These calculations will help you determine the square footage for the proper amount of stain and prepping supplies needed to refinish your deck or fence using TWP 100 or TWP 1500 Series.
This is intended to provide you with an approximate estimate only. Material requirements may vary according to application method, surface condition, and weather conditions.
Prepping Options
- Gemini Restore Kit. This will be used for new, gray, dirty decks and for applying TWP over an intact older coating of TWP.
- Restore-A-Deck Stripper and Restore-A-Deck Brightener. This is used for removing old coatings of stain. Use this if you are switching from a different brand to TWP or if you have a neglected coating of TWP that has failed unevenly.
Deck Sq. Footage
Flooring Length x width =?
Railing Length x height =?
Steps Width x Depth x #of Steps =?
Add up all 3 for the Total Sq. footage.
Fence Sq. Footage
Length x height =?
Multiply x 2 for both sides = Total Sq. Footage
Coverage Rate for TWP Stains
The specified coverage rate for TWP is 150-200 square feet per gallon for the first coat. Second will apply at 200-300 per gallon. This averages to about 100-125 sq. feet per gallon for 2 coats wet on wet. From this, and from measuring the surface you can calculate how much stain you need. For more aged wood you could easily factor in some extra stain. On newer wood that is still smooth and dense, you probably are not going to use as much.
For maintenance coats you are not going to use near as much stain as you did initially staining bare wood. There are just way too many variables to know the exact coverage rate of TWP for sure. There is really no way of knowing exactly how much stain you will need. It is better to buy more than you need than to not have enough. You can always save left over stain for next time. TWP has a shelf life of 1 year if opened and 3 years unopened as long as the can is properly resealed.
If you have questions, please ask below.
Please explain math in this statement of yours:
“The specified coverage rate for TWP is 150-200 square feet per gallon for the first coat. Second will apply at 200-300 per gallon. This averages to about 100-125 sq. feet per gallon for 2 coats wet on wet.”
How did you arrive the average of 100-125 sq. ft., but not 175-250 sq. ft per gal each coat?
You need to treat each coat individually, not the average of the two.
Example Deck that is 500 Sq feet:
The first coat applies at 150-200 sq. feet per gallon. You would use 2/3 (a little over 3 gallons) of the 5-gallon pail.
The second coat applies at 200-300 sq. feet per gallon. You would use about 1/3 (1-2 gallons) of the 5-gallon pail.
*When done, you used around 5 gallons for 500 Sq. feet or around 100-125 sq. feet per gallon for the 2 coats needed.
I see your logic. Actually, your example would produce 85-120 sq ft/gal coverage, 2 coats, accordingly for the lower coverage numbers of 150 and 200 sq. ft, and for the higher coverage numbers 200 and 300 sq. ft.
One can calculate the coverage for 2 coats by using this formula:
2 coats coverage = Cov.1st x Cov.2nd / Cov.1st + Cov.2nd).
Check it out.
Then, divide your area into that number, to calculate total gal qty. of the needed material.
I haven’t yet determined which color (Cedar or Redwood) to use.
My deck is 442 square feet. How many gallons of TWP1501(Cedar) would I need for 2 coats?
How many gallons of TWP1511(Redwood) would I need for 2 coats?
What other products would I need and how much of each to refinish my deck if it is Redwood, but weathered to a brown color by sunlight, rain and living by the coast.
The deck was previously stained 2 years ago with a Cabot solid stain most likely, but it’s possible they used a Cabot semi-solid stain with sealer.
4-5 gallons for two coats applied wet on wet. Color does not matter.
You cannot use TWP stains unless you fully power sand off the Cabot solid stain first.
Our contractor is telling us that he cannot stain our deck with TWP till night time temps maintain at 55 degrees and higher. We are located near Buffalo NY. This could actually put us into like mid June as weather is pretty unpredictable in the Spring. What are your thoughts on this?
It should be 55 or above while applying and for 4-6 hours after. It cannot drop below freezing the first night of staining.
Way upstate NY in snow country. Can 1500 be used with good results on outdoor Douglas fir flooring? Has a roof but doesn’t offer much rain and snow protection
Yes, the TWP 1500 will work well here. Is this new wood?
