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.

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    jb · 06/11/2021
    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
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    jb · 06/11/2021
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 06/11/2021
      No. Heat later in the day rising is not an issue, it is when you are applying.
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    Nick Saucier · 05/08/2021
    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)
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      TWP Stains · 05/08/2021
      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.
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    CJ · 05/05/2021
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 05/05/2021
      The 200 Series can take 2-7 days to cure and even longer if under a covered porch. Best to wait it out.
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    SL_PA · 04/27/2021
    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)? 
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      TWP Stains · 04/27/2021
      -Should be fine with the fire pit.-Best to do touchups now.
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    Paul Agid · 09/12/2020
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 09/12/2020
      Rag and mineral spirits. Saturate all oily rags in water and lay flat to dry outside when done.
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    Anthony Strickland · 08/31/2020
    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
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    Melissa wetzel · 08/03/2020
    Can I stain at night in Louisiana?
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      TWP Stains · 08/03/2020
      Late in the day is okay but it does not sunlight to cure. At night may be pushing it.
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    Liisa · 08/01/2020
    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.
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      TWP Stains · 08/01/2020
      Wait until Spring. Lightly clean room remove dirt first.
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    Tarrah · 07/22/2020
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 07/23/2020
      The only way to fix the water damaged spots would be to strip it all and start over. Brightener after.
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    Louisa Piccione · 07/20/2020
    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
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    Tarrah · 07/14/2020
    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.
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      TWP Stains · 07/14/2020
      Just wait until it fully dries and send a picture.
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    Tarrah · 07/13/2020
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 07/13/2020
      Just let it air dry.
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        Tarrah · 07/13/2020
        @TWP 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)?
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          TWP Stains · 07/13/2020
          24-48 hours.
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            Tarrah · 07/14/2020
            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!
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              TWP Stains · 07/14/2020
              Let it completely dry for a couple of days.
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                Tarrah · 07/14/2020
                Thankyou-I’mquitenervousastherainkeepscomingdailyinshort burstswhilenot beingforecasted. I trulyhopeitisnot goingtoruinthestain.
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                  TWP Stains · 07/14/2020
                  Sorry but no idea what you are asking?
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    Jack · 07/11/2020
    I have a gallon of TWP100 Series from June 2017 tightly sealed. Is it still good to use this year
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      TWP Stains · 07/12/2020
      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.
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    Oliver · 07/10/2020
    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?
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    Jonathan · 07/08/2020
    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?
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    Jeri · 06/15/2020
    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
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      TWP Stains · 06/15/2020
      You really do not need to sand at all.
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    Stain-newbee · 06/15/2020
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 06/15/2020
      No, remove the tarps. It needs air to dry/cure and this may cause issues.
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    Michael Belfoure · 06/14/2020
    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.
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      TWP Stains · 06/14/2020
      No, just leave it. It will be fine.
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        Michael Belfoure · 06/15/2020
        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.
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    Kim · 06/13/2020
    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?
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      TWP Stains · 06/13/2020
      Wait unit the rainwater is dry to assess. If it looks blotchy, you may need to recoat.
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        Kim · 06/13/2020
        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?
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          TWP Stains · 06/13/2020
          It does not need another coat, you are fine.