preparing logs for log cabin

Eventually, all of these loose wood fibers, gray or yellow wood, and failing stains will fall off the logs. Dry wood means moisture wp-content levels that are 19% or lower. A log cabin that is 24 x 20ft and 9ft high will require 67 logs if the logs are all 10 inches in diameter. More stain on the wood = more protection. Read First Before Building Or Buying Your Log Home. Hand sanding with Osborn brushes or the like. Preparation of the logs that will be used in building a log cabin or home is an important step & it is also essential that the logs be dry enough in order to build with wood that will not twist or bow. Keep the nozzle at a 15 to 20 degree angle. Wash dark spots on the wood with bleach water to remove any mold or mildew. Her first novel was published in 2014. This step removes any finishes from the crevices in the wood. Oxygenated bleach wood and log cleaner and brightener. Remove the old finish. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Phone: (800) 767-5656, Media blasting – crushed glass media is what we recommend, but corn cob media can also work well; or, Power washing – and vigorously enough to create wood fuzz (called felting), not just a swipe across everything with some water; or. Inspect your home prior to re-staining. Use a pressure washer set to not greater than 500 psi to wash the logs. Temps need to stay in this range throughout product application and for 3 to 5 days after you’re done, to allow stain, chinking, or log home caulk to cure properly. Sand the surface of the house with a random orbit sander. ), Headaches, frustration, and tantrum throwing. More surface area = more stain on the wood. This will allow you to get rid … Machine to blast the old finish from the logs. Wood + Heat + H20 + Air = DECAY. Take time to plan your log cabin thoroughly and you may even want to study other log cabins to see how many logs they use on each wall. Don’t get set on that new-furniture-baby-butt-smooth feeling. For best results, stain in the morning or on cloudy days, as the sun dries stain very quickly. Log homes need periodic restaining, just like any outdoor wood. Clean means, well, clean. Fully restoring a log cabin requires you to strip the wood of its old stain and apply a fresh stain. This will allow you to get rid of any dirt and debris before re-staining. Example calculation for a 20FT x 24FT cabin: More texture = more surface area. Don't be tempted to skip a step because the logs look nice. Created with ♥ by Maine Web Development Company. Pick them up online or in any paint store. Log Cabins - Preparation Of Logs Before Building. Design is linked closely to maintenance. Brush stain onto the prepared logs. After the drying process is completed, the bark is stripped by hand with drawknives, to keep the rustic qualities or the  logs are milled into different shapes according to the preference of the customer.  Some people prefer a more uniform log profile, in which each log looks the same as all the others; as opposed to the hand-done style where each log looks unique and resemble the style of log used in an earlier time. Mold, mildew, or algae growth under the stain, Ugliness. “I cannot emphasize enough how critical proper preparation is to realize a successful staining project. (Yep – peeling and flaking stain is often a sign of poor prep.). Use a pressure washer set to not greater than 500 psi to wash the logs. East Grand LakeLog Cabins - Preparation Of Logs Before Building. 10300 East 107th Place Corn cob is cheaper, but very messy. Sound means “as close to original as possible.” Sound means that the gray patina or amber yellow glow is removed. Get yourself a surface thermometer so you’re not guessing. This is usually done by blasting the walls with ground corn-cob or dry ice pellets using a rented machine. When you know how many logs or trees your build will require, walk through your land to identify which trees you’ll use. Once you have an idea of how you want your cabin to look, draw it out on paper as detailed as possible. Clean means, well, clean. This tool moves continuously, so it will not damage or mark the logs. Designed by 1FEE. If any of the wood has become soft, contact a professional. Sashco has all the equipment you need to media blast your log or wood home to prepare it for the perfect staining job. Stack the logs in a warm, dry place for air curing. Replacing a rotten log is not a do-it-yourself job. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Log cabins are made of a natural material that requires the protection of a stain to keep it from becoming damaged by the elements. Brighton, Colorado 80601 You'll need ladders and scaffolding to reach all areas of your home. