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Log Home Staining

Question:

We recently purchased a 30 year old green log home kit that is badly in need of exterior stain. Where the logs are all full, and all different shapes/sizes, how would the Sherwin Williams Woodscapes latex would look in comparison to using a more transparent stain like Life Line? We would like things to blend in nicely but don't know what is on the house (definitely oil based). We plan to sand as we are unable to afford cob blasting. Would latex stain help to blend in and cover any areas tha

Question:

Do i have to stain my timber house or can i leave it so it looks weathered-thanks for your time

Question:

I have installed red cedar half round log siding on my home. I applied a water sealer with a stain pigment guaranteed for five years. We applied three coats. Within a year patches of white have risen to the surface. I reapplied the product recently as a test in a few of these areas. When it becomes dry the white comes back. How can we fix this problem? The house looks very speckled. Sad.

Question:

We have 5 cabins in southern Ontario built in the 1920's. The original oakum is still between many logs, but of course is dry and falling out. We have heard that putting in more oakum is pricey and inefficient. Is chinking a better way to go, and why? Thanks...

Question:

I moved us to the country when my husband suffered a head injury and needed to be away from the noise of the city. We moved into a log house that was needed some help about 15 years ago. My husband was not able to do a lot and I didn't know how. We chinked, but not much else got done. We now notice that some of the logs on two sides of the house (mostly infront and in one back corner) are rotting. We have thought about having a covered veranda built all around the house to give it more pro

Question:

I own a Timber Log home that I built in 1983in Johnstown Ohio.
The home is fine except the interior finish.
My wife has worked for several weeks trying to remove the polyurethane coating that was applied when the home was new. Sanding has not worked very well and stripping is out of the question.
I would like to know if blasting the logs with walnut shells or corn cobs would be a way to remove the finish and leave the surface pristine?
Does your company do that kind of work?
If not can you

Question:

We recently bought a red pine log home in VT built in 1978. It was corn blasted, repaired, caulked, and stained using a Transformation oil based stain. The variation in color from log to log is more than I care for, some logs coming out too dark relative to others. I have been told that you can't use semi-solid or solid stains on logs as it won't allow the logs to breath. Is this correct?

Question:

Are there any type of logs used for a log home that do NOT need to be stained on the outside of the home?

Question:

I have D log yellow pine log house in southern Maine that has been stained with CWF UV. I just cleaned it with Sashco CPR and am curious if I can use an oil based colored stain? Clear CWF-UV looks good for a year but rapidly fails on the west, south and east sides. Will the oil based stain last longer that CWF-UV. Do you think Sashco Transformation would be good?

Question:

We built our log home 13 years ago. Have done routine maintenance every 3 years. Always washed the logs with a power washer and let it dry for at least a month before staining. The last time we used a power washer the psi was higher than we realized. It chipped some of the stain from the logs. It is not bad but we are concerned it will not blend when we start staining. Can we stain over the area the power washer stripped or do we need to sand the area first. If so, what type of sander do we

Question:

our log house is open logs inside we have a lot of dust that is hard on my wife how can i stop this

Question:

We have bought a 20 year old log cabin that has been painted gray. We would like to restore it back to a nature color, and unsure of the best way to do so. We have been told to corn blast it, however that is a little out of our budget. We were told not to powerwash it, however, I see a lot of people here on this site have done so. I have also been told to use a solid Cabot paint to just go over the alreay gray paint. Any ideas that you might have would be great. Thanks for your help.

Question:

We own a pine log home in OK that needs one log repaired due to rot, and the rest completely refinshed. Do you recommend anyone in this area? Also I have noticed we have a lot of milipedes in our house, all log exterior, wood floors throughtout inside, any ideas why these are coming in? Thanks!

Question:

I have 2x6 frame construction and have log siding over that the siding is 3" at the narrow side and 6" at the fat side. I built the house in 2000 and put Messmers Timber FlexII on it> I took pressures washed it off and just put 3 hand brushed coates of Timber Flex back on it. I live in Amgel Fire NM in the mountains above 9000 feet. what should I do to help protect the finish and should I go back with a latex product after thie. I love the natural color of the ogs and do not want dark finish

Question:

Some of our logs are cracking. What would you recommend we fill them in with? Thanks.

