Calculator

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

If you have questions, please ask below.

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    Michael · 08/26/2020
    I live in Chicago IL and I spent the last months replacing some rotten boards on a 13 year old neglected deck. It was "painted" with solid stain about 8 or nine years ago. About 20% of the deck is new treated southern pine (the rest is old treated southern pine).

    The first new boards I installed are no longer beading water (it's only been a month) newer boards are still beading.

    I intend to sand the deck and then stain.

    1. Do you recommend sanding the new wood as well as the old?
    2. Will a need a deck cleaner after sanding?
    3. Does this generally sound like a good plan?

    Thanks!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 08/26/2020
      See here about new wood first: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/

      Wait until Spring and then clean and brighten all for prep. No need to sand.
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        Michael Fiddler · 08/26/2020
        What about the old parts that still have solid stain? I should sand that, no?
        If yes, sand before the winter or after? If no, am I supposed to use a stripper before winter or in the spring? or not at all? It's 900 sq ft.
        • We will reply to your comment shortly
          TWP Stains · 08/27/2020
          You will have to sand off the solid stain as a stripper will not remove it. Dot his now and then cleaner and brighten all in the Spring.
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    bob · 08/20/2020
    Hi. Just did samples of twp 1501, 1515, 1530 on a sample cedar fence board. I like the 1515 as it's the lightest (per neighbor request). The new fence (aged one month so far) is approx 30 feet and 6' tall and I will stain both sides. On your calculator I put in 60' (2 x 30) so as to cover both sides. Output is 4 gallons to do the 1.5 coats. My questions as follows:

    1) I think I read on this site that that new rough hewn fence boards only require one thin coat. Correct?

    2) If true, than I probably only need 2.5 gallons. Second question: Does this product store well such that I can use it again for a second coat sometime later? If so, I will buy 5 gallon pale...I can store in a fairly cool/dry location.

    3) When do you think that 2nd coat would need to go on? I live in SoCal south of LA and about 10 miles from ocean.

    Much appreciated...great website...glad I found you as I was getting increasingly frustrated with the myriad of (poorly reviewed!) products out there!
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 08/20/2020
      1, No, two light coats for rough sawn wood.
      2. You would need about 3-4 gallons fo the two coats. Shelf life if opened is 12 months.
      3. For a fence, about 3-6 years.

      You need the 1500 Series for your area.
      • We will reply to your comment shortly
        Bob · 08/20/2020
        Now I'm really confused...below is verbatim from your site: Says "one coat for most instances". I'm happy doing two if needed. If so, is it the "wet on wet"...as in within 30 minutes. Or two light coats within a week or so? Or something else? The samples I put on (one coat) this morning went into the wood very nicely. If shelf life is only 12 months then I wouldn't want to order more than needed if I'm not recoating for 3+ years. That said, I'm not really worried about the $, I primarily want to do the application correctly. If I have extra stain I have older fences that I'm sure my wife would love for me to get to as well! Thx! And especially for rapid reply!