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Be generous, as the stain soaks into the logs and protects them against the elements. ), or anything else that makes your logs dirty. Apply two coats for the best protection for the logs. Walk slowly around the perimeter, checking for cracks in the wood. With that in mind, here are the five “musts” of proper log home prep that, when combined with a high-performance stain, will ensure your log home is beautifully protected for years to come. Put measurements on the plan to understand the real requirements. ), or anything else that makes your logs dirty. 2017 Sashco. Backer rod is a is a soft foam strip you can cut to fit in the hole to help the caulk to its job. The easiest one to control is water. You Tube: How to Stain a Log Home or Cabin, Log Cabin Connection: Cabin Restoration Tips to Make Your Log Home Look New Again. Sound means free of any loose wood fibers, as well as failing stains. This type of caulk is designed for log homes, comes in colors to match your stain and will move with your home as the logs expand and contract with the weather. For small cracks, use a pliable caulk to fill it. Prices by the linear foot at milled direct pricing. Sashco’s CPR is perfect for this job. Preparation of the logs that will be used in building  a log cabin or home is an important step & it is also essential that the logs be dry enough in order to build with wood that will not twist or bow.  Shrinking, cracking, & ‘cupping’;  are now actually considered to be myths in terms of what was believed would occur if wood was not dried correctly. Milled Logs for your log home or cabin. Brush the stain on in one direction, and then back brush in the opposite direction to fill in every crevice in the wood. Hand … Contaminants that get trapped under the stain can lead to: Peeling or flaking stain; Mold, mildew, or … Get a moisture meter to properly measure so you’re not guessing. Moisture meters and surface thermometers are tool box staples for most paint pros, as they should be for any log home owner. Warm means surface temperatures that are between 40⁰ and 90⁰F (4⁰ to 32⁰C). Log Cabins - Preparation Of Logs Before Building, « Log Cabins | Building With Different Log Styles, Log Cabins | Building With Different Log Styles. Set the logs where no water or elements can get to … Kiln drying is the process of drying logs & wood in an oven for a period of 24 hours @ 217.4  degrees Fahrenheit (or… 103 degrees Celsius).  This is done to reduce the moisture content in the wood more quickly than air drying, as well as having the added benefit of killing insects & any eggs that may be dwelling in the wood; & ‘staining’ is something that can occur if the pitch is not ‘set’ but it is also something that can be reduced by kiln-drying.  Kiln drying doesn’t remove all the moisture permanently, wood actually has an ‘equilibrium moisture content’; referred to as “EMC”, and the wood will seek to re-absorb the available moisture to reach it’s former EMC, within a few weeks after the moisture has been removed.  Log home building companies use kiln-drying to control temperature & actually add moisture, to avoid the problems that are associated with air drying. Use this page to get a specific calculation of logs required. Rinse the bleach water off and allow to dry before continuing with your re-staining. Using too much direct pressure may damage the wood. It’s the ultimate determinant on how long the beauty of a job lasts.” Kurt Denman, Product Manager, Benjamin Moore. Dry ice pellets have the advantage of evaporating, so that they don't leave a mess. Why? (And that’s not why you got a log home, right? It means free of dust, pollen, bird poo, pencil marks, mill glaze (this is a biggie! Evaluate whether it might not be more cost effective to hire this job out to a contractor. In order to prevent decay, we need to remove one of the ingredients for decay Food (wood), Heat, Water, and Air. It means free of dust, pollen, bird poo, pencil marks, mill glaze (this is a biggie! She's worked on staff at both major Las Vegas newspapers, as well as a rural Nevada weekly. The stain is more than decoration, it protects your home against costly damage. All Rights Reserved. Shaunta Alburger has been a professional writer for 15 years. Larger cracks need to be filled with a backer rod prior to caulking. For easy and fast finish sanding after power washing and media blasting. There are 2 methods of drying the logs before they can be used for construction. As once previously thought, these occurrences are NOT necessarily related to the drying process, but instead, ARE related to the following: 1) The type & characteristics of each kind of wood species,  2) The level of relative-humidity in the location where the logs end up,   3) How quickly the logs are dried,  and 4) The thickness of the wood. Sashco’s CPR is perfect for this job.