Why Do I Need to Wait to Stain My New Deck with TWP

info buttonAfter a new wood deck has been constructed it is important to protect it from the elements. Unprotected wood will be prone to graying, warping, cracking, splitting, and mold/mildew infiltration. Protecting your wood deck is easy with TWP Total Wood Preservative. There is however a waiting period to allow new wood to season prior to stain application.

New wood is commonly called “green” wood. Meaning it has not had time to season or dry. It has a very high moisture content. You may notice the difference in weight of a newer deck board and an older one. The newer one is much heavier due to all the moisture it is holding. As the wood dries it also shrinks. This is noticeable in the gaps between deck boards. They will be tight together after first construction and as the wood shrinks the gaps will become larger.

 

Applying TWP deck stain to a newer deck too soon can result in a failed deck coating. The stain will trap moisture in the wood, which can cause several problems. Mold and mildew can spread quickly underneath the stain eventually leading to rot and decay. The moisture will also keep the wood stain from penetrating properly and may cause it to peel and flake off the surface. TWP wood stain is designed to penetrate deep into the wood for maximum protection. If the wood has too high of moisture content the stain cannot penetrate correctly.

There are some people who believe you have to wait and entire season or 1 year before you can stain new wood. This is normally not true and actually a lot of the wood damage can occur in the first year if the wood is not protected. Most types of wood will be ready to stain within 4-12 months after being erected. All new wood should be prepped with the Gemini Restore Kit before staining. Wait time can vary depending on sun exposure, weather, and temperatures.

For TWP wood deck stain to give you the best results on a new deck, the moisture content of the wood should be 15% or less. This can be easily checked with a moisture meter. If you do not have access to a moisture meter and you have waited several months of hot summer weather, you can do a drop test with water. Sprinkle a few drops of water in several areas of the deck. If the water soaks in right away indicating the wood is dry it is probably okay to stain. If the water does not soak in right away, the wood may still be holding too much moisture.

Be sure your new wood deck has had plenty of dry time before applying TWP deck stain. This will guarantee proper wood penetration giving a naturally enhanced look that will last and perform as expected.

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    TWP Stains · 09/24/2014
    Robert Bentz:
    I just installed a new 900sf cedar deck in upstate NY, the deck is 12’ above the ground so I will get plenty of air flow and winter is coming fast. You recommend waiting 4 to 6 months before applying the stain. My question is why wait so long? If I were to install a wood floor in my house I could seal it right away. Why can’t I do that with an exterior wood floor? I am going to use the 1500 cedar stain. If I wait much longer I won’t be able to seal it until April or May depending on the winter and I'm sure it will be gray by then.

    If you stain new wood right away with TWP it will not absorb and will prematurely fail. Turning gray and prepping is okay and normal.
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    Robert Bentz · 09/23/2014
    I just installed a new 900sf cedar deck in upstate NY, the deck is 12’ above the ground so I will get plenty of air flow and winter is coming fast. You recommend waiting 4 to 6 months before applying the stain. My question is why wait so long? If I were to install a wood floor in my house I could seal it right away. Why can’t I do that with an exterior wood floor? I am going to use the 1500 cedar stain. If I wait much longer I won’t be able to seal it until April or May depending on the winter and I'm sure it will be gray by then.
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    TWP Stains · 09/01/2014
    Jim Theodoroff:
    I installed a new deck waiting for it to dry out. I live in Flushing Michigan is there a dealer in my area. Also would I use TWP 100 or 1500 ?

    100 Series after drying. We are in Bloomfield Hills MI.
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    Jim Theodoroff · 08/31/2014
    I installed a new deck waiting for it to dry out. I live in Flushing Michigan is there a dealer in my area. Also would I use TWP 100 or 1500 ?
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    TWP Stains · 08/28/2014
    Catina Hale:
    Hello! I'm interested in putting a clear cote on my new redwood fence. The boards are redwood and the post and kicker are pressure treated.The fence is now 3 weeks old. How long do we wait to apply the TWP Clear coat for the first time. Do we need to do any prep work like pressure wash?

    Please read this:
    http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
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    Catina Hale · 08/28/2014
    Hello! I'm interested in putting a clear cote on my new redwood fence. The boards are redwood and the post and kicker are pressure treated.The fence is now 3 weeks old. How long do we wait to apply the TWP Clear coat for the first time. Do we need to do any prep work like pressure wash?
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    TWP Stains · 08/28/2014
    shawn g:
    I have a 1 year old, pressure-treated, pine fence that I would like to stain for the first time. It does not appear to have any greying anywhere- should I still clean and brighten the wood with a restore kit or can I just clean it with soapy water prior to staining? Should I go with the high estimate for coverage since it is the first time staining and it is a fence not a patio? Do I need to apply a second coat or does it just depend on how much the fence soaks up?