        "Note: New Rough Sawn vertical wood/fencing can be stained right away with no wait and with no prep as it does have mill glaze and is very absorbent. Just make sure the wood is fully dry. If Rough sawn wood has aged or oxidized (grayed) then it will need to be prepped with Gemini Restore Kit. One coat for most instances of newly installed Rough Sawn wood."
        • We will reply to your comment shortly
          TWP Stains · 08/20/2020
          For fences rough sawn wood needs two light coats applied wet on wet. Very absorbent.
          • We will reply to your comment shortly
            Bob · 09/17/2020
            My wife says the 1515 that i put down on my side of the new cedar fence is "orange". My side actually isn't visible from the street or our back yard as it's just a small portion (25') of my front to back property line. So I'm fine with the way it looks on my side. That said, I'm trying to keep my neighbor happy as that's the entrance his guests take for their backyard pool parties. Can i mix 1500 with this in order to tone down the orange? I realize my uv protection would be diminished but due to the proximity of my neighbor's house to the fence his side is kept in shade most of the day and year. What ratio do you think I'd need to make the fence not look so "orange". I have some leftover boards that I could experiment with.
            • We will reply to your comment shortly
              TWP Stains · 09/17/2020
              Yes, you can mix but hard to say how much as the wood itself has a lot to do with the final color.
              • We will reply to your comment shortly
                Bob · 09/17/2020
                That makes sense. But if it’s right now just a little too orange now wouldn’t you think a 50-50 mix would bring it to an acceptable tone? As in towards the right direction? Maybe a different question would be does the 1500 (ie clear) impart an orange tone of its own to cedar? My neighbor (in a grouchy tone) said “he doesn’t care what color” but I could tell he was perturbed as my gate with the 1515 on it is visible to him. Just trying to keep the peace with him!
                • We will reply to your comment shortly
                  Gina · 09/19/2020
                  Bob, u could do a smaller amount on any extra board you may have or a small area less visable (maybe the side of a step) to see how it turns out?
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                  TWP Stains · 09/17/2020
                  Try 50/50 and work from there.
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                    bob · 09/19/2020
                    Final question...regarding the little bit of recently applied 1515 on my new fence that shows from the street (~8 feet)...what would be the best way to stain with the 50/50 mix (assuming I like that color)? Would a pressure washer work or would I need to sand? I'm guessing the pressure washer wouldn't work and I don't want to sand so 2nd best would be to wait until I need to restain years from now? I have a fence/gate combo on the other side of the house that I'd like to put the 50/50 down with. I don't think I stained it when it was put up 12 years ago (its just gray) so figure pressure treat and brightener would do there? I would like the two sides to match if possible.
                    • We will reply to your comment shortly
                      TWP Stains · 09/20/2020
                      You would need to strip and brighten to remove any TWP stained wood that you want to apply the mix. Clean and brighten for the gray wood.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Steve · 08/19/2020
    Twp100 ....How much for the very first time/treatment on a 1000 SF deck with 116 ft of railing?
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    John · 08/11/2020
    does the 5 gal 1500 series need mixing after shipping?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 08/11/2020
      Yes, best to stir well or use a drill but mixer.
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    Hector Valdez · 08/10/2020
    I'm staining 600'of fence 8' tall how many gallons I need to do both sides? It's gone be clear coat.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 08/11/2020
      For 9600 sq feet and two coats applied wet on wet, you would need about 80-100 gallons. It really depends on how old and porous the wood is.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Harriet · 08/04/2020
    The stain I ordered is too dark and I think we will need more than the 5 gallons because the wood is so old. So I plan to order another 5. The decks are 40-year old redwood now sanded to bare wood.
    Can I order 5 of a lighter color and mix them together? I mixed the samples to test and it looks good.
    If it is more stain than we need can we use the extra next year assuming we store it properly?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 08/05/2020
      Yes, you can mix colors together. See here for shelf life: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
      • We will reply to your comment shortly
        Harriet · 08/05/2020
        Great. The colors I had mixed in the sample were 103 and 1504. I ordered 5 of the 1504 and assume I should get the 1503 to mix it but want to be sure that color is the same as the 103. Are they the same or should I mix 1504 with 103?
        • We will reply to your comment shortly
          TWP Stains · 08/05/2020
          The 103 and 1503 are close in color but not exactly the same. You should mix the same series together.
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    Peter · 07/30/2020
    I stained my new deck for the first time in August of 2018. It is roughly 500 square feet and I used 7 gallons. It's been two years and seems to be holding up pretty good. Should I clean it this year and apply another coat or wait another year. If I recoat it this year, should I put one or two coats on it. How much stain should I order. I used TWP 100 series in the Rustic 116 color last time.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 07/31/2020
      Looks good so do it next year.
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    Ruth · 07/17/2020
    Is the rustic stain orangey? How does the 1500 compare with the 100?
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    Don Reese · 07/16/2020
    Hi, I put in a new cedar fence a couple of months ago and am getting ready to stain and seal. The fence is 450 feet long and 6 feet high. I need to do both sides of the fence. How many gallons of TWP-100 will in need assuming a 2 coat wet on wet application?
    Thanks
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 07/16/2020
      Fro 6750 sq feet and two coats, you will need about 50-60 gallons of stain for both sides.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Tracy Tarver · 07/12/2020
    How many gallons do I need to purchase for a 935 square feet deck? Do you recommend TWP100 or TWP1500 for Texas heat? Thanks.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 07/13/2020
      About 8-10 gallons for two coats applied wet on wet. Use the 100 Series.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Jason · 07/12/2020
    I should have clarified. I am looking for a varied appearance, so wondering if I can go light color on first coat followed by darker on second for a variegated look? Or vice versa. Thanks for your time.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Jason · 07/12/2020
    Can I combine 2 colors into one? Say Cedar Tone and Dark Oak?
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    Ron · 07/11/2020
    Hi,

