Understanding The Log Home Restoration Process

Get Better Results From Knowing How It's Done
There are some very important steps that must be taken when restoring a log home. These steps are detrimental to the life of the logs and the expenses you will avoid in future. Shown below are the steps necessary for achieving a lasting restoration. If you are planning to hire a contractor to perform these services, make sure you read them carefully.  Each one of these steps are paramount to achieving a quality, lasting job.

1) Surface Preparation:
The most important step in the appearance of your restored home and the longevity of your stain is the surface preparation. This usually involves the stripping of an existing finish or coating, and the preparation of the logs to receive stain.

The three methods used to prep your surfaces are chemical stripping, media blasting, and sanding.  One thing we can guarantee, if there is something on your house, we can get it off, whether it be a simple stain, polyurethane or multiple coats of paint.

The second (and often neglected) part of surface preparation is the sanding/buffing. The sanding smoothes the roughness out of the wood, and helps to achieve a lighter finished color when the staining is done.  This is only necessary when the prep procedure has been chemical stripping or blasting.

At this time we also grind down the log ends so that once stained, they will be less susceptible to rot and this also improves the appearance immensely. 

2) Preservatives:
The second step in the restoration process is the application of preservatives, often called Borates. There are two choices when it comes to preservatives—the first is pure borate that is applied to bare wood, and is a topical treatment to prevent fungus from inhabiting the logs, as well as fend off insects. The second choice is a Glycol-Borate, which actually soaks deep into the log, killing all fungus and most insects that it comes in contact with. This is a more expensive and intensive treatment, but will work for life if the exterior finish of the logs is maintained (neither kill carpenter bees.) At this time, solutions will be carried out if there is a carpenter bee problem that needs remedied. None of the preservatives that we use are harmful to humans or the environment.

3) Staining:
The most satisfying step in our restoration process is the application of the stain. There are many different situations for homes which require different types of stains that will work the best in that particular environment or situation. Since we don't manufacture any of these products, you can count on us to have your best interests in mind when it comes to selecting the proper finish for your home. Many factors come into play when it comes to choosing the right finish—location, home style, budget, desired texture and desired color. We'll share with you the pro's and con's of all the products and tell you which we think would be best for your home, and let you choose. Staining is the most important part of the maintenance on the exterior logs, and we take it seriously.

4) Sealants:
The final step to the restoration and finishing of your home is the application of the sealants, notably chinking and caulking. The best defense against air, water and pest infiltration is to chink your log home. This permanently seals out the elements, and is your best solution to prevent log rot. Chinking comes in a variety of colors so you can create a strong contrast with your stain, or choose a color that blends in. We use log home caulk to properly seal cracks, checks and butt joints. Caulking comes in colors to blend seamlessly into your log, as opposed to the contrast of chinking.

Let us get to work for you. It's as easy as submitting an online Request For Estimate or you can always give us a call at: 417-485-0456. We look forward to hearing from you soon.