Log Home Maintenance

Introduction: The Importance of Continued Log Home Care

Most people who purchase or build log homes want them to look just like they did when they were first built. Unfortunately, this will not happen without continued maintenance. The amount of maintenance will be directly related to the type of finish applied. Many products out there, even though advertised as made for log homes, sit on the wood and eventually breakdown by peeling and ﬂaking.

As a company, we have found a sensible approach and practical cost effective means of protecting your investment. Unﬁnished logs are subject to weathering (sunlight and rain), and fungi that attack wood surfaces causing mold and mildew. The ﬁnish applied should protect against all these elements to be successful. It must be a penetrating finish that contains a pigment if you want to prevent the wood from graying. Clear ﬁnishes will not prevent graying.

Weathering tests conducted by the Texas Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory show that most wood stains, water repellants and preservatives last only 7-18 months before mildew or weathering begins. Most log home owners report their disappointment in ﬁnishes they have tried. Most indicate that they are reﬁnishing every 1-3 years to maintain the original wood color. That’s no fun!

One product tested in Texas and St. Louis MO, has shown excellent results in controlling both weathering and mildew. It is TWP (Total Wood Preservative). TWP is a biocide containing a fungicide, mildewcide, pigment, resin, ultraviolet light reﬂector and water repellant. The expected life is ﬁve years, probably longer in sheltered locations. The St.Louis test showed ﬁve years even when applied to a new cedar shingle roof. TWP is the answer to maintaining the natural wood look. It is a semi-transparent oil based stain.

In all cases, we recommend cleaning the logs prior to staining. See more detail on this below.

Now that you have the basics, here are your options:

Hire Our Services

We have been taking care of log homes all around New England for the past 35 years.

Email works best. We can often times provide you with a projected cost if you provide us the following information

site address
pictures of all sides of the project, so not necessarily close up shots, but rather showing the front, each side and the back for example so we can assess the scope of the project
the brand of finish that is currently on the home.

Bleaching and Pressure Washing will range from $1,800.00 to $2,400.00, and sometimes a little more. It depends on the size of the project, the status of the current finish, if there is a high percentage of black that will require more attention for example.

TWP stain application will range from $3,200.00 to $5,600.00 in most cases, although could be higher. Again, this is mostly dependent on the size of the project, roof type, height of the building, if using TWP or another stain, etc.

We would ask for a $200.00 retainer to secure a spot on next year's schedule, with a 30% deposit in the spring of that year, with progress payments thereafter.

In many cases we are booking a year out, but we can determine that when you contact us.

Do It Yourself

We are a supplier of Total Wood Preservative (TWP) for those who wish to do the job themselves. We stock the colors listed to the right. You must call first however to confirm we have the quantities you need and coordinate pickup as the crew is often times on the road.

5 Gallon ... $250.00 1 Gallon ... $50.00

TWP Product Brochure

More Information on Log Home Maintenance Services

Pressure Washing: Cleaning the Logs

In all cases, we recommend cleaning to logs with a reliable cleaning solution to sanitize areas of dirt, grime, mold, and mildew. Using a gallon garden pump sprayer, add in 1 gallon fresh household bleach, 1 quart bottle of liquid tri sodium phosphate (TSP) available at your local hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowes, filling the rest with water.

Working from the bottom rows and working your way up to the log wall, apply the solution onto the wood surface and let it set for about 20 minutes. Scrub clean where necessary. Working from the top of the wall downward, completely rise with fresh water & preferably pressure wash clean. If using a pressure washer, use caution to not create marks as you begin and end your spraying by "fanning" your spray action.

Do not let the cleaning solution dry on the wood surface before rinsing. It is key that the cleaning solution is completely rinsed off.

We recommend removing the screens for this phase. There is a significant amount of wood pulp like material that develops as a result of the bleaching and power washing. This can be quite a chore to remove after things dry, especially if it gathers in the screening.

