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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    Burke Wasserman · 10/21/2018
    The deck had TWP1500 dark walnut applied about 3 years ago. Owner wanted to re-stain to get house ready for sale. I power washed the deck only. Some of the old stain did come off. Deck does get direct sun in the afternoon to dry. 2 days later applied a coat of the 1500 with a roller. After a couple of days, owner wanted another coat to blend in areas where the color shade was different due to the uneven removal of the old stain. In both cases of areas of knots and cracks in the board, it looked like sap was bubbling up. About a month later, gray circles started to appear. Another month, the whole deck has turned gray. How do I fix this besides a complete sand strip. More importantly, what went wrong. Burke
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      TWP Stains · 10/22/2018
      Post a picture.
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        Burke Wasserman · 10/22/2018
        Pics. They show the change over time. The areas of gray are on the horizontal boards. I haven't visited the job for over a month and don't know if the verticals are also graying out.
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          TWP Stains · 10/22/2018
          Hello,

          A couple of things were done wrong in the process. For prep, you should have used the Gemini Restore Kit or RAD Stripper/Brightener kit while pressure washing. This would have given a better and more even surface for staining. When applying a second coat, it needs to be done wet on wet. When done wet on dry (as you did), overapplication can result. You can see that this happened in your process as the TWP filmed on top of the wood, instead of in the wood, creating a "shine" to the stain. TWP is not supposed to be shiny.

          As for the white spots in the final, it looks like sap leached out of the wood. Not 100% certain on this. Another possibility is something sitting on top of the TWP since it was over applied. Possibly mineral deposits from water. This should come off with a wet rag if mineral deposits. The TWP stain itself does not turn white/gray so something else caused this.
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            Regan · 07/02/2019
            Hello - I had a similar issue, what solution do you suggest to remedy
            this. I believe this was wet on dry, 12 hours out of a rainstorm
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              TWP Stains · 07/03/2019
              The white is sap leeching out of the wood. Try a solvent to clean. The shine to the wood was because it was over-applied and the second coat was not done wet on wet.
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                Regan · 07/09/2019
                1) Does leeching mean the boards were not weathered long enough ?

                2) Will the shine fade or do I need to sand and re-apply 2 coats wet on wet for the desired look ?

                3) Will the stain always appear shiny if applied wet on dry ? Or simply becasue too much was applied ?

                4) I have another deck that never received a second coat, it has been in the elements for a year, does it need to be fully sanded to bare wood or just scuffed up to apply the new application ?
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    Mike · 10/15/2018
    I built a pergola with rough redwood and stained it about 2 months ago. It dried nicely and looks great. BUT, we got our first rain shower since we stained/built the pergola and to my surprise, my entire concrete patio where the pergola was built over is cover with oil stains. I don’t understand what happened and why it did but it appears as if the rain stripped some of the stain off the wood...any idea what happened? Should we expect this to happened every time it rains or is this just a one off incident?? The stains appear to be coming from all pieces rafter/beams fron the pergola.
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      Michelle Ceccarini · 11/22/2018
      I am having the same issue with my Pergolla. The stain is running down my cast stone columns. I stained the redwood about 2 months ago. Would anyone know how to clean that stain off of my columns. I’m sure I applied the stain heavy.
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      LakeStatePaintingMN · 10/16/2018
      You can go to your local paint store and purchase a quality graffiti remover and use that to remove the excess stain residue that never penetrated and never cured and washed off when it rained.

      ***Follow the directions on the can***

      ***A quality high pressure powerwasher is helpful***


      I'm a professional stain contractor who deals with this stuff all the time, it just happened to me on a new large pergola that was standing over a large new slab of concrete last month :) fun fun
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      TWP Stains · 10/15/2018
      TWP is a full curing stain so this should not happen unless over applied. It should be a one and only issue.
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    sarah.amann@att.net · 10/04/2018
    How long does it take TWP to cure before we can pressure wash the siding with detergent/chemical?
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    Jeri · 09/05/2018
    Should 2 coats be applied to a newly sanded deck? Paint store said second coat must be applied while first coat is still wet.true??
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      TWP Stains · 09/05/2018
      Sanded wood typically can only take one coat of stain.
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    Bob · 08/31/2018
    Hello, I can not catch a break with our Chicago weather, as usual, for the last month and a half. Rain and/or high heat and humidity has been our weather literally almost every day. I need to start staining my fence because the prepped wood is starting to dark. What is the least amount of time needed to be absolutely safe before it rains? I keep seeing different times between 4 and 48 hours. Right now, Im struggling just trying to get 24 hours of no rain after applying and the weather forecast is showing rain every day for the next week. I am using 1500 California Redwood. Id like to finish my fence project soon! Thanks! Bob.
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      TWP Stains · 09/01/2018
      12-24 hours after applying before rain.
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    Brooke · 08/08/2018
    Do you need to seal this with a clear coat?
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      TWP Stains · 08/08/2018
      No. You cannot seal over the TWP stains.
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    Dan · 06/26/2018
    I used Benjamin Moore stripper and B-M Restore brightener.
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    Jay · 06/22/2018
    Bought some PT 6" x 6" x 12' posts to border a gravel driveway and they are "Home Depot Wet", I really do not want to handle them twice (200' anchored with rebar) and cant really justify waiting a year to place them. Not super concerned with the quality of the appearance but don't want to "trap" any moisture causing rot from the inside out. My experience with PT wood, even ground contact grade, has not been favorable so i want to help it last a little longer with TWP. Thoughts?
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      TWP Stains · 06/23/2018
      Hello,

