We use Permachink products on all our finish restoration projects because they have every product you need to restore and they are formulated to work together. They cost more initially but they outlast all the products as the box stores and the labor to install a good product is the same as a poor product. However if the existing finish is in good condition we can reuse that product but that is a rare occasion.
1. Keep trees trimmed and away from the logs.
2. Any leak you notice inside your house when it rains should be repaired.
3. Water splashing off decks will rot your logs, especially the bottom logs.
4. Keep plants at least two feet away from the logs.
5. Watch for water splashing off objects stored near your house.
6. No soil or leaves should touch the logs.
7. Eave troughs are necessary to keep logs dry – especially around roof valleys and decks.
8. Windows and dormers should have flashing around them to prevent leaks.
9. No log should project beyond the edge of the roof. Any crown (corner) or purlin that extends beyond the drip line of the roof should be trimmed and refinished to help prevent rot.
10. Re-stain your house when water will not bead up on a log surface. How often you need to refinish varies with the exposure so do not wake until every wall needs attention or it will be too late.
11. Caulk around vents and pipes passing through logs.
12. Make sure flashing between roof and logs is sufficient to keep the logs from getting excessively wet.
Some good advice:
Keep a record of who did what and when to your house, including what types of preservative, stain, caulk, or chink were used.
2. Any leak you notice inside your house when it rains should be repaired.
3. Water splashing off decks will rot your logs, especially the bottom logs.
4. Keep plants at least two feet away from the logs.
5. Watch for water splashing off objects stored near your house.
6. No soil or leaves should touch the logs.
7. Eave troughs are necessary to keep logs dry – especially around roof valleys and decks.
8. Windows and dormers should have flashing around them to prevent leaks.
9. No log should project beyond the edge of the roof. Any crown (corner) or purlin that extends beyond the drip line of the roof should be trimmed and refinished to help prevent rot.
10. Re-stain your house when water will not bead up on a log surface. How often you need to refinish varies with the exposure so do not wake until every wall needs attention or it will be too late.
11. Caulk around vents and pipes passing through logs.
12. Make sure flashing between roof and logs is sufficient to keep the logs from getting excessively wet.
Some good advice:
Keep a record of who did what and when to your house, including what types of preservative, stain, caulk, or chink were used.
Media blasting and chemicals strippers are the most common methods of removing an old finish. Chemicals and the water used to remove them are impossible to collect so increasing concern for the environment has shifted us away from this once popular process toward media blasting.
The most popular media which are used on log homes are silica sand, recycled glass and corn cob grit. Sand and glass media are the most cost effective but require more extensive masking and preparation work but this work is needed to apply stain with a sprayer as soon as the blasting is done anyway. Other advantages include a smoother finish, faster (less labor) and it can be reused up to three times.
Boron preservatives are one of the most effective yet earth friendly chemicals that can be used today. In addition to fungicide protection against rot it also serves as an insecticide to protect against a wide variety of wood boring insects.
Epoxy can be used to do a wide variety of repairs however when the damage gets to a certain point it becomes necessary to replace all or at least part of the log. This can be done using a new outer face on the log or a whole log if needed. We use special jacks and equipment for this work and it should not be attempted by anyone who is not experienced.
Note: Minnesota law requires that log replacement work is done by a licensed contractor. To comply with this requirement we work hand in hand with several licensed individuals so we are in compliance despite the fact that the word log is not found in any of the tests taken to obtain that license.
Note: Minnesota law requires that log replacement work is done by a licensed contractor. To comply with this requirement we work hand in hand with several licensed individuals so we are in compliance despite the fact that the word log is not found in any of the tests taken to obtain that license.