Question:

I have a 20 yr. old log cabin.We used Behr oil but now the logs have turned black from I think mildew. I would like to know the best way to strip an re-do the logs...I live in p.e.i, Canada hopefully you can tell me of a product I can get on pei. Thanks and look forward to hearing from you

Question:

I am a woodcarver and i ran across a problem when i was almost done carving, a rotten spot, I hate to have to make it into fire wood is there anything that i can do to make it to where i can still carve?

Question:

We have a 1000 sq foot 3 1/2(log) panabode home in Northern Canada. In the winter I can barly keep the house above 15 degrees (c) with the fire on and furnace running. I notice wind comming throught the cracks where the wood joins at the edge of the house. Should the corners of the house be siliconed? Any feed would be much appreciated.

Question:

We are installing 2x8 log siding. We are installing ply wood to studs then felt tar paper, then a reflective bubble house wrap then 1x2 furring stripes. Do we need to seal the back of the logs before we install to 1x2's, If yes what should I use? What do you recommend we stain the rest of the house with and in what order?

Question:

I have a new shed , the walls are made of rough sawn pine, horizontal and overlapping. What type of stin should I use ? I want to make it a dark color ? I've been told by the builder of the sged to use Cabot... but I've also heard that Woodguard is a better product... thank you for your help.

Question:

I recently found little wood shavings in my log home near an outlet where there is a chink in the log and was wondering what it might be from? Thanks!

Question:

I have just powerwashed and am looking for a good product to preserve the wood. Any suggestions? Woodguard, Sikkens, Log Q8, Flood, Cabot are some that I have researched.

Question:

I have a 5 year old log house in Maine that I am in the process of chinck filling with log builder. I am going to clean the house; on the sunny side of the house the stain is all but gone (I am sanding this side). My question is this: what type of stain should I use to match the log builder repaired log cracks, and is there any extra prep I need to do to that sunny side I have sanded? The house was stained previously with a semi-clear Behr product.

Question:

can you tell me the difference between superdeck log stain and superdeck exterior stain? I like the natural color in the exterior, but they do not offer anything that light in the log finish.

Question:

My husband own a log cabin and the logs inside are bare. They have no treatment (raw wood) so we have a lot of dust throughout the house. My husband has breathing problems and I was wondering if this would have something to do with it. He has lived here for 20 years.

Question:

Is Sikkens Log and Siding stain a product that you would recommend for a cabin that is half-log pine, currently stained about ten years ago?
Also, what is your opinion on power-washing it prior to staining?
And finally, how do we achieve a slightly glossy appearance? How common is it to have a slight sheen to the finish?

Question:

I have a new hunting shack that needs some small gaps filled in. I will be using this to actually hunt in. I want to fill the gaps with non-smelling material. What would be the best solution ? Thanks and hope you can help

Question:

I am thinking of buying a prefabbed home that is stick built in a facility and shipped to the contruction site in panels for quick assembly.This panelized home has eastern white pine siding.Is this going to be high maintainance? What do you treat the siding with and how often?

Question:

I just bought a 13 year old kit log home with d-logs in New Hampshire. I dont know to much about log homes but the finish is a semi-transparent stain and is faded and i need to do something to it. Could i go over the existing stain with a solid color stain? Does it need any preping other than a wash? Does the solid color stains need a clear on top? Thanks for you time, Matt

Question:

What type of product should I use on my pine floor boards? Would I use the same products I would on the interior log walls?

Question:

Is there an outside preventitive maintenance that can be done to help with bugs? A monthly or yearly treatment.

Question:

The upper curavture of the logs on the south side of my home are becoming very dark. Is there a way to lighten without blasting? I used Defy stain (Teton Bronze). How can I tell if the color is due to mold or the sun? I know you are not a fan of powerwashing logs, so what do you recommend to remove dust and pollen? I can e-mail pictures if that would help. Thanks you for your advice.