We also ask that someone be home the day we power wash to monitor inside for water leaks. Although every effort is made to direct the water pressure at an angle to minimize the amount of water penetration if the home has not been caulked.

For homes that have been painted, that have a solid stain, or with excessive mold, a more intense form of cleaning may be needed. Glass Bead Blasting is truely the only way to return the wood to it's original state. Click here for more information on Glass Bead Blasting.

Blasting: BLASTER-Buddy Finish Removal System

If you have a solid finish or paint that has been applied to your log home and you want to get it back to bare wood, the Blaster-Buddy finish removing system is the easiest and safest method of removing old finishes from your log home.

Key Features:

• Environmentally friendly
• No water is used - no water gets into your walls
• No caustic strippers and no chemicals
• Clean up is simple - corn cob materials are bio-degradable
• Once blasting is completed, you are ready to apply a preservative or stain

The abrasive media used by the Blaster-Buddy is specially sized corncob grit or glass beads. The low mass and high velocity of the grit striking the surface removes the finish with minimum damage to the wood. We find the glass beads to yield the least amount of texture to the wood surface as compared to the corncob

Please note that this process is significantly more costly than pressure washing and/or staining, and we can only provide it on a limited basis, in a 50 mile radius of the shop.

Staining: Preserving Your Home

TWP® 1500 Series is an EPA registered wood preservative which prevents structural damage and wood decay on exterior above ground wood surfaces such as untreated or previously treated fencing, decking, wood siding, log homes and roofing. TWP® 1500 Series resists water absorption that causes warping, cracking and splitting as well as preventing freeze damage in colder climates.

TWP® 1500 Series is a low VOC preservative (VOC compliant in all 50 states!) with special U.V. absorbing pigments that prevent unsightly wood graying, darkening and fading. The selected mildewcides inhibit the growth of mold and mildew which assist in preventing premature discoloration.

TWP® 1500 Series will keep your wood beautiful, fresh and looking new longer. The ease of application and maintenance will allow you to enjoy your investment for years to come.

In all cases, we recommend a mix of 1 part household bleach to 2 parts water to wash down and rinse off dirt, mold, glaze and just as importantly, the graying that often occurs. This step should be followed by power washing and thorough rinsing of the entire structure. This will prepare the home for the next step, staining.

Backer rod: "Mile High Foam"

Backer rod...
• is a closed cell polyethylene backer rod serving as a backing for elastomeric and other applied caulking sealants when joints spaces are extreme we also use it on the inside to create a visual barrier to the exterior caulking, as well as create a dead air space to increase the energy efficiency of the home controls the depth and amount of sealant required.
• is continuous lengths of flexible, round, closed cell polyethylene.
• is black in color.
• is chemically inert, resists oil, gasoline and most solvents.
• is odorless and will not stain.
• is easily inserted into the log space using a butter knife or putty knife.

PRICE LIST

We work with a baker rod manufacturer called "Mile High Foam".

3/8" - $0.10/lineal foot

5/8" - $0.15/lineal foot

7/8" - $0.20/lineal foot

Caulking: Sealing Log Joints

As you know your log home is made of a natural product (wood) that goes through dimensional changes during the wet and dry, hot and cold cycles caused by the weather. Movement will occur, and it is vital in a log home that the best suited sealant materials are used to provide the tightest seal possible. Application of caulking normally lowers your fuel bill, aids in preventing ﬂies and insects from becoming a problem and keeps water from penetrating and staining or damaging inside walls and becoming trapped on or in log joints or severe checks, and thereby beginning the slow process of rot, sometimes an 8 to 10 year process. In the past we highly recommended and sold "Puttylastic" brand caulking, however it was discontinued in 2017. Since then we have been using a variety of products including Permachink, Dymonic 100, Sansin Timber-Tec Chinking, and Manus-Bond. As we continue to test new products, check with us to see what we've found. Most people seem to select one product over another based on a color match. Permachink is water based while the others are petroleum based.