Log Home Restoration: Proper Caulking

Log Home Restoration often requires repairing failing caulk. As seen in this picture, the caulking has separated. Usually this is caused by not using “backer rod” in the joint before applying the caulk. Backer rod acts as a filler to keep from filling the entire check (or crack) with caulking. But it’s main purpose is to keep the caulking from adhering to the back of the check.

 

The caulking needs only to adhere to the top and bottom of the check. In this way it has the ability to streach in two directions, up and down. If the caulk is adhered to the top, bottom and the back of the check, the elongation is greatly demished causing the caulk to tear loose and fail.                                                                                                  

In this picture, the backer rod has been installed, the caulking applied and properly tooled into the check joint. Neat and clean joints make it easy to stain and blend the caulk into the wood. This properly applied caulking will last for several years to come. But…log homes require constant inspections to keep up with new checks as well as older checks that may need to be recaulked. If inspections are preformed bi-anually and caulking issuses addressed early on, the maintenance can be kept at a manageable level. If you wait too long, maintenance issuses can become overwhelming making your log home a burden rather than an exciting log home experence.     

 Make a maintenance “checklist” and and use it. Make notes of anything unusual and keep an eye on it. The next time you do your inspection go back and check to see if anything has changed or gotten worse. Make repairs as needed and don’t put it off. It don’t take long for insects or wood rot to do major damage. It is much eaiser to make repairs early on than to wait until a log has to be replaced.

Log Home Restoration: Interior Media Blasting

On our You Tube channel are two new media blasting videos of  the interior of a newly constructed log home. The logs were left unprotected  for two years before they were finally erected. Weathered wood, clay and mildew had to be removed so we did a light media blast to remove a minute layer of wood from the logs. We then sanded with #40 grit sand paper to smooth the profile. Finally, two interior finish coats were applied by brush. Check them out at: www.youtube.com/taskmasters3

Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip

Spring is almost here and so are the borring bees. Carpenter Bees can cause alot of damage in a relatively short period of time. Don’t let them get out of control. If you find a hole, new or old, make sure to spray WD-40 in it using the small red applicator tube. Then, I like to plug the hole with a ball of alumnium foil followed by installing a 1/2 wooden dowell. It can be glued but generally it fits plenty tight without it. Once hammered in place, you can tap around the edges of the dowell to flatten it out making it blend really well into the wood.

Log Home Restoration:Stain Application Video

A new log home restoration video is available for viewing @ www.youtube.com/taskmasters3

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see that we apply an oil stain to logs by spraying with a corse low pressure spray. We then back brush to assure the oil is worked deep into the logs. It is worth mentioning that a low moisture content of the logs is important when apply any stain but critical  when applying an oil based finish.

Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip

Spring is almost here. So what does that mean to log home owners? Well, just like interior “spring cleaning” the exterior of the log home needs cleaning as well.

After a long harsh winter battling the elements, the finish can really take a beating. UV rays from the sun can do just as much danage in the winter as in the summer months and maybe more. At least in the summer, most log homes have some amount of shade from trees around the house. In the winter when all the leaves have fallen, the sun has more direct contact on the logs.  The sun can actually cause more damage to the finish as well as other wood than water by drying out the wood causing it to crack and split. The sun takes its toll on the finish as well.  

Pollen, dust and dirt builds up over time. This build up is perfect food for mold and mildew which can erode the finish in a realative short period of time. Moreover, mildew will keep growing having the potential to cause some major log rot problems.

To keep your log home looking its best and protected, it is a good idea to wash the home with a mild detergent at least once a year.  Be careful what you use as some cleaners can cause major damage to the finish. Clean wood not only looks nicer, but will help the finish last longer. And that  extends re-coating intervals and more importantly, major Log Home Restoration. 

Log Home Restoration:

Before any sealer is applied, plastic is laid out where needed to protect anything not recieving a finish. In this log home restoration, plastic is laid down on the roof below the shed dormer.  After that, canvas tarps are put on top. This helps absorb any overspray or drips and adds extra protection to the shingles.

When using a parrifin oil based sealer, it is imperative to not allow any to get on the asphalt shingles. It will soak  in so fast that it can not be removed. If this happens, it will actually desingrate the shingle causing the shingle to have to be replaced.

If using a “film-formimg” sealer (linseed oil), it is not as important as these finishes will not distroy the shingle like parriffin sealers. It will however soak in discoloring the shingle leaving a  permanent stain.

Taking a little extra time to protect surfaces from unwanted  overspray or drips can save time  by eliminating extra work having to clean these up or replacing damaged shingles.

Log Home Restoration: Stripping in the Snow

This Virginia Log Home Restoration was a bit of a challenge to strip. Low 30’s during the day and in the teens at night. Got the deck stripped and while we were waiting for it to dry……….18 inches of the white stuff fell. After this picture was taken, we started stripping the house. Being verticle surfaces, it went much better although we did use antifreeze in the stripper.  Takes a bit longer but…the job must go on……

Log Home Restoration: From The Homeowners Point Of View

This picture was taken from the inside during this log home restoration. This is what the homeowner can expect to see during the stripping process.

The brown run-off is stain residue that has been dislodged. The little chuncks are actual pices of the “film” from the “film-forming” stain that did not completly dissolve from the stripper. 