Question:

We are buying a log home that is about 3 years old. The interior walls are pine and have apparently darkened over time. Everywhere the previous owner had hung pictures is noticably lighter than the surrounding walls. Is trying to match some stain for the lighter areas the only possible solution?

Question:

Log Doctor,

I am in the process of re-staining my log-sided cottage. The original stain was too orange, so we are applying a darker color. Most of the house looks fine, but there are several sections where the stain has a grey film. It is not dried out wood, but more of a film on the stain. Do you know why this happened, and most importantly, what I can do to remove the grey film?

Thank you!

Question:

I have a 25 year old log cabin. Just had it retained
over what is there now there are dull spots and shiny spots contractor said this is normal and the sun will even it out Is this normal?

Question:

We have a log sided home and are going to pressure wash it and restain it. I cannot decide between Superdeck Log Home Oil Finish and Superdeck Semi-transparent Deck & Siding Stain. It would seem to me that the Log Home Oil Finish would give more protection, but maybe there really isn't any difference but color choice. Thanks for your advice.

Question:

Our older log home was stained with a dark oil based pigment product seven years ago. This has mostly baked off under sun glare (off the six months of standing snow in northern North Dakota). The local vendor tells me that I can use a latex stain over the old stuff if we buff off any shine. The logs look dry and very little of the old finish remains. We're thinking of Log Wash from Perma Chink followed by Sherwin Williams Woodscapes Latex Stain. Does this sound reasonable?

Question:

I have the opportunity to buy some Olympic Cedartone deck stain very inexpensively. I was planning on purchasing some Sikkens stain from a log home company. Both are high solid oil based stains. What are the drawbacks of using a deck type stain vs. a stain specific to log home application like Sikkens?

Question:

How can I restore a varnished teak table with water stains? I would appreciate your answer.
Klaus

Question:

Wow first things first this is a great site, Thank You. This is a two part question. First I am a first time log home owner and am trying to learn my way around. Is there a book or web-site or even a class that you would recommend? I believe I have found the answer but I want to double check. There are a lot of different opinions out there about cracks and checks. They seem to be used universally. I have a crack on the top side of the log it is not very bad yet, and I am trying to keep it that w

Question:

We just replaced our front porch flooring with fir T&G. We stained it with Sikkens SRD semi-transparent. Love the color (ebony) but we were hoping for a more satin to semi-gloss finish rather than so matte. Plus I can tell it's going to scratch easily. Is there anything I can apply over to harden it and give it a shinier finish? The porch is covered and faces East.

Question:

Just bought an 8 year old cabin. Lifeline was used to stain and seal. The clear coat is missing from the tops of most logs. Some are peeling to bare wood, some protected are like new. If I use Permachink again, do I need to strip or blast the house before restaining?

Question:

We had our logs powerwashed before applying stain, at completion of powerwashing i noticed some of the logs appeared to have discoloration and stains. Why did this occur. Thankyou

Question:

We just bought a 33 year old Log Home in Connecticut. It is very dark inside. Is there a way to lighten the interior walls? How do we know when the exterior needs to be re-stained or treated. Also the interior seems damp is this normal? It sits in sun/shade mix location. Thanks

Question:

We just bought a 33 year old Log Home in Connecticut. It is very dark inside. Is there a way to lighten the interior walls? How do we know when the exterior needs to be re-stained or treated?
Thanks

Question:

Our house has log siding. Two sides are exposed to the weather the other two are covered. There are also two dormers.

I am looking for a contractor in the MIDDLE TENNESSEE area who can corn cob blast the exposed sides and perhaps apply a finish that matches the unexposed areas (they still seem to be in realy good shape.)

Does anybody have a contact? Thanks!

Question:

I have a past customer that has used pure tung oil on the interior and exterior of their camp kits. (they bought two) This spring when they opened them up after the winter the discover white pasty looking designs all over the place. Do you know of any draw backs to tung oil on cedar logs? The camps are located in central Maine.

Question:

I've read in your answers never to apply polyurethane to the logs, in my case interior of new logs. Is Miniwax Polycrylic Clear Satin ok on the interior? New house, builder just put on 3 coats of it. Will it not be a problem being in the acrylic family?

