Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip
Mid summer and “the heat is on.” The warmer months are the better months to apply sealers. However, on hot sunny days, the side of a log home, or deck for that matter, can get very hot. Too hot to apply a finish. If the wood gets too hot the stain can ” flash” making the carrier of the stain evaporate to quickly. This will keep the finish from absorbing properly and therefore preform poorly. In these conditions, it is best to always work on the shady side of the log home.
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Log Home Restoration: Finish Removal
The debate among log home restoration contractors rages on as to the proper way to remove old finishes from a log surface. Use a chemical and blast it off with water pressure, or use crushed corn cob or other media and blast it off with compressed air. Those are the the two most used procedures. (Read More)
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Log Home Restoration: Mission Accomplished
Once the old finish (paint) was removed (media blasted) the wood was reconditioned and neutralized. An oil based sealer/ preservative was applied to the point of refusal by brush and “worked” into the wood. This was a custom mix to match the existing finish on the garage. The garage finish is latex with a clear top coat. The house finish is oil with a clear top coat. We prefer to use penetrating oils that not only absorb deep into the logs but will not crack, blister or peel.
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Log Home Restoration: Removing Latex Paint
This Log Home Restoration required media blasting removal of a fairly new coat of solid
latex paint. The “hot pink” had to go! Being a fresh coat, it was harder to remove than a finish several years old. Crushed glass was used to “cut ” the thick coat.
After a chlorine wash to kill any mold and mildew, a coarse sanding will smooth the rough profile caused by the media blasting. Only a light sanding with coarse paper is required. Sanding too smooth will prevent a penetrating stain from absorbing properly.
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Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip
During the log home restoration process if you go through the trouble of stripping your log home to bare wood, it is a good idea to apply a borate treatment to all the woodwork. Borate will help ward off and kill most insects. It also helps preserve the wood making it less likely to rot. Two coats are generally applied using a sprayer. It can be brushed but, spraying is much faster and easier. The wood must be clean and bare so any finish left on the logs will prohibit penetration. Be sure the logs are stripped properly.
Also, a proper solution mixture is important. Too strong and there will be sodium crystals visible on the wood and can react to the new finish. Too weak and it will not do what it was ment to. Hiring a professional will be money well spent. Lets do it right if we are going through all the trouble of stripping and applying a new finish.
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Log Home Restoration: Cob Blasting
We will be removing a solid latex paint from a beautiful log home. Or at least it will be when the RED paint is gone. Stay tuned for pictures, videos, and updates as the job progresses. We will be using crushed glass on this particular project. Glass cuts through an intact coating much faster than corn cob.
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Log Home Restoration: Replacing Deck Boards
When older decks need a few boards replaced because of splinters or cracks, oftentimes unless the board is notched out for a post or has an angled cut, the board can just be flipped over. The bottom side of the board is most likely in excellent condition. This will match the existing older boards much better than buying a new “green” piece of lumber. Do the repair work first, clean or strip the deck, let it dry and then apply the finish . Most of the time this will work very well and blend nicely.
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Log Home Restoration:What About The Caulking?
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Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip
Be sure when taking pictures of the family to say “smile.” If not, there is a good possibility somebody may want to show off. Peggy Sue always behaves. Heidi on the other hand is the prankster……
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Log Home Restoration: Rain, Sleet or Snow
Today it will be in the upper 80s and sunny. In the picture in Staunton, VA. it was Febuary, 33 degrees and had just stopped snowing…….12 inches. The sun came out and melted some of the snow and then it froze that night. The next day we had to use hammers to beat holes in the ice covered snow so we could get the legs of the ladders down through the snow to solid ground. Got the house stripped, then had to wait for a few days for the weather to break and warm up. Three days later it was in the mid 50s and we started staining. This time everything work out. Ole Man Winter had mercy on us.
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