Help needed: Refinishing log home

[daniel240]

Hi, Im new to the forum but have been reading on here for a while now. I just purchased my first log home about 4 months ago. Now that I have settled in I have some questions. The outside of the home is starting to show some aging and I would like to refinish this spring. I was lucky enough to speak with the previous owners so I do know what kind of stain they used. It is a Behr oil based stain shown below.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s70/daniel240/log3_zpsfdf85302.jpg
The house is 12 years old and except for the garage is all solid D style logs. Im not sure what the species is but Im guessing pine. The previous owners said they had restained the southside of the home a few years ago and it looks ok other than a lot of cracking in the logs. The northside of the home however does not look near as good. Here are a few pics of the northside of the home.
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s70/daniel240/log1_zpsc1001020.jpg
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s70/daniel240/log2_zpsc1c027a9.jpg
My question is how do I prep the surface prior to restaining? I know I need to at least clean the wood but do I need to do anything else? if I remember correctly the owner said they washed it in a bleach/water solution and powerwashed it clean. I have a powerwasher but I have read mixed reviews of using that on the wood. In some areas it looks like the stain was applied much thicker than others and its almost shiny while other areas the wood is dull and gray. I just refinished the deck which had the same stain. I powerwashed it clean before but like the house some of the stain was on so thick that it didnt come off and after I restained the deck it left shiny areas where the old stain did not come off with the powerwasher. I dont want this to happen when I do the house.

Another question I have is on caulking. The logs especially on the southside of the home have several cracks which have never been sealed. Is it better to caulk these before or after I stain the logs? Also is it nesesary to caulk the joints between each log? During a strong storm we recently had I have noticed a few spots where water was leaking through to the inside of the home while the rain was blowing from the south. There are also serveral water marks on the inside where it looks like water leaked through at sometime.

[loghousenut]

Daniel,

This site is manned/womanned by a bunch of us who are fanatics about a style of building that is completely contrary to the style that you have purchased. Please bear in mind that we may not be the best informed on this repair.

That said, I will chime in with my worthless drivel and see who agrees or has better advice. I would NOT pressure wash it if it were mine. Water between the timbers will be the death of your building and you don't want to force more water in the cracks. I think a lot of folks would soda blast or maybe use walnut shells or some other media to clean things up a bit. I'd probably hand scrape it or sand it to get off the moss and crud, as well as any loose wood, dirt, and stain. If you can get away with a quick cleanup and not go to bare wood for the entire building that would be a plus. Keep an eye out for spongy logs, especially on the lower courses and corners.

There are a ton of different caulks out there and a ton and a half of different stains. I'm inclined to keep using the original stain, especially if you don't have to completely strip the entire structure to bare wood. If you stay with Behr, investigate for the caulk that they recommend and get a few cases and do the entire structure before staining. Hit every crack and opening between the timbers.

I'd apply the stain with a garden sprayer and then wipe it in with a brush. Then I'd do it again and again until it has soaked up as much as possible. Then repeat the process the next time the building gets to looking even the least bit sad. Do it in the middle of summer when things are good and dry.

If you find spongy logs, all bets are off and you have to assess that problem immediately. Good luck with your new home and welcome to the LHBA site.

[blane]

If you can afford some modification on your roof or add a covered wrap around deck it would help your walls greatly. A lot of log homes do not really have enough overhang to keep the water off the logs and will result in rot. If you find rot in some of your logs it can be repaired though.

[rreidnauer]

While this forum doesn't specialize or focus on kithome log homes, I'll take a crack at some of your concerns and questions.

Probably the bleach/water is your best bet, and should be worked in with a stiff brush in my opinion. Then use a power washer with a 15° fantip and start off easy. (hold away from the wall and work in closer until you are removing the grime, but not removing wood) I'd then suggest some sort of borate based treatment to discourage future reoccurance. Part of your problem is those logs are too close to the ground, and I'm sure your roof overhangs are quite short too. Water splashing back up onto the logs transfers a lot of bad stuff onto them. (clearly evident in that one pic) If you have been reading up here for a while, you surely noticed the style of large roof overhangs and obvious high foundations. Putting down some sort of clean gravel bed around foundation in place of the soil would probably help with the logs getting bad as pictured.

Caulking... Something of a necessary evil in your situation. I would NOT caulk the checking. (cracks) It will have a tendancy to simply trap water in the log, and be a toehold for rot. You likely don't have water coming in from the horizontal seams. You can see they are keyed to fit together and probably have some sort of foam filler to help seal between them. More likey is the vertical seams where two logs butt together. While the visible water may not be seen right at one of these seams, it is likely the cause, and the water might follow along a horizontal seam a bit before revealing itself. So, that is the one spot I'd caulk, and only on the outside.