Question:

We recently replaced cedar slats with d logs. I used Olympic Maximum on the house and love the color. When I stained the carport, the color turned out differently. I think I may have stirred up the mix more for the carport. This is from the same can. How can I remove this from one of my structures in order to match up the colors?

Question:

We have rough sawn pine boards on your log sheed that are leaking pine pitch from the knot holes. How can we remove it and stop it from coming back?

Thank you

Question:

My exterior log walls need restaining. One refinisher offers to brush on stain, the other says to spray. Which is best for coverage and longest protection. The house in GA and situated in full sun. Thank you!

Question:

Purchased a log home last year.The pine logs were stained with cwf-uv.I liked the color,but it needs restained.The west side is lightly faded,but not terrible.The cwf-uv seems to be doing a good job.Do I just clean and reapply new stain and do I use clear or tinted stain.I live in northern Illinois and am in a very shaded location.

Question:

We have an 80+ yr old barn w/ vertical slats that had been previously tx w/ creosote. What is the CHEAPEST way to preserve the outside of the barn? I care more for function than beauty. Someone recommended asphalt fence paint.

Question:

Will trisodium phosphate dull the shine on Behr liquid rawhide? Is there anything else that you could recommend for cleaning our logs as they are quite dirty?

Question:

I bought a log home and needs to be restained. I also have some logs that have rotten in the front under the front stairs. Some other logs sound hollow and I dont know if they need to be replaced because they look good. My questions are, what type of stain from sherwin williams would you reccomend, whats the average cost of replacing a log, and would a hollow sounding log need to be replaced if it looks ok or is there something else i can do to it.

Question:

If borate was not used before staining, is there any benefit to applying a coat of that before a maintenance coat is applied?
Thanks

Question:

Very large, wrap-around deck to be stained. I would like your opinion on what is the better product(s) to use(Sikkens,Sherwin,Behr)regarding cost. Will cost me a fortune if I use Lifeline. Need at least 200 gallons.
Thanks.

Question:

tHIS SUMMER I WANT TO STAIN THE EXTERIOR OF MY LOG CABIN. The cabin is over 100 years old. I dont think the exterior has ever been stained, to my knowledge anyway. My question is, can i use deck stain to do the exterior. thanks

Question:

Not yet installed, I have brand new Northern White Cedar D-Logs.
1. What prep is needed (any sanding, etc)?
2. Is borate needed (being that Cedar is naturally insect repellant)?
3. How is borate applied?
4. On house interior, if the cedar is left bare (for natural scent) are there any negative consequences?

Question:

Dear Doctor,
I need to caulking a log home. I found in the Internet two producer Perma Chink and Sashko. Shall I choose Energy Seal or Log Builder? Which one is better?
Thanks.

Question:

We're having a large addition built onto our log house. The contractor has left the addition exposed to the weather, rain & snow, numerous times. We now have water streaks all through the logs both upstairs & downstairs. We are now noticing mold growing on the logs. The roof is finally on, but the windows are not in. He says he will "make it right", but I'm concerned. What is the proper procedure to take care of the problems. I might add that water also leaked into the existing home bo

Question:

I recently had a subcontractor pressure wash a log cabin and had informed him we wanted it sealed possibly with clear austrialian timber oil. The cabin finished up a deep honey color which left me with a very dissatisifed customer. Is there any way to remedy this situation thanks Moss

Question:

Hi - we just built a 4 season porch with tongue & groove cedar walls/ceiling. We do not want to stain the cedar but have been told we should seal it. What type/kind of sealant should we use?

Thanks

Question:

I am getting ready to stain my half log staircase for the first time and want to know what type of stain and topcoat or varnish is the most durable and scratch resistant?

Question:

What is recommended to seal checking? We've been investigating Check Mate 2 - is this a good product?

Our stain didn't take and we are having to redo the stain within a year, it looks like its chipping do we stain everything or should we "spot" stain? Also, do we need to re borate?

Thank you very much!

Question:

I have used Behr White Cedar NO.80 stain to stain walls inside my log home.. it appears this color has been discontinued.. Can you tell me what I can use as a replacment stain ?