    You need the Gemini Restore Kit for the prep. Fences are usually rough sawn wood which means they are more absorbent and coverage can be less. Probably will need the two coats.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    shawn g · 08/27/2014
    I have a 1 year old, pressure-treated, pine fence that I would like to stain for the first time. It does not appear to have any greying anywhere- should I still clean and brighten the wood with a restore kit or can I just clean it with soapy water prior to staining? Should I go with the high estimate for coverage since it is the first time staining and it is a fence not a patio? Do I need to apply a second coat or does it just depend on how much the fence soaks up?
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    TWP Stains · 08/27/2014
    Larry Smith:
    Are the 1500 and the 100 both oil based? Does one hold up longer than the other?
    Thanks

    Yes they are both oil based and they both last about the same.
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    Larry Smith · 08/26/2014
    Are the 1500 and the 100 both oil based? Does one hold up longer than the other?
    Thanks
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    TWP Stains · 08/13/2014
    Stephen Smith:
    I have just finished laying a cedar deck in the NW. The decking has had 2 weeks of very hot dry weather for this area. Do you still suggest waiting 4 months prior to staining cedar decking? The latest I was going to wait was one more week. Is that enough time for this product to get absorbed? If wait for the 4 month period that puts me into the rainy season and end up waiting till next summer to stain which as you have mentioned can really harm the decking.

    Yes you need to wait. Please read this article: http://www.twpstainhelp.com/prepping-new-wood-for-twp-stains/
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    Stephen Smith · 08/13/2014
    I have just finished laying a cedar deck in the NW. The decking has had 2 weeks of very hot dry weather for this area. Do you still suggest waiting 4 months prior to staining cedar decking? The latest I was going to wait was one more week. Is that enough time for this product to get absorbed? If wait for the 4 month period that puts me into the rainy season and end up waiting till next summer to stain which as you have mentioned can really harm the decking.
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    TWP Stains · 08/02/2014
    Dyanne Schulze:
    I have recently had some boards replaced on my 17-yr old deck. I have also had new stairs built. I want to get the old part of the deck stained. Should I not have them stain the new boards? They are pressured treated. How long should I wait before the new boards are stained? I live in Iowa where the temperatures vary drastically.
    I hate the thought of having a deck with some boards stained and others not.

    How many new boards are there? normally you have to wait 4-12 months to let the wood season. If there is just a few then go ahead and do all but with the understanding that you will need to add another coat to the new boards next Spring.
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    Dyanne Schulze · 08/01/2014
    I have recently had some boards replaced on my 17-yr old deck. I have also had new stairs built. I want to get the old part of the deck stained. Should I not have them stain the new boards? They are pressured treated. How long should I wait before the new boards are stained? I live in Iowa where the temperatures vary drastically.
    I hate the thought of having a deck with some boards stained and others not.
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    TWP Stains · 07/14/2014
    No you cannot apply TWP on top of Cabot. you need to strip it all off and brighten the wood for proper prep and appearance.
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    donnagirl · 07/14/2014
    I want to stain an old PT deck. The floor was treated with a Cabot oil stain 2 seasons ago. We will be flipping some of the floor boards that have splinters and cracks. Please make suggestions on how to achieve a uniform color for the previously stained boards vs the flipped unstained boards? Which TWP stain would you recommend?
    We used Cabot oil stain in the past, will this be compatible with TWP on the vertical spindles? I really don't want to strip the spindles. The color will be very similar to the new color we hope to use on the floor.
    We have a screened in porch next to the deck that I want to stain to match the deck color. We used a semi transparent water based stain on the floor 6 or more years ago that still beads water. If I use the stripper and brightener on the floor of the porch can I successfully use TWP there as well and achieve a similar color as the deck.
    Thank you for your time.
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    TWP Stains · 06/07/2014
    Cathy Gerking:
    My new redwood deck has just been completed. The contractor used kiln dried
    redwood. Is this seasoned wood?
    Thank you!

    For kiln dried, wait a month, prep with Gemini Kit to remove mill glaze, apply just one coat of the TWP.
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    Cathy Gerking · 06/06/2014
    My new redwood deck has just been completed. The contractor used kiln dried
    redwood. Is this seasoned wood?
    Thank you!
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    TWP Stains · 05/12/2014
    Bear:
    I am stripping my deck and wonder how long i can wait to use the brightener. It is a large deck and with the weather it is going to take days to strip. Should I be doing brightener as I go or can I wait until the whole deck is stripped? Also what stain would you recommend in S.E. Wisc.? I also had to replace a few board so do I not stain those until they dry out? The deck is approx. 700 sq ft so how much stain will I need?

    Brighten when all done. Use the 100 Series.
  • We will reply to your comment shortly
    Bear · 05/12/2014
    I am stripping my deck and wonder how long i can wait to use the brightener. It is a large deck and with the weather it is going to take days to strip. Should I be doing brightener as I go or can I wait until the whole deck is stripped? Also what stain would you recommend in S.E. Wisc.? I also had to replace a few board so do I not stain those until they dry out? The deck is approx. 700 sq ft so how much stain will I need?