TWP Stain Reviews Ratings Comparison | 100 Series | 200 Series | 1500 Series

rj, you are correct on the steps for the prep. Stain with the 100 as it penetrates a little better and will have a less chance of wearing from the dog.

John, clean and brighten with the Restore A Deck kit then stain with the 100 Series.

I have a new deck with pressure treated pine (installed last fall) that I need to stain/seal soon.
The deck gets full sun and is covered with snow for several months a year (northern Michigan).
I want to use the cedartone semi transparent but don't know which product to choose the 100 or the 1500.

I've done so much research and everything leads me to TWP.

-Portland, Oregon
-Fantastic sunny summers, very wet winters
-Cedar deck I believe
-west facing deck, no shade
-dog traffic courtesy of the semi-famous "Sky the Dog" (twitter: Sky_The_Dog)

Nothing has been done to the deck since we moved in 4 years ago. Much of the old semi-transparent stain is gone on the horizontal while much still remains on the vertical. Some rough areas of wood like splintering and such.

I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, the proper procedure should be:

Strip, sand, lightly pressure wash, brighten, stain then apply 2nd coat right away (wet on wet). Is that correct?

and now the big ?....100 or 1500 given my situation/conditions? Thank you so much for putting out a great product!

BJ, 1500 Series.

I have a new pressure treated deck less than 2 months old in Atlanta GA. It gets very little shade only in late afternoon. Which would be better TWP200 or TWP1500.

Strip with the Restore A Deck Stripper then Brighten as well. We are an online retailer.

I have a pressure treated deck whic was treated with Sikkens. I want to switch as I'm not happy with the results. Should I strip the weathered stain and if so what would you recommend?

Where can TWP products be purchased?

Clear will not prevent graying. Best to use the 1500 series. The Honeytone is the lightest color.

I recently sided our house with white cedar shingles and love the new look. Which product would you recommend to maintain the new appearance and slow the graying / weathering of shingles. I'd like to use clear finish but would consider slight tint. House is located in CT on long island sound so exposed to salt air. Thanks for reply. Dan

Beau, they are semi-trans parents

Are TWP stains semi- trans, semi solid etc. I don't see that info anywhere

Oil base stains penetrate better the water based stains. Much less chance of peeling if the wood is prepped correctly and the stain is applied properly. You cannot put TWP on top of your peeling stain. It would need to be removed 100%.

Bought a house in Michigan in 2009. Didn't know what product was put on the deck previously. Put water based product on it last two years and it peeled horribly. Please discuss water based versus oil based stain and the pros and cons.

For Michigan and that you have already used the 100 Series you should stay with the 100 Series. The 1500 may offer better UV protection but it will not be any different with your dogs. Hard to say about the stain. If it looks okay and has not thickened then it is probably good.

Hello, I live in Michigan and used the 100 series on my deck last summer with good results, but need to do a maintenance coat as it gets trampled frequently by my large dogs. I noticed that your comparison chart says "Best!" for the 1500 series...why is that? Most of the recommendations I see are for the 100 series. Also, I have leftover stain that has been sealed in the 5 gal drum from last year, is it still good to use? Thanks in advance!

We do not have a similar color in the 100 or 1500. Best to strip off the the 200, brighten the wood, then apply 2 coats of the 100 Series.

Our pressure treated pine deck is 9 years old. It has been stained 2 times over the years with TWP 200 Series Butternut by our contractor. He is no longer in business and we are getting ready to re-stain it ourself. We love the color but noticed the 200 series is much more expensive - do you have a similar color in the 100 or 1500 series? If so, which series is best for our deck? How many coats would we need and what is the best way to apply it? We get full sun on most of it and live in Georgia. Also, after cleaning the wood, its in good condition but cracked and splintered in some areas - would you recommended sanding it or leave it as is? We were thinking about sealing it with a semi-transparent brand to help with splinters but don't want it to look painted. Or is our deck too old to use just a stain?

Close but not exactly the same.

Thanks. Is Cedartone the closest in color to California Cedar?