Staining

The use of a top-quality stain is just as essential to the longevity of the stain on log homes as a top quality applicator.  If the wrong materials are applied, it can become very costly to remove and start over with media blasting.

Log Home Maintenance is qualified to apply any stain, however, we have found Permachink’s Lifeline Ultra 7, backed by their 3-year to 5-year warranty when followed by Lifeline Advance topcoat to be the longest lasting stain.  A little care and maintenance along with the use of of these quality stains and sealants will not only keep your log cabin or home looking great all the time, but will also preserve the integrity of the logs and help prevent costly repairs.

We begin by masking windows, outlets, and lights to help prevent overspray damage.  If we have already removed previous finishes through media-blasting , or chemical stripping,  a borate-based wood preservative is then applied.  This product can only be applied to bare wood, but is cheap insurance to help prevent mold, mildew, or wood ingesting bugs such as carpenter ants, termites, house borers, powderpost beetles, ect. from damaging your log home (this does not help to prevent carpenter bees).

When refinishing we next apply Prelude which is a clear wood primer full of UV boosters, that help fills the pores of the wood and provides a surface that enables you to obtain a more uniform finish color over the entire home.   Prelude is ideal for both interior and exterior wood surfaces.

Choosing your stain color, if possible, should be done after cob-blasting is completed, as this can change the color tone.  Never rely on color chart, as semi-transparant stains will appear different on each home due to age, species of wood, ect.  Also, keep in mind that the darker color of  stain that you choose, the longer it will hold up to the sun’s UV damage.

Pigments in stain typically sink to the bottom of the bucket and should be thoroughly mixed before and during application.  Film-forming stains such as Permachink Lifeline Ultra 7 stain should ALWAYS be back-brushed when being introduced to wood through a sprayer.  Imagine a microscopic image of a newspaper picture…see all the spaces between the dots of color?  Those are areas that will not be protected without thorough back-brushing!

Following this should be any chinking, caulking, or check repair.

Final step…application of Lifeline Advance topcoat earning you our Warranty!  This product comes in either gloss or satin finish, however, we highly recommend the gloss as it reflects more UV rays, extending the life of your topcoat.

Caulking Chinking