Question:

I have new porch with peeled cedar logs as cornerposts, 8 - 10 inches in diameter. They will be exposed to blowing rain periodically, and direct sunlight daily. I would like to know best way to treat to preserve beauty as they are still light-colored (not sure how they got that way... bleached maybe). I appreciate any information and have enjoyed your site even tho I have a brick ranch!

Question:

I have a new log home and will be stainging it myself. I have yet to find anyone with any product that they are completly happy with! I want to get the best coating possible and am not apposed to oil base products. Eveyone that has a latex base product is very unhappy, the oil base folks are OK with what they have used. Help! What do you recomend for eastern Oregon. Thanks.

Question:

We are building a butt and pass log home out of dry downed lodge pole pine. We noticed that there are quite a few termites flying around and entering into bored holes in the wood. What is the best way to get rid of these termites and when should it be done?

Question:

Dear Doc.
We built our pine log home in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada in 1986 and put a sikkens product on the exterior. We have never reapplied it. Now we have bees drilling holes in the logs and even in the chinking. (perma chink) I have sprayed bug killer on the logs to no avail. Can you recommend how to get rid of the bees and what stain we could use over sikkens. Or what is the best protection we can put on the logs to protect them from bees and weather.
T. McMillan

Question:

After cob blasting our log home (original stain-Sascho High Sierra 10 years ago) I get very different opinions as what to reapply: Sikkens Cetol SRD vs Weaterguard vs Sascho High Sierra. We are located near Snoqualamie Pass, WA (65 miles east of Seattle.
Any thoughts about the Sikkens products are greatly appreciated.
Thank you-Jerry

Question:

Do you know anything about ( CABOT ) semi-solid stain?

Question:

My wife and I bought a 1984 kit pine log cabin last year. The interior walls have never been finished. This summer, with high humidity the walls have come alive! There is white mold where the logs intersect. Some mold spread to the ceiling. I've cleaned the ceiling with H2O2 and started dehumidifying, but Im afraid of doing the walls myself. How should I proceed? We're on a tight budget, I have allergies (penicillin too), and my wife is pregnant. Toxic chemicals and mold both concern me.

Question:

52 year old log cabin (half logs). Outside has been maintained periodically with creosote. 5 gal of creosote is still in garage. How do I prep surface before applying more creosote? or if not creosote, what should I use? North side is starting to fade and some areas leave dark residue on fingers when logs are rubbed. Browish liquid came off when I hosed it down to get rid of spider webs. Please advise.

Question:

I am in the process of purchasing a log home built in 1975. It appears to be well maintained. We are getting ready for the home inspection. My concern is the exterior is stained dark and it appears blotchy in certain areas. How do I tell if this is mold or stain discoloration?

Question:

breathable, breathable breathable, is this really so important in a finish? I have a western red cedar home with no finish at all on the inside walls. My problem is that when I use my wood stove for heat, the dry air creates big checks and cracks in the logs. So would'nt it be better to use a finish on the interior that is not so breathable to prevent this problem?

Question:

Log Doctor - we built our own log home many years ago and used CWF on the outside of the logs. I have been reading your responses to the questions regarding CWF and you appear to "bash" the product. Thought you may interested in knowing that we are quite happy with the product, it has done a wonderful job for years for us ! You do not really give details as to why "you are not a fan of the procuct", so I am not sure what you feel the problems are? At any rate, we are presently looking to do

Question:

We recently purchased a 7 year old log cabin that is in need of a new coat of stain. I have no idea what kind of product was used previously. Is there some way to determine if the existing stain is oil based or latex?

Question:

I have a Cypress log home built in 1982. The logs are fine, however the front and back cypress facia boards are sun faded. Should I apply some kind of preservitive or stain to prevent any dry wood termites from getting to it. Some of the wood is it's natural gray(aging) look and some of it is almost white.

Question:

my mother in law has just had a log cabin built
this year and there are major cracks in the logs
almost all of them the the contractor used them should she still pay for them or is this gonna cause problems. ps she payed for new logs.what causes the cracks in the logs?