2yrs old but contractor has redone 2x’s. Wrong product turned black in 2 weeks resanded again. Then had Cabot’s Australian oil and didn’t apply correctly. Lots of brush strokes and too thin. Company said give it a year before you strip and stain. Told me you needed to use more product for size of porch. At 75 would like to have it done but not sure if what the next guy wants to use called ready seal.
Make sure they strip and brighten for prep to fully remove the Cabot. We would suggest not sanding for the prep.
How much stain and brightness will I need for 250sq. ft. Porch?
One Stripper and Brightener Prep kit and 2 gallons of stain should work.
Hello, I have a new rough cedar pergola which has aged about 6 months. I’m going to clean and brighten and then stain with TWP 100 Dark Oak. Just 1 coat? For 435 sq. ft. – 2 gallons should do it? Thanks for your help and this amazing site.
For rough sawn, you will need two coats wet on wet. About 3-4 gallons.
I have 240 feet of fence only one side needs produced 1530. Fence is 6 ft tall. How much might I need?
10-12 gallons for the two coats applied wet on wet.
I have a customer that would like to have the 200 series on his cedar shake roof. It’s either a 5 or 6/12 roof pitch, top-down measurement is 3,830ft². What is the coverage per gallon for this roof and would it need one or two coats? Thank you!
Coverage Per Gallon:150-250 square feet
Coats Required:1 Coat
Around 20 gallons. It varies based on how dried out the shake shingles are.
Our home has rough sawn cypress siding, approximately 4800 sq ft. It was stained many years ago with a semi-transparent. Wanting to use the Semi-Solid Pro Series in Mount Rushmore color.
QSTS:
1 – since it is siding, previously stained, will it require 2 coats, wet on wet?
2 – if requires 2 coats, how long between coats?
3 – 1st coat 4800 / 150 = 32 gals…correct?….using the lower limit of the coverage.
You must remove the prior coating first. This is your first concern. What brand was used prior? Pictures would help. You can post them in the comments.
Looks like a Cabot semi-transparent stain was used…found some 5-gallon buckets down in a barn…and best I can tell, the home was stained when built in ’96. We are second owner.
Pics show it has done well in the covered areas, but definitely showing wear and fade on others.
Please elaborate on “remove the prior coat first” part of you comment.
That is not semi-transparent but more semi-solid to solid opaque. This will not be an easy strip and may not come off fully. You can only use the TWP if it is fully removed.
Two more pics:
#1 – Cabot original product used from 1996…Bleaching stain (oil based at that time)…with a tint additive…I could not read the numbers.
#2 – comparison on a piece of leftover scrap…100 Series Cape Cod on right, Semi-Sold Pro Series MountRushmore on left…original Cabot Bleaching stain in middle.
Now I’m leaning more towards the Cape Cod…Both of the samples absorbed/soaked into the wood.
A good powerwash/cleaning should remove most of the original remaining stain. Thoughts?
Pressure washing will not remove the old stain fully. You need to chemically strip and sand to get it all off. If that does not work, you would have to go to exterior media blasting to remove it fully.
It is much harder than you think to remove this, as it looks fully opaque. You cannot apply TWP over this stain. The only stain type that can be applied over your current stain without full removal would be a solid opaque stain, and TWP does not make solid stains.
OK, so if ALL of it doesn’t come off….cannot apply TWP.
This is the best I could do….a soapy soak, then pressure wash. Most of it came off easily like chalk powder…probably because of it’s 1996 age. There were a few light remnants, but not much.
Sanding is a non option….it is rough sawn siding.
Thoughts?
Have you used a stripper? The remnants should come off well with a stripper. You then brighten after:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit
In general, you shoot for 95-100% removal, and you did very well with cleaning for this section.
I ordered samples of 100 Series Cape Cod and Semi-Solid Pro Series Mount Rushmore a couple weeks ago. Used them on some leftover scrap pieces from original build I found in a barn. Liked the Mount Rushmore the best. A little darker, but not by much…fits the rustic woodland setting of the home better.
See this comment and pics of the Mt Rushmore on a deck.
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-semi-solid-stain-1-gallon-low-voc#comment-366597
I have a rough sawn cedar fence, 1400 sq.ft. (inc.both sides)
I plan on using 1500 series and airless sprayer.
What kind of coverage can I expect?
For two coats applied wet on wet, you will need about 10-15 gallons for the 1400 Sq feet.
