Log Home Restoration
Log Home experts based in Coeur D’ Alene Idaho
The Restoration Process Explained
The Log Home Restoration Process can seem overwhelming, and even confusing, but with the following guide you will be able to tackle the restoration with ease.
Step 1: Prep
Surface preparation if the first and most important part of the entire process. You need a good base to start with, or else your restoration is not going to be successful. The preferred method of prep is Media Blasting. Depending on your log home in particular, We will pick the best blast media suited for your home. We have used Corn Cob, Walnut shells, Crushed Glass, and traditional slag in previous restorations. Sandblasting your log home will remove all of the previous stain, paint, or any other substance on the surface that needs to be removed for your new coat of stain to penetrate properly. Any product already on the wood that contains waxes, non-drying oils, silicones, or anything that forms thick layers on the wood can interfere with the adhesion and penetration of or any stain, and must first be removed with abrasive blasting.
-Cleanliness is VITAL: Starting with an absolutely clean surface means better penetration and adhesion of the stain, which means better longevity and a more beautiful finish.
-Fuzz be gone: For the best appearance, we remove felting (wood fuzz) with Osborn brushes, Sashco’s Buffy Pad system or 60—80 grit sand paper once the wood is dry. We then remove all sawdust with a broom, compressed air or a leaf blower.
-Don’t delay: UV rays from the sun can damage cleaned wood surfaces in as little as 1 week; therefore, stain should be applied no more than 2 weeks after wood prep is completed.
As you can see in the picture to the left, abrasive blasting can leave a felt (Wood Fuzz) surface on the logs. We use an Osborn Brush to polish out every log on your house once we have it stripped to the base.
Step 2: Stain Application
We recommend that you don’t skimp out on the stain. A high quality stain will last numerous more years compared to a low end product. Since the majority of a cost of a log home restoration is the labor- a better quality of stain will save you thousands with its extended lifespan. Sashco’s line of Transformation Stain is our top recommendation, but Sikkens also offers a very high quality product. A link to Sashco’s product page is here. In our opinion, Sashco offers the highest quality product on the market. It is user friendly and will leave the best finish on your log home. It is a stain and sealer in one, which eliminates one step of the process. Proper application of the stain, combined with the prep you’ve already done, will complete the transformation of your logs and timbers. this stain will also provide the longest lasting finish, eliminating thousands of dollars in labor costs.
Say No to Bugs and Mold!
After we have completed the prep process, we ALWAYS treat all wood surfaces with “TIM-BOR” Borate treatment. Tim-For is an insecticide, fungicide, and wood preservative used to protect and treat lumber against fungal decay and wood destroying insects. We consider this a mandatory step in the restoration process because it will prolong the life of your logs significantly.
Stay dry
Use a moisture meter to make sure wood is at or below 19% moisture content level before applying stain. Damp wood can prevent the stain from penetrating properly and can eventually lead to peeling.
Plan to stain when the forecast is predicting clear, rain-free weather that will extend 1-2 days after the stain has been applied. If rain can’t be avoided, be sure to protect the stain from direct rainfall for 1-2 days after the stain is applied to prevent it from being washed off the surface.
Mix it up
Thoroughly mix the stain. The preferred method is to use a drill-driven, squirrel-cage type mixer. No matter what method is used to mix the stain, you can ensure the most consistent color by:
Stirring the stain every 10-15 minutes throughout application to keep the pigments evenly distributed through the stain.
Scraping all pigment off the bottom of the pail and thoroughly mixing it in.
Spraying
Apply Transformation Log & Timber to wood surfaces that are no colder than 40°F (4°C) and no hotter than 90°F (32°C). Extreme temperatures will prevent proper penetration and drying of the stain. Plan your work so that surface temperatures fall within this range. Do not apply to surfaces in direct intense sunlight and work in sections to avoid lap marks.
a. Spray on one heavy coat of Transformation Log & Timberstain. If only a brush is used, be sure to drench-apply the stain. Don’t skimp.
b. Vigorously brush the stain, pushing it into the wood and all cracks and checks, catching any drips. This promotes the best adhesion and penetration, and leaves an even, consistent coat of stain.
Spray it again
Wait until the first coat is dry (24 hrs.), then apply a light second coat of stain, spraying and back brushing as with the first coat. Clean brushes and equipment with mineral spirits. Hands may be cleaned with citrus-based hand cleaners, and then washed with soap and water.
Enjoy It
Enjoy your beautiful log or timber home.
