live. Anywhere for 2-6 business days.
We had a new deck built in 2022 and waited 6 months or so prior to staining in 2023. The product we used was TWP 120 Pecan mainly because the contractor who built our deck had recommended this product.
TWP 2023 Contest: My 20+ year old 700sq ft deck was in desperate need of a redo and was painted with deck paint roughly 3 years ago. Priced out new deck boards… ugh, opted to pay for my kids college instead $$$. Since the original deck boards are 2×6’s I decided to flip the board instead of sanding, good choice, yay for me. After removing all of the (3,575) nails I cut 1 foot off each end due to checking and splitting. I screwed them back down with 3 1/2 inch deck screws. Working on a budget I went with the Gemini Cleaner/Brightener Kit and the 1500 Series Dark Oak 1503. The cleaner/brightener Kit alone made the 20 year old treated deck boards look like new. Applying the stain was super easy and went on flawlessly with a lambs wool pad. Using your wet over wet technique not only gave the deck boards a rich color but will ensure to protect it from the elements here in the Carolinas. Thanks TWP for such superior products and saving me a potential huge expense.
We built this giant 3-level deck 10 years ago & we normally power wash and stain it every year but I t was not stained for 2 years and in rough shape. The first day of prep we used Oxy Clean to power wash, let it dry overnight and then followed up with TWP101 PRO-SERIES
CEDARTONE. We purchased the 5 gallon bucket and used about 4 gallons in total. It took a total of 5 hours to complete this project with 7 people helping to get it done. We would never consider using another product, this stain is so easy to apply and seems intuitive with the wood. Our deck always looks so stoic and majestic after a fresh stain thanks to TWP. Plus is wears well with the relentless sun it receives in summer and the hefty snow and ice from harsh MN winters.
Lovely product to work with. First I pressure washed the deck and then used the TWP Total Cedar Gold. Love the results!! Thank you!
TWP 200 Series Total Cedar Gold.
What is the difference between no UV and UV protection 1500 series. Does it really make a difference?
If you want to prevent UV graying then it must be a tinted color, not the Clear. The Clear will gray naturally.
Follow up on previous post. These are photos of a larger section of fence after two maintainance coats of twp 100 redwood after 5 plus years of original finish. Pressure washed to prep
Hello, I put light maintenance coats (2) of redwood twp100 on my cedar fence this weekend. I covered 3600 square feet with a pump sprayer and back brush. I used a pressure washer to clean and prep the fence. The initial stain was put on 5 years ago so it was ready. If you look closely you can see the “before” condition on the gate on the left side of the photo as I am going to hand coat the four gates.
Shed Ceiling Project: After demolishing my old deck i took the wood that wasn’t completely rotted. Cut it into 16 inch slabs then sliced it into shingles using a table saw. I stained it with TWP 1511 California Redwood and nailed it to the joists in my shed making an interesting ceiling.
Deck rebuild project: I let it age for 6 months then cleaned and brightened with Restore-A-Deck and stained with TWP 1511 california redwood.
This was a huge project cleaning, brightening and staining a 50 year old log cabin that has never been touched since it was built.
I purchase the TWP 200 series California Cedar that I put on the exterior logs and the deck. The Color is excellent and was exactly what I was looking for. The stain applied evenly, soaked into the wood and brought life back to this neglected cabin.
I also purchased the 200 series butternut brown stain that I applied to my cedar sided house. This again made the house look new and hydrated the wood beautifully.
Great products.
Project: I bought my house in February and wanted to take care of the cedar fence the previous owners had somewhat recently installed (~1 year) around the whole property. I live in Utah, where the intense UV can really degrade wood and stains quickly – I knew TWP would make the fence look fantastic and protect it from weathering and warping.
Prep: I prepped first by pressure washing on a low setting/30 degree nozzle and wiped down the wood. I used TWP Restore-A-Deck Cleaner, paying attention to any particularly dirty areas, but it was pretty clean since it is so new.
Stain: I stained the entire fence using TWP 1500 in Black Walnut. I used the recommended 1 coat for new wood and will go back again next year. Even though it took a while, I just used a brush to apply the stain for full control over the amount applied (especially to pay attention to any areas where I needed to backbrush) and for efficient use of the product.
Results: The pictures speak for themselves! I absolutely love the color and how it brings out the grain, and VERY highly recommend the product to anyone. My neighbors came out and asked what product I was using since it looked so good, and made sure I was going to stain their side of the fence as well (yes, for max protection and as a good neighbor :)) The wood soaked up the stain nicely and I’m certain that the protective qualities will make my fence stay in tip-top shape!
This is a traditional lattice trellis I bought from a home sale in Houston. I stored it for awhile and finally got it out and washed it throughly with a brush and Murphy soap. Rinsed well and then allowed to air dry for 2 days.
I then used TWP 102 REDWOOD stain and applied a heavy coat.