I don't see how you're going to work around the "shiny stain" problem. Basically, you're left trying to solve a mistake made long ago. Perhaps you can "dull" the finish through some mechanical means. (sanding?)

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[rckclmbr428]

I work on log homes for a living, I happen to like kit log homes because I get a lot of business fixing them. We typically either osborne brush or media blast the old stain off, replace the rotted logs, then stain and caulk. I am a fan of Sascho transformations stain, and we use a lot of log jammer caulk products.
DO NOT pressure wash the home, you are forcing water into gaps that it will not escape from. you must definitely want to caulk the entire home, I prefer after staining. you are trying to seal water out of the home, only way to do it is with caulk

[rocklock]

I agree with Mr. Wiley. IMHO you will continue to have problems because your roof does not protect your lumber (wood that has been milled on all 4 sides can not be called logs). Not a criticism just a fact. Several thing may ease you on going maintenance.

1. Find the correct product to minimize you on going maintenance... I would suggest "log jam" or other chinking products. Google chinking. I use a product that comes in a large tube that can be applied quickly. A case costs about 100 bucks.

2. Do not use oil that does not polymerize... I have not heard great things about Behr products. Sascho, Sickens, and others make an oil stain (actually a finish that will become waterproof). It will become shiny, where oil finishes may become somewhat shiny but not waterproof. Because your roof does not protect your lumber, you need a heavy duty finish. These finishes cost about 80 buck a gallon or about 250 for a 5 gallon bucket. You probably need at least enough for 2 coats.

3. Chinking after applying the finish is probably a good idea.

4. Preparing the surface. I have an Osborne brush (85 bucks and hard to find, fits on an 6 inch sander) and its a pain in the bu... Sanding my be too aggressive for every where but may be necessary. If the surface can me smoothed with scraping or an Osborne brush, good.

5. Log homes are just plane hard work... There is no easy way, but worth it.

6. Last and not nearly enough but I have put chinking in the cracks that face up. Actually I filled them up with spray insulation, then covered them with a latex chinking that I have had really good success. The reason is I found water in the heart of my logs when I cut out my front door... It was clear that I had a problem with one log that twisted and had cracks that opened up near the bottom of my log wall... It is where my logs are least protected.

good luck!

[daniel240]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Wow there are lots of different opinions on here. It seems there is no right way to do any of this. I have not measured but I do know the roof overhangs are at least 2ft but obviously not long enough. The majority of the house is surrounded by deck/concrete. The picture above is one of the areas where bare ground is up against the house. I plan to concrete/gravel these areas in the future. I believe the logs on the home are in good shape other than several wood bee holes and cracking, I have not come across any rotting or soft logs. The owner left a few cases of caulk, I believe it was "log builders" brand but I will have to check. I tried it out but it was much lighter than the stain on the house so I wasnt sure whether I could use this prior to staining the logs. I will find out exactly what kind it is and post on here. Is there a reason why this home was not chinked? I thought I read somewhere that these milled type logs that fit together should not be chinked because that will trap moisture between the logs.

[John W]

Daniel, best of luck to you with the house. It does reinforce for us on the 'haven't built our house yet' side that the LHBA butt and pass method with whole logs and large overhangs is the way to go. I would listen to the folks that repair log houses for a living. And watch out for that LHN guy, we think he's an internet troll of some kind. ;)

[rreidnauer]

And watch out for that LHN guy, we think he's an internet troll of some kind. ;)Troll? I always thought he reminded me more of an oger. :p



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[loghousenut]

Most folks who know me would say I look like a ogre but act like a troll. Just remember what you paid for your ticket.

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[rckclmbr428]

I think he's like an onion, lots of layers.... Stinky, stinky layers..... =)

[daniel240]

Well I checked and I do have 2 cases of Logbuilder sealant caulk made by Sashco. It is a light tan color and much lighter than my stain. Does anyone know if this would be a good caulk to use and how well stain would adhere to it?

[BoFuller]

Most folks who know me would say I look like a ogre but act like a troll. Just remember what you paid for your ticket.

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More like a puppy dog. :)

[Timberwolf]

Well I checked and I do have 2 cases of Logbuilder sealant caulk made by Sashco. It is a light tan color and much lighter than my stain. Does anyone know if this would be a good caulk to use and how well stain would adhere to it?

Sashco products are very good.

Always use products engineered for Loghomes. Behr is not one of those products.