Log Home Maintenance Tips

Maintaining a log home may feel like a huge project. The longer you put it off, the more work it requires. However, with a little effort each year, you can keep your home looking beautiful for years to come. Here are a few tips.
1) Start with good quality products. Log home stains and sealers are NOT all the same. As a general rule, you will get what you pay for. Most of the economy grade stains are designed to be reapplied every year. While it may seem like its saving a little money up front, it ends up costing more in the long run. On the other hand, most of your high quality stains are made to be durable and last for many years when properly maintained. These cost a little more up front, but save money over the long run. I recommend Sikkens stains if you like oil based, or Perma Chink if you prefer a water base, but there are other quality stains available as well.
2) Cleaning your log home is a must. Most stain manufacturers recommend washing your home at least once and preferably twice each year. This may sound daunting, but it really isn’t that difficult. Begin by applying log wash with a pump up sprayer. Use a soft bristle brush on an extension pole to gently scrub away dirt/dust build up and finally rinse away with a garden hose, or low power pressure washer. (If you know that you will never do this yourself, consider purchasing a maintenance contract with your local stain applicator.)
3) Inspect. While you are cleaning, take a good look and make note of any areas where the stain looks like it might need to be freshened up. If you wait until the stain starts cracking and peeling, it is too late. However, when you first start to notice areas appearing weathered, or dull, apply a light coat on that area. It may be necessary to apply a fresh coat to that entire side of the house to avoid looking splotchy.
4) Finally, if you find that you’ve already let things go too long and the stain has already begun failing, you’re not out of options. If it’s gotten to this point, you will have to remove the failing stain. For years, the only option was chemical strippers and high powered pressure washers. However, today there is a better option. Have a professional cob blasting company come out and remove the stain. Cob blasting safely removes failing stain and brings your log home back down to bare wood so you can have a fresh start. Then, go back to step number one. If steps one through three are followed, step four should not be necessary for many, many years.