    I have a 40—year old redwood deck in a mild dry climate area of Southern California . It hasn't been protected with any finish before and (obviously) shows its age. However I plan on pulling all the boards and running them through a surface planer. I've tested a couple of boards and the boards have cleaned up very nicely - clean, smooth and very few cracks. Wood is obviously very dry, and it hasn't rained in months.

    My question is do I need any prep product if I plan on using TWP100? Also, since the wood is old and dry, may I assume that the coverage will be closer to the minimim 150sf/gallon as opposed to the 300sf/gallon max?

    Thanks

    Ron
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Robert Schwirz · 07/05/2020
    Finally getting ready for my staining project.
    The deck is cedar and almost 2 years old now. We like the aged grey look but still like to protect the wood from the environment. I understand that I still have to clean and brighten it first. Is the TWP 100 series without pigment the best choice for the job? I like it to go back to the natural aged grey.
    The total square footage is 1210 sqft.
    Looks like 2 Restore kits and 10 gallons of stain.
    Please advise
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 07/06/2020
      Yes, that is correct. Use the TWP Clear if you want the wood to gray naturally. The prep and stain amount is correct.
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    Karen · 06/14/2020
    Per your calculator my deck is 3734 sq ft. and I need 38 gallons thats seems like a lot, how long does it take to get more product shipped to Jefferson, GA If I only order 28 gallons.
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 06/14/2020
      Shipping right now is about 2 weeks.
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    Tyler · 06/08/2020
    In the calculator my deck was 1200 sq feet and it calls for 13gal wet on wet. How much more will I need for the underside?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 06/08/2020
      No need to stain the underside. If you wanted to for appearance reason only, you would need as much stain.
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    Justin · 06/08/2020
    My deck was stained with TWP 101 2 years ago. Rails seem ok, but I am looking to stain the decking. Can I use the Restore Kit, just powerwash, or do I need to strip?

    Also, it sounds like 1501 offers better UV protection, which is important since my deck is full sun 75% of the time. Is 1501 noticeably different in color?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 06/08/2020
      The 1501 is darker, use the same 101 as before. Gemini Restore Kit for prep.
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    stacie · 06/08/2020
    My deck is very large. I bought 5 gallons and allied it. IT soaked it up very fast. I was not able to apply a second coat as I ran out of product. I am waiting

    for a stretch of good weather to reply a second coat. All recommendations for a second coat say wet on wet. Will have be able to add a second coat days after the first coat?
    • We will reply to your comment shortly
      TWP Stains · 06/08/2020
      It may not take but it really depends on who dried out the wood is. Maybe do a test board and see how it dries prior to coating all.
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    Scott · 06/02/2020
    Had an old coating of TWP 100. Power washed the deck. Anything else I should do before reapplication of the same color TWP 100?
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    Robert Schwirz · 06/01/2020
    Hi there.
    This is my deck I installed just about 2 years ago. It's cedar.
    I red about the mill glaze so I just let it sit all this time and sure enough after 6 months it started to peel and the mill glaze lifted off the wood.
    Didn't have any time to stain the deck but now I am ready for it.
    I really like the natural agent grey look and that's how it is right now. Do I still have to use the cleaner and brightener? I like to apply the clear stain without the pigments so the cedar can age and stay looking grey?