Question:

I'm in the process of building a log cabin the old way. One week ago, after applying the first coat of Perma-Chink's Lifeline ultra 2 on 300 square feet and the second coat on 100 square feet of the house, we decided the color was not right. Would Eazy Strip, by Perma-Chink, be the answer in removing the stain off the logs, keeping in mind that this is a hand hewn log without smooth surfaces? If so, would it take off all the stain and how much trouble would it be? The chinking has not be

Question:

apparently Behr white cedar stain has been discontinued. Do you know what it has been replaced by or what would be the closest color?

Question:

I purchased a home with log siding that is stained rather dark and has spar varnish over the stain. the parts in the direct sunligh seem to fade rather quickly. I also wish I could lighten the color some. Is there any alternative to completely stripping the entire house and starting from scratch?

Question:

Do you reccomend using a sandblaster on a:
1) cedar deck (with a solid stain)
2)Treated wood deck (with a solid stain)

Question:

What are the concerns in a 30+ year old Cypress log home? It has been neglected over the past 5 years, and it looks that at least one side of the house will need the siding replaced. Aside from that replacement, should we consider a sealant or is there any other maintenance? Don't know much about log homes or where to start and what kind of $$ we are looking at having to spend for this.

Question:

I am considering purchasing a cypress log home that was built in 2006. Not sure that anything was ever done to the outside logs and was wondering if you need to treat, stain, etc cypress logs. The exterior finish looks great, but a couple small areas look like they are fading. The house itself is pretty well protected from the sun with tree cover. Also some of the interior is aspen wood. It does not appear to be finished in any way and really looks great. Is there any need to finish this w

Question:

I have a cedar log home. Curently there is a semi-transparent and I believe a light solid over that. I would like to sand, but it is taking for ever. If I sandblast do I need to sand afterwards and is the post sanding very time consuming? Is sikkens semi-transparent reccomended for stain? I have also buit an extension and the logs I used were srtipped and they have been up for two years now. Do I need to sand or can I apply the stain directly?
Thank-you.

Question:

We purchased some pine log siding about a year ago to put on a garage building. We just got to putting them up and some of the wood has some stained spots from incidental exposure to moisture where they were stored. It seems like a couple spots may be moldy.
What can we do to clean the affected areas and bring back the natural color before applying borate and stain?

Question:

I have a 'Wilderness' Log home that was built in 2002 with an unknown stain (I think they use Sashco). The stain still looks good, but it's obviously time to restain it.I also now have carpenter bees with mild resultant woodpecker damage. My plan was to 1) apply insecticide and repair damage 2)Wash house with log cleaner and brightener 3)Apply the same(i hope) color stain 4)then apply a borate treatment.
Is there anything else I need to do to prep the wood for staining? Do you think the bora

Question:

last summer i completely demo-ed and rebuilt a wrap-around wood porch in centr mich lake house with clear douglas fir timbers, railings, facia & flooring. i wanted to keep the natural beauty of the wood and sealed everything with only linseed oil. as the porch is open, the floor has a couple spots that weathered. what should i do (and products to use) now to clean and finish touch-up or re-finish completely?

Question:

I have a new pine log cabin... should I poly the walls, tung oil, or leave them alone?

Question:

We build log homes but I still haven't found a good way to re-stain logs without discoloring the chinking. We've been cutting in with a brush and it takes FOREVER. Any tips?

Question:

We have just finished puting on the 1st coat of
Sikkens Cetol Log & Siding Natural and we cannot decide which caulking to use for the cracks. Should we use Conceal or Checkmate? The Sikkens has a slight gloss to it and we do like the idea of the conceal since it has texture but wondered if it would look okay. Can you help? Thank you so much.

Question:

What is corn-blasting? How is it different from sand-blasting.

Question:

Last year I bought a log home that was built in 1986. The man that built and lived in it was an older man, and put siding on the exterior to protect the logs. I took the siding off and I got a Sikkens stain. It was supposed to be a natural finish, but it dried very dark. I just put one coat. Any ideas why it dried so dark? I am using a tan colored chinking. I am afraid it won't look right with the stain color.

