red62,

To answer your questions, the TWP products are an oil-based translucent stain. These are not solid colored water-based stains as you may be expecting. You will see the grain of your wood through the stain and the type of wood you are applying it to will alter the finished color somewhat.

Several things to know about the TWP products...

Total Wood Protection (TWP) was an Iowa Paints product and it is the only one that Pittsburgh Paints kept of the line when PPG bought out Iowa Paints. They kept it because of its remarkable quality.

It will lighten as it dries and holds up better than any other stain I have used. My company refinishes about 15 decks a month using the TWP products.

The 500 series doesn't have the color samples but if I were you, I would just use the 101 (natural cedar). I know the 500 is claimed to have 50% more solids but I personally have not found it to be that much better than the 100 series. (I use the 100 series on every job). If you want to see the 500 series with a better eye, flip 4 boards on your deck, pressure wash them and stain them... once you have decided, flip them back and finish your project.

Keep in mind, if you are applying this over a water based solid color stain, you have to remove 100% of your old stain first or your deck will be blotchy and an eye-sore.

If you need to sand the deck (which you should avoid at all costs), make sure you pressure wash it afterward and let it age a couple of months (make sure it gets set, dries, wet, dries several times) as this will open the grain of the wood again and allow it to take the stain.

I highly recommend trying the oil-based TWP product instead of getting pushed into a water=based solid color. Most of my residential business is removing the water-based solids because they peel, become blotchy and slippery when wet. The oil-based products simply fade, don't peel, protect the wood and clean up very easily.

I hope some of this actually helps and good luck with your project.

Very good info. Green as one long term twp user to another you should at least try twp/gemini Storm Shield finish. This stuff changed my outlook on outdoor water base finish. One down side it sets up real fast other than that it proforms every bit as good as the 100 series.

J.

Is the general consensus on this site that TWP 500 is superior product for decks than Sikkens SRD? My deck is stipped and I am about ready to apply the stain. I went with Behr before and it has been nothing short of a nightmare. I just want to get it right this time around. It is a 2 year old cedar deck about 10 feet off the ground in Chicago.

Thanks in advance!

Weedy - how has the color of your garapa held up after going thru a few seasons?

Actually was going to post some photos soon. We've had some rain as of late, but when it warms (and dries) up a bit, I'll shoot and post some pics. Year 1 winter we got one ugly board, but this year a good portion of our most exposed deck is going to need some re-staining.

That's beautiful but what kind of wood is that? Each stain look different because of the wood choice. I am using douglas fir and am looking at translucent Rustic Oak. It's beautiful but I am getting worried that it needs more than 2 coats wiped off because it doesn't seem like there is enough color.

My deck (above) is garapa.