Enjoy some photos of restoration projects we have completed
Cedar Siding House restoration in Sandpoint Idaho
Log Home in St. Maries Idaho Horton Industrial sandblasted and stained
Log Cabin in Twin Lakes Idaho Horton Industrial Media Blasted
More pictures of other restorations we have been a part of
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- Before and after blasting log home
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- Log home Horton Industrial Sandblasted in 2017 in coeur d’ Alene Idaho
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- Log home blasting in Montana
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- Sandblasting Spokane
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- Before and after blasting log home
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- log home after media blast
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- Sandblasting Spokane
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- log home in process of being sandblasted by Horton Industrial
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- Log home cob blasting
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- Removing Latex Paint from a log home in Post Falls Idaho using sandblasting
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- Removing Latex Paint from a log home in Post Falls Idaho using sandblasting
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- Removing Latex Paint from a log home in Post Falls Idaho using sandblasting
Why Sandblasting Is Ideal For Log Home Restoration
However great your log home might look today, the day will come when some restoration work will become necessary. Exposed as they are to the elements, the log home’s exteriors will eventually become unsightly and without proper and regular care they’ll start rotting leading to pricey repairs. There are many cleaning methods that you can use for home restoration but sandblasting is the method that restoration pros prefer. So, what makes sandblasting so popular?
Sandblasting and power washing compared
To understand why sandblasting is the restoration method preferred by pros, it would help to compare this cleaning method with another popular cleaning method – power washing. In power washing, the main media used to clean surfaces is water. This water is applied on the surfaces being cleaned at very high pressures (sometimes as high as 3000 PSI) and this might prove harmful for your log home. For starters, application of water on the wood softens it and the excessive pressure could create cracks in the wood.
In addition to damaging your structure, the water used in power washing could also enter inside the structure and cause damages and stains to home furnishings and floors. Moreover, should the water get trapped between the logs (which is always a great possibility), it’ll provide a fertile ground for the growth of mold and mildew and could therefore cause health problems for the residents of your home.
Unlike power washing, sandblasting is a dry cleaning process which helps overcome the problems associated with the use of water. Sandblasting involves the use of fine sand grains which are blasted at high velocities on the surface being restored to get rid of dirt and grime. While this cleaning method is useful on a wide range of surfaces, it is especially useful on wood (and is therefore ideal for log home restoration) because of the great possibility of damaging wood when other restoration methods are used. When you sandblast logs the finish on the logs is removed quickly and effectively and actually helps leave the log smooth. Where logs have been dulled by age and exposure to the elements they now become brighter.
What about hand sanding?
Hand sanding is another method used to remove stains on log homes. Given the irregular nature of the surfaces on a log cabin, it is easy to understand that this process is not only tiring and time-consuming but one that is also incapable of producing satisfactory results.
Other benefits of sandblasting your log home
The appearance of your log home suffers from years of exposure to the elements and the accumulation of stains makes the home look less appealing. Sandblasting helps you get rid of the unsightly stains thereby restoring the home to its original beauty. In any case, professional sandblasters will not only remove the ugly stains but will also apply a new stain that guarantees that your home is protected from the adversities of the weather in the future.
Assists in property maintenance
When you take years before cleaning the exteriors of your log home, it is possible that there could be problems with the structure that you are not aware of. The stains and dirt that have accumulated on the logs could be hiding some really serious problems that will only be revealed when the logs are cleaned. When the dirt and grime is blasted off, you clearly see the true state of your log home. In many cases, you’ll find that the dirt was hiding logs that could be damaged and you can now think of corrective action. While cleaning is itself a preventative maintenance measure, it helps further by alerting you of urgent repairs that you’ll need to make to enhance the value and beauty of your log home.
Fast and effective
One of the greatest advantages of sandblasting when compared to other stain removal methods is that it only takes a fraction of the time you’d use when other methods are applied. It is so effective on logs that in many situations you do not need to do anything else to prepare the surface you wish to apply a new coat on as the blasting will leave the surface perfectly clean. Sandblasting is both safe and efficient and is the ideal method to use for your log home restoration.
Areas served
Where industrial provides log home restoration services to many many areas. We have worked on projects from Seattle, to Portland, to Missoula, to Spokane. Other cities that we are capable of traveling to and performing log home restoration include CDA, Hayden, Hayden Lake, Post Falls, Rathdrum, Spokane Valley, Mead, Deer Park, Airway Heights, Spokane, Medical Lake, Cheney, Othello, Moses Lake, Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Yakima, Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Hermiston, Pendleton, Walla Walla, Plummer, Moscow, Missoula Kalispel, Harrison, Kellogg, Wallace, Osborne, Smelterville, Pinehurst, Kingston, Rose lake, Parkline, St. Maries, Bonners Ferry, Blanchard, Fernwood, Boise, and Troy. We Are capable of providing log home restoration in Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon.