 This residue run-off is caustic and care must be taken so as not to damage plants, lawns, sidewalks, driveways or decrorative foundation and stonework as well as certian metal objects such as galvanized flashing, door hardware, electrical outlets, ect…Also, if the log home leaks ( and they ALL leak to some degree) care must be taken to control any residue that may enter the interior. Stripper residue can streak a log wall very fast if not addressed immediately.

As can be seen, chemical stripping is a harsh prodedure and must be monitored closely. Make sure you hire someone that knows proper stripping techniques. Once the damage is done, it is very hard to reverse any streaking or staining of interior walls.

Log Home Restoration: Cleaned & Stained?

I often get requests from log home owners saying, “I want to have my log home cleaned and stained.” When I ask exactly what do they mean, I usually here, “I want the logs power washed and re-coated.” At this point I ask for a few minutes of their time to explain log home restoration.

Depending on the type of finish on the logs and it’s condition will dictate what process must be used to prepare the wood for re-coat. This is where log home restoration can sometimes get a bad name because of the contractor either not knowing the proper steps to be taken or just not caring.

The general rule of thumb is, if you have a latex stain or paint that is in GOOD condition, then probably a good wash with a chlorine/detergent solution will do. If it is failing, media blasting using cob, soda or glass is the best form of removal. If it is an oil stain, there are two factors to take into consideration. Is it a “film forming” or a “non-film forming” finish.  Knowing this will determine what process must be taken to prepare the logs for recoating.  

As a log home restoration contractor, I have been called to many log homes that have been stained (with an oil or latex stain) only a few years prior and are now failing. As a rule, the problem with the stain is one of two things.

First, the stain was put on a newly constructed home that probably had “green” or wet logs and were not properly cleaned and prepared to receive the finish. Second, someone came along and sold the homeowner on a bleach wash and a fast re-coat. 

With the first, the newly constructed home, several things must be taken into consideration. Most of the time with the exception of a few log home manufactures that have kiln dried logs, most logs probably have not been cut down very long and are still “green”. If it is a milled log, it is most likely coated with “Mill Glaze”; a result of the logs passing through the fast turning milling knives that leaves a film on the surface of the wood. Also, it is not uncommon after the home is built to find soiled, stained or mildewed logs that have been erected. So you end up with wet logs that have a film of sap on them and stand a good chance of being dirty. Not the ideal surface for a penetrating stain or any kind of finish for that matter. 

In the second case, it must be determined if the stain is a “film forming” or a “non-film forming stain. If it is a film forming stain, the best advice is to follow the manufacture’s directions for re-coating. Take note that most film forming oil stains require “clean bare wood” to re-coat which means a total strip of the old finish. Often the instructions can be confusing or unclear so read carefully or call the manufacture to get clarification. Many people including contractors ignore this important step and apply another coat of stain on top of the existing stain. The problem with a “film-forming finish, is the new coat can not penetrate the film of the existing finish and therefore remains on the surface. The logs will look good for a while but, because it did not penetrate and it was applied on top of an already failing stain, it will certainly fail prematurely. 

With “non-film forming stains, because there is no film, the finish not only will not peel, crack or blister, it simply wears away. Depending on the age and condition, usually a light chlorine and TSP solution wash is sufficient if the wood was cleaned and prepped properly the first time. However, if it can not be determined  that the wood was properly cleaned, it would be best to spend the extra money and do it right, rather than having a new finish fail prematurely. Proper preparation of the wood is imperative to achieve maximum performance of any finish. 

 It is generally accepted that while bleach will kill mildew, it has no cleaning properties. So if the house (or deck) is mildewed only, it may be alright to use bleach to remove it, but that does little to remove dirt and other debris. The best way to solve all of the above problems is to do a “light” strip unless there is an intact stain that must be removed, in which case a more aggressive strip would be required. 

Although there are “mill glaze” remover products sold, a light chemical strip is all that is needed to not only remove mill glaze, but also dirt, stains and discolorations. Stripping will also remove mildew however, it is recommended to follow up with a chlorine rinse to make sure all the mildew is not just removed, but the mildew spores are killed deep into the pores of the wood. If not completely eradicated from the wood, mildew can grow back under the new stain causing major problems that can only be corrected by going through the whole stripping process again. 

The stripping process is rather involved and costly. However, if the existing finish is failing, it is the proper way to prepare the wood. If the new stain has to be removed because of shortcuts, it will end up costing far more than if it had been done properly the first time.

So when the log homeowner wants their home “cleaned and stained,” they need to be sure that the proper procedure is being used for their particular situation. Each project is different and an on site inspection is required to determine exactly what is needed.

Log Home Restoration: Quick Tip

STAIN TEST

One way to check the existing finish on your log home is to do a stain test. Take a pice of masking tape and place it firmly on different areas of  the logs. Press it firmly so to be sure it has adhered well. Then, quickly pull the tape off and examine the tape. If much of the stain come off with the tape, the stain is failing. If only a little come off, it is probably alright for another year but should be watched and tested again in a few months. When it gets to the point much of the tape is covered, it’s time to think about maintenance coats.  Don’t wait too long to recoat. It is better to do maintenance coats too soon rather than too late.

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