I will be mounting it on posts when I get those done, but for now this is what they ended up like and I love it! This stain is awesome!
I have been using TWP for 10 years and very happy with the product. Several years ago I was short on product and had to buy another brand. What a difference. The other product was far less reliable.
My project included a pool deck and upper deck off of the kitchen totalling 1,400 sf. The deck was sanded down from textured deckover solid pain/stain which took absolutely forever to sand down. Start to finish the project took me a year working on weather dependent weekends and evenings. Sanded to 120 grit, Used the Gemini II cleaning and brightening solution, then stained with 2 parts dark oak, 1 part natural. We couldn’t be happier with the results or the stain. Thanks TWP!
My project is a newly expanded boat dock on Lake Guntersville on the TN River. The dock was too small to accommodate our boat and the dock and decking were expanded by 5 feet to accommodate the boat, grandchildren, swimming, fishing and relaxing.
I first rinsed with water and then used TWP 200 Series in Cedartone. This is our new favorite place for family and friends.
Is the deck a stripper?
??
after reading all the responses to questions I still can’t decide which stain would be best – 100 or 1500. I’m in Eastern IA. So since you have to put 2 coats on, would it be beneficial to use 100 for the first coat and 1500 for the second?
Thanks
No, you cannot intermix coats. Use the 100 Series.
Our deck is approximately 650 Square feet. I prepped it with restore-a-deck cleaner and brighter. The before pictures are after using the cleaner and brighter. I used TWP 1503 dark oak. We love how it turned out. This was my first time using TWP products. The employee I spoke to on the phone explained exactly how to use all of the products and I will definitely be using TWP again. Thank you
My project is a newish front porch. The old front porch was removed spring 2022 and a new similarly sized front porch rebuilt. This spring the plan was to finally get it stained after sufficient time to allow the wood to dry. Prepped the wood with Restore-A-Deck Wood Brightener then applied TWP 1500 in Pecan.
My 27-year-old deck has 7 levels to it and wraps around the house, which is hard to depict in just 2 photos. It is 9000 square feet! I retired this year and have more time than money, so I decided to tackle it myself. I used a mixture of 2 parts of TWP 1501 Cedartone to 1 part of TWP 201 Cedartone. (This is a recipe from someone who stained it previously). I spent 2 days washing and scrubbing with a deck brush with regular dish soap. It was a daunting task. I broke it into sections and stained one section for each of the next 6 days. It turned out beautifully and that gave me the inspiration to keep on keepin’ on until it was finally finished! Notice how dry and colorless the wood was and now water just beads up on it after a rainstorm! If a 70-year-old woman can do this by herself, anyone can!
I stained my deck yesterday, God was good & the weather was perfect! I used the semi solid “Driftwood” and I absolutely LOVE the color, even though it looks nothing like the chart but I did order a sample so I knew exactly what I was getting. The chart makes it look like a tan, but this bad boy is gray with a hint of brown and I love it. The sun really does change the color! Pictures are from different times of the day. It was a brand new pine deck that had weathered 6 months. I prepped three days ahead of time with the Gemini deck cleaner and brightener and boy did it brighten the deck…almost hated to stain it lol. I used a mop pad to apply the stain. It was SUPER easy and I did it by myself. (I am a 66 year old woman!?) I was needing a color to match my dirt when dry because I have a dog that is on this deck more than I am, and she can be a muddy mess! We live in the country and she has free run of the 5 acres. The mud is still there but you just can’t see it with this color! What a WIN for us country folk! ?. Thanks TWP for never getting tired of answering ALL my questions for weeks leading up to “Staining Day” and the final results. I could not be more happy with my choice of stain product! ?
refininished my hardwood deck this year after noticing the severe graying. Used your Restore a Deck before and after using my home sprayer. Followed up with your TWP1530 natural product. Extremely happy with the result. The first picture shows just how grey the wood was when compared to the cleaned wood. Second picture is deck half coated. Great product
After building a new barn at our summer home I wanted to make it look historical yet protect the structure from the harsh seaside weather. TWP 1500 did the trick!
I used TWP Natural on my deck this spring…. Looks Amazing
Two more photos post staining……
Whats the drying time on cedar tone 101 for a closed in deck on screen porch? Was stained about 5 years ago with 101
8-24 hours. Make sure to prep first.
How do I enter the sweepstakes?
My deck is over 35 years old. I went with the twp pecan. I cleaned and used brighter. The deck is now protected from the elements. The whole project took 2-3 weeks with cleaning and staining. Thank TWP i hope i win!
TWP100_5_TWP 100 Series 5 Gallon Gallon Stain Color Cedartone 101
We recently built a new garage using new 1X8 Pine shiplap. We used the TWP 200 Series, Russet (206). It’s a deep orangish brown that is just stunning. I stained all the pine boards on the ground with a roller and paint brush to get in the corners. The final result is so beautiful!
Applied cedar tone to this deck, after using cleaner kit. Looks like new!