Thanks! I figured about 13.5 gal. but I did not know if spaying would increase my coverage. Fence is about 14 mos. old. How often would I have to recoat?
Mainly for protection reasons. I’m thinking about 300 sq ft per gal.
For a fence, every 3-5 years is normal.
We have a Yellowood new deck built in 7/24. Our sales rep says it is time for first stain. We are going to use Honeytone. We are in Cleveland Ohio. I measured everything and find that everything totaled 820 square feet. I read on your website that for these qualities, we should only use 1 coat. Then apply touch up coat in 9-24 months. Is that true? Can you tell me how much stain we need so I can order it?
Thank you
See this about new woods:
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
One coat first time and another in about a year as needed. One 5-gallon pail should work for the first coat. Make sure to prep befor eapplying.
for natural effect stain on a hardwood like tigerwood, what is the sq ft per gallon, since the wood is so dense?
About 250-400 sq feet per gallon. Just one coat.
Use the TWP 1500 Series to stain this.
Hi: We have a 30 year old eastern white pine house with redwood decking. We have been using Penofin on the house every 5 years and on the deck every year. We have a screened in porch of about 120 ft2 that we would like to try the twp 200 product on. It gets pressure washed with cleaner before each staining. Is there any other consideration before I apply the twp 200?
Use the Stripper and Brightener kit while pressure washing as the Penofin must be removed fully first:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit
We have a deck that is 4 years old that we just stripped and prepped for stain: we replaced the railing and spindles 1 month ago …can we stain them at same time or have to stain boards now and wait til Spring to stain railings to allow to “ cure”? How important is it to allow new wood to sit before staining?
Also is the 1500 series “Water” based? As I hear Water based just doesn’t work as well as “ oil” based or do 100 series and 1500 series have same effective and lasting power
Do it all in Spring. See new wood tips: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
TWP 1500 Series is oil-based.
My deck is 512 sq ft, I’m concerned about doing 2 coats wet on wet. I will have to step on the wet stain to apply the second coat, it’s not possible to reach across without stepping on the deck. Will this ruin the stain look?
No, you can step in your first coat but not your second coat:
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
How many gallons needed for 500 sq ft deck?
For 2 coats applied wet on wet, use one 5-gallon pail.
2 questions
1) I’ll be staining my house with cedar siding. For the wet on wet application, how long after the first coat should I go back and apply the second coat? I am expecting the wood to soak up a lot of stain.
2) what is your return policy? Obviously I want to order enough so I don’t run out. Can I return any unopened stain?
1. 30-35 minutes: https://twpstainhelp.com/twp-stain-wet-on-wet-application/
2. https://www.twpstain.com/refund
I live in Michigan and my deck is a 20 year old pressure treated deck. I used twp 116 but it’s been a good 6 years or so since the last time I treated the deck (100 is no longer allowed). It sits in full sun for about 4-6 hours a day and is uncovered. Was thinking of changing to your semi-solid for a little better protection. Unless the 1516 would give just as much protection. The deck surface along with the stairs comes out to about 400 sqft.
Which product would you recommend, how much, and is power washing a good prep?
Thanks for your help!
Clint
Use the Gemini Restore Kit and pressure washing for prep. Either the 1500 Series or the Semi-solid Low-Voc will work well here. Up to you.
Hello. Live near Buffalo NY. I have a two year old pressure treated 12X12 ground-level ‘deck’. More of a platform. What kind and quantity of TWP Stain would you recommend?
Thanks.
Use this for prep:
https://www.twpstain.com/gemini-s-restore-a-deck-cleaner-and-brightener-kit
Then stain with the TWP 1500 Series. 2 Gallons.
Ca I use semi solid for first coat on old and new wood for the fence with 1500 for second coat
No.
Why
It will not dry or cure correctly.
In addition, it would look terrible.
Thanks
1. Correct.
2. Is not considered flammable but combustible and only in liquid form and only if you do something incorrect like leave a soaking wet rag in the sun. Once applied and dry it is no different than any other stain and has zero chance of starting a fire.
What is the difference in the series: 100, 1500?
VOC compliance for certain states. Where do you live?
What is the average shelf life of TWP
12 months if opened and 36 months unopened.
I have a 420 SF deck plus two flights of stairs with a total of twenty-four steps that are 10″ deep and 46″ wide. I am most interested in a semi solid stain but would consider a solid stain. The deck is about 26 years old, and I sanded off all the old pain…tedious but true. Even with sanding there are color variations a bit. How much and what type of stain would be best?
