Log Home Restoration: What About The Maintenance?

If you have owned your log home any length of time, then you have already had to deal with log home restoration maintenance issues. If you are considering buying a log home, understanding maintenance requirements and procedures can help not only in the buying process, but also help in understanding what is involved in the periodic upkeep of the home. 

Some log home owners after enjoying the initial excitement of the rustic beauty, the smell of the logs and the “log home living” atmosphere are disappointed to find that with all the beauty comes all that maintenance. However, if they understand proper maintenance procedure and maintain a practical maintenance program, they can efficiently manage the upkeep of their home without becoming overwhelmed by what may seem like a daunting task.

 The key is proper and routine maintenance. Proper maintenance does not mean waiting 5 or 6 years and then having someone to “power wash” your home with household bleach using 3000psi. water pressure. Then applying a do-it-yourself retail “big box store” stain, or the all too familiar “water-proofing” sealer. This is oftentimes mistakenly referred to as “log home restoration by some. This approach will certainly produce disappointing results. The “power washing” alone can do irreversible damage as well as can bleach if used improperly. 

Proper maintenance starts with an annual or even better, bi-annual “walk around” inspection. Take your time and inspect every square inch of your log home. Use a pen and paper to make notes of questionable or obvious areas of concern. Things like soft or rotten wood, loose or cracked caulking, bare wood, evidence of bee or other insect damage, stain discoloration, loose or missing knots, soft or decayed log ends, or anything else that may be suspicious looking. Better to take the time to examine a potential problem and it turn out to be nothing than to ignore it and ultimately be the cause of major repair work. Any problems need to be addressed immediately. Waiting only compounds the problem and it does not take long for something as minor as a soft spot in the wood to quickly deteriorate into dry rot. 

Also, at least once a year, it is recommended to wash your log home. Washing not only makes your log home look nicer, it helps keep the stain intact by removing pollen, dirt and other contaminants that feed mold, mildew and algae that erode and damage the finish. Be sure to use a very mild detergent. Too strong or the wrong kind can streak or even remove some finishes. There are some good products made specifically for cleaning log homes.

 Once clean and dry, it’s a good time to make minor repairs. Touch up areas the stain may be worn or missing. Dig out old caulk and replace with a new quality caulk. Treat and plug any Carpenter Bee holes you may have found. And don’t forget to caulk any large upward facing checks (cracks in the logs.) Depending on what you found during the inspection will dictate what needs to be done. The most important thing however, is to do something each year so it don’t pile up and become overwhelming.

 The largest and most important maintenance task is re-coating your log home.

Assuming that your log home was prepared properly to receive a quality sealer, and the sealer was applied correctly, you should expect 3 to 6 years of protection from a semi-transparent finish. You can expect less than 3 years if a clear or lighter stain is used. Keep in mind, the darker the stain, the more pigment and therefore the more protection. Lighter shades (the natural look) have the least amount of pigment and the least amount of protection.

So, it comes down to a trade off. Most people like the natural look of the logs. But to achieve this, either a clear or a light “honey” color will have to be used leaving the least protection on the logs. Using a darker color such as a pecan, mahogany or walnut tone will give the most protection thereby lasting the longest, but most people don’t like the darker shades. 

So the log home owner will have to decide which is more important; using a lighter shade to keep the natural look and sealing more often, or using a darker stain with more pigment and protection that will last longer, but loosing the lighter “natural” log look.

  Your log home is an investment. Spending the time and the money to properly maintain it is also an investment. It is important to use quality products that are made for log homes and this is one instance in which “you get what you pay for!”

Most people would not hire a body shop to go to a store and buy a can of spray paint to re-paint their car. Yet all too often, the “off the shelf” retail stains and caulks are used to maintain log homes. Most of these types of products are consumer oriented and for the “do-it yourselfer.”  Make sure you know what your log home restoration contractor uses and insist on log home specific products.

 There is nothing like living in a log home, the look, the smell, the relaxing surroundings, but be sure you know and understand what it takes to maintain one. It is an ongoing process that if routinely managed can be taken as just another characteristic of log home living, but if neglected, it can certainly become an overwhelming burden. Choose the former and enjoy the rustic lifestyle and natural beauty or your well maintained log home.