      You cannot pre-stain this and you cannot coat all sides with TWP. You would need to install, let weather for 4-12 months, and then prep and stain only the exposed wood.
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    Virginia · 06/02/2018
    How long after you apply the product before you can put furniture etc back on the deck?
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      TWP Stains · 06/03/2018
      24-48 hours. Just make sure the stain is dry and not tacky.
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    Jeff · 05/18/2018
    I finally have a chance (time) to apply TWP to my fence. There is rain in the forecast for tomorrow (and for the next 7 days). So if I apply today, I will have a minimum of 15-18 hours of guaranteed no rain.. Your thoughts.
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    Dave · 05/09/2018
    We stripped and used a brightener prior to staining, waited 2 days for the deck to completely dry. I stained the deck last year with TWP and it dried in under 12 hours. This year 24 hours later the deck is still not dry. I bought the stain last year, does it go bad? Any solutions
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      TWP Stains · 05/10/2018
      It might have gone bad if it was an opened container or you may not have prepped correctly this year prior to applying. Let it dry/cure for a few days and see if that helps.
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    Rich Wold · 05/09/2018
    We stripped and stained our deck 2 years ago. This year we power washed, waited a couple of days and applied another coat. The stain didn't dry completely after a day and a half of sunny 80 degree weather. Any ideas?
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      TWP Stains · 05/09/2018
      Did you use the Gemini Restore Kit this year while pressure washing? It most likely was not prepped correctly this year so it has not been able to dry or cure correctly. if it another few days to dry and hopefully that helps.
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    Angela · 03/26/2018
    We applied a maintenance coat this year to our deck. About 10 hours after we apply the steam it rain a lot. We now have areas where the steam has left circles and splotch marks on the deck surface. What do you recommend we do? If you’re going to recommend sanding, could we use a big sander or do we have to use a small handheld sander?
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    Lois Engbretson · 02/04/2018
    My deck is 4 years old. My dogs have scratched the heck out of it. I used TWP and put another light coat on each year. However it needs to be completely redone due to the wear and tear by the dogs. Should I use a stripper or do I have to send it.
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    Robert goldsborough · 10/24/2017
    I have some small areas on my deck where the stain is still sticky after 48 hrs. The deck was completely dry after pressure washing 48 hrs before application. I tried to remove any excess stain from the deck when applied. Will these spots eventually dry?
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    Ralph Murphy · 10/18/2017
    I keep trying DEW but dumb phone does few. Sorry
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    Ralph Murphy · 10/18/2017
    That posting didn’t turn out so good. I applied twp after power washing and drying 2-3 days. No rain forecast but there a few every morning. Sunny spots are dry but shaded spots are tacky after 30 hrs. Gonna be ok?
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      TWP Stains · 10/19/2017
      Yes, it will be okay and will fully cure/dry.
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    TWP Stains · 09/02/2017
    Pat3:
    My new never stained cedar deck had been drying for 48 hours after I cleaned & brightened it. We got a quick light drizzle last night. The deck seems fairly dry this morning, no water sitting on it. Should I still wait another 24 hours before applying stain? Thanks

    Yes. 24-48 hours after a rain.
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    Pat3 · 09/02/2017
    My new never stained cedar deck had been drying for 48 hours after I cleaned & brightened it. We got a quick light drizzle last night. The deck seems fairly dry this morning, no water sitting on it. Should I still wait another 24 hours before applying stain? Thanks
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    John Solomon · 08/31/2017
    I have a 1 year old cedar deck. Builder was very explicit in telling me not to stain until one year had passed. Hired a professional crew. Well worth the $. They cam in and did a chemical wash/prep. This is a 2nd story, covwered deck, with three 2 story support beams. Cedar rail with iron spindles. They let chem wash dry 24 hours. Now applying stain to everything-even the underside. Natural Cedar. I am going to wait 60 hours before putting furniture, grill and rugs & planters back on the surface. Lucky to have a 4 day window with no rain forecast. Looks like a great product, used properly by professionals.