Barry, please add up all the flooring, railings, and steps to a total sq footage and let us know that amount. How do that is in above article.
No railings as they are aluminum. SF on the steps of about 84SF so a total of about 500 SF with the deck boards.
Okay, look at are semi-solid colors. Since you sanded, just one coat of stain. About 3 Gallons.
When it says do not apply when over 90degrees …. is it OK to apply in the morning when its 82 and stop when it hits 90? Or is this meant to say “if the daily high is to exceed 90 degrees, don’t do it”. I’ve got a new fence in Texas and it’s already hot.
Yes, that is okay. It is more of an issue with horizontal wood not vertical wood like a fence.
I have a red wood deck that is 9 years old we just power washed it and when I applied the 1500 clear product the deck is coming out very dark almost black. Will it lighten up as it dries?
It should a little as it dries and cures.
What happens if it rains on the deck the day after you apply 1500 clear
Nothing to be concerned with as long as it was dry before the rain came.
Hello, have a cedar fence which is 19 years old. We bought the house about 5 years ago and fence was completely gray; pressure washed it and stained with your TWP100 Cedar Tone & it looked great!
It is time to re-stain (see attached photo). Questions:
Thank you.
1. Yes, correct.
2. Same 100 Sereis unless there has been VOC changes in your state.
3. 10-15 gallons.
I have 400 total how many gallons
3-4 gallons for two coats applied wet on wet.
Had my deck coated two years ago with TWP 200 (Butternut 207) Part of the deck is covered which looks good. The uncovered needs to be rejuvenated. Will it need to be stripped if using the same color?
Also, can the underside of the deck be stained with 200 series?
Hello, to have it even we would suggest stripping and brightening for prep. You can do the undersides if you like but it is not needed.
I have 800 sq ft of deck, how much stain do I need
About 6-8 gallons for the 2 coats applied wet on wet.
It has been raining alot, almost every day and we are finally getting some sunny days. Our deck is new as of last August so it has been through almost one year of seasoning. How many sunny days should we wait before putting on a coat of stain? And how many sunny days should we have after?
Also, I used a deck cleaner two weeks ago. Is there anything else I should do before staining? It is pressure treated pine.
Needs to dry for 48 hours afetr rain or prep. No rain for 8-12 hours after applying. Stain within 2 weeks of prep. If longer give it a good pressure wash rinse.
Is one coat enough for a re-stain of the same stain after a strip and brighten?
Apply 2 coats wet on wet.
12 x 12 treated wood deck. Railings don’t need staining. Five 4’ stairs. No VOC restrictions. Looking for gray to med. gray. No mildew or algae. I think I would have to do the underside as well. Do I need to scuff or sand? Which product and how many gallons do you think I’ll need? Thank you
Look at the TWP Semi-solid dor gray colors. One to two gallons. No need to stain undersides.
https://www.twpstain.com/twp-semi-solid-stain-1-gallon
Hello. I ordered 2 gallons of TWP 200 Series a few years ago to have my deck restained. The company that installed the deck used TWP 200 because of the color they recommended – California Cedar. It doesn’t come in the other TWP formulas.
2 questions:
Is there any disadvantage to using TWP 200 on a deck rather than siding?
A previous quote measured the deck area to be 527 sq ft. The last time it was stained it only took about 1 1/2 gallons or so. Does that sound right?
No, just takes longer to dry and cure. It should take about 2-3 gallons for 527 sq feet and 1 coat.
Hi. My cedar deck has been stained with your Cedar Gold 203 stain professionally every 3 years , twice so far. The deck is almost 600 sq ft. This year I plan to stain it myself. How much Stain should I buy
About 3-4 gallons for 1 coat.
Our home has two levels of decks. The upper deck is brand new pressured wood installed 5 months ago. Should I use the 100 series or 1500? The lower deck was stained 4 years ago and just needs touched up. My plans were to scrub and lightly pressure wash the lower deck and just add 1 coat of the same color (black walnut) to freshen it up. Will that work or do I have to get all the stain off the lower deck? Is your Semi-solid you’d recommend on both decks. Thank You.
Where do you live? You will need to use the Gemini Restore Kit for the upper level deck which means you should use the same prep for the lower level. If you want to switch to semi-solid, you will need to strip and brighten the lower level.
Thank you for your quick response. We live in Georgetown, KY. We would prefer not to strip the lower deck, it’s about 400 SF. If we don’t use the Semi-solid product on upper and lower, what product can we use. I’m a little confused on the 100 series and the 1500 series. Which would I use? The color we now have is 1504 Black Walnut, which I didn’t see in your color selection. Please confirm the product I should use. Thank you.
If you used the 1500 (1504 Black Walnut) Series before then you should stick with it unless you want to strip.
https://www.twpstain.com/twp1500-5gallon
Hi! How much Semi Solid stain would I need to purchase to cover 1,800 rough sawn red cedar siding? Also, I will be having this shipped to a freight forwarder for Alaska. Do you guys label your shipping boxes noting “hazardous/flammable material”? Thank you!
Hello,
For one coat, you would need roughly 7-10 Gallons. Might be best to get 2 5-gallon pails. There are not any hazardous labels on the boxes or containers and it can be shipped via freight forwarders.
I need to cover 2400sq ft fence rough cut western red cedar in 1500 Honeytone . It is aged about 6 months by the time it’s warm enough. How much should I get?
20-25 gallons for the 2 coats applied wet on wet.
can twp be used to stain a bamboo fence
Only the 300 series and we do not carry that series on our site.
Is it best to cover both sides of my fence (the side in my neighbors yard too) for longest life? I have apx. 1,350 sq ft of fence (2,700) if doing both sides. And my deck is apx 250 sq ft. How much 100 would I need?
Yes, do both sides of a fence, and always best to do it all at the same time. For 3000 sq. feet and doing 2 coats applied wet on wet, you will need about 25-30 gallons of stain.
Looking at TWP 100 series for staining rough cut cedar fence. Fence installed autumn 2023.. applying 1 coat. How much stain required?
What is the sq footage?
Sorry, completely forgot to include. 1600 sq ft.
About 7-9 gallons. Rough-sawn wood can be very absorbent so coverage is less.
I’ve a 500 sq/ft deck…12 years old never stained. How much gallon I need of twp 200 (im in Canada)
3-4 gallons for one coat.
OK does two coats is needed based on the informations I provided?
If you do 2 coats applied wet on wet, you will need about 5 gallons. It depends on how dried out and absorbent your wood is.
Thank you very much for the Quick reply
How many gallons semi-solid stain for a 227 sqft “new” deck (treated lumber, weathered one year). This includes steps and railings.
The steps and railing are added into the sq footage of 227?
Yes. Decking, railing, steps total 227 sqft.
1-2 gallons.
3400 sq ft of fence. Built 3 years ago. Looking to see how much semi solid I need to cover and the cleaner
Hi Brian,
For The Gemini Restore Kits, you would need 4. For the Semi-Solid Stain, you would need about 15 gallons for 1 coat.
New deck installed 8 months ago. First time staining it is 652 sq ft. How much stain (100 series or 1500) and restore kit?
See this about new wood:
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
One Gemini Restore Kit and 3-4 gallons of the stain for the 1 coat.
2168 Sq ft of 9 months weathered pressure treated pine. How much twp 100 and retire kits should I order?
3 Gemini Restore Kits and about 10-12 Gallons of stain for the one coat.
How much 1500 do I need to do 180 square feet?
1-2 gallons for 2 coats applied wet on wet.
I have about 400 Sg Ft of deck I need to cover, how much 1501 would I need to order?
For 2 coats applied wet on wet, about 4 gallons.
Thank You.
We have a small deck and 3 stairs totaling 141.64 sq ft. Will one gallon of Total Wood Preservative 1530 Natural be sufficient? Our contractors who rebuilt the deck in Dec 2021 used an inferior product to stain which we plan to have removed/brightened before applying the TWP. We don’t want to buy too much since a previous can we had turned into a solid, unusable mass.
Yes, that will be enough.
How much 1504 will I need for a previously stained 900 sq ft deck that was last stained with 1503, has 18 new PT boards and two new PT staircases? I plan to power wash before applying new stain.
What is the total sq footage added up with the 2 new staircases? Make sure to add in railings as well.
Also, see here about new wood:
https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
And make sure to remove the Dark Oak with this:
https://www.twpstain.com/restore-a-deck-stripper-brightener-kit