Question:

When I came home from work yesterday, I noticed that something has been eating between the logs on our home. There were shaving all over the floor. Any idea what it could be and what to do about it????
Thanks!

Question:

I have a yellow pine log home from Southland Log homes in the NC Mountains on the New River. I am preparing to restain it (home is 4 years old) for the 3rd time. The last 2 applications were with Wood Guard (terrible product and nasty stuff!). How should I prepare the logs and siding? What is the best cleaning solution? Do I have to remove the old stain? Thanks!

Question:

Just bought a 80 year old log home. Insides are tongue and groove hardwood on all surfaces. Have gone dark. What is my best option to give a bright look?
Outsides are wood siding, which is gone dark as well. Will sand blasting work ? I was advised to use 'borocare' for termite protection both inside and out. Is this a good idea. What make and type product do you reccomend for finishes inside and out.

Question:

i just sent you a question about cedar vs pine. i meant to write White pine, not treated pine.

Question:

I live in New England and am currently shopping around for a log home kit. I was wondering if it is worth the price difference to build it with cedar rather than treated white pine.

Question:

We just purchased a new 2007 Breckenridge park model home with Cedar log siding. We need to seal or stain it. Any recommendations on what to use and how to apply it? The park model is located in Western MN lakes country.
Thanks for the help.

Question:

Hope 3rd times a charm for question,
Doc, our log home was stained and sealed with Sikkens product 3 years ago. Looks like it could be freshened up a little. What do I need to do? I 've never owned a log home so I need your help. Can I wash the logs, restain and seal with the same product to give it that new look?

Rick 5-14-08

Question:

Moved into a new log home (white pine). Some of the interior logs have a grey/black stain on them, I believe from where they were strapped. The interior was sealed with a polyurethane. Tried using bleach, but it didn't lighten the areas. Any suggestions?

Question:

I applied sashco capture and cascade 7 years
ago. Do I need to wash the logs first, or can I reapply stain and top coat? Also, do you think there is a better product available?
Thank you for your response.

Question:

We bought a log home this year. It hasn't been mainained for years. Most of the stain is gone and the logs are weathered grey. We plan on washing with a chlorox/trisodium phosphate mixed with water, then stain with Olympic semitransparant oil based stain. You seem to favor latex. Is there that much of a problem with Olympic Maximum oil based stain. Thank you. John

Question:

About 6 years ago we bought a 75 year old log home. It has been painted for I don't know how long. It needs to be repainted, but it appears the logs are in good shape. We are considering painting over it in a different color, but the comments I read about painting are making me think twice. Total stripping seems prohibitively expensive. What do you suggest?

Question:

Which is the original color a new house in the walls??
Thanks

Question:

Built log home in Midwest from square pine logs purchased from Amish 4 years ago. Serious illness occurred in our family and we no longer had the money to stain or weatherproof the exterior. We also could not get it thoroughly caulked. There seems to be no resulting permanent damage, but exterior logs have unevenly weathered and are now quite unattractive. We must sell with ongoing health issues. What would be the cheapest/fastest/easiest exterior solution for us that would still enhance an

Question:

We have a log cabin that is about 20 years old. The varnish (bear oil stain) that we have been using on it over the years has turned many of the logs dark and almost black. What chemical or procedure do we use to remove that black look and bring the natural color of the logs back?

Question:

Aftersanding interior walls.What kind of clear sealer can we use that will not yellow?

Question:

I have a 4 year old southland log home.Put polyurethane on interior log walls now everything our carpet,walls and clothes are turning yellow. How do we fix this and will it harm us to breath this? who do we call for testing? Please e-mail me soon

Question:

4 Year old Cedar log home in W. Michigan. Exterior needs attention in its entirety. Betting builder used a latex semi-transparent, but cannot confirm.
QUESTION: Is it feasible to power wash , log wash, brightener possibly then spray base coat w/semi-trans (cedar tone..ish) and BACK ROLL w/block skin(1 3/4in nap) then spray re coat for ascetic consistency? Minimal sanding desired, will this avoid a blotchy look.

Question:

Hello Log Doctor,
I recently purchased a one story 1600 sq. ft. log cabin in AL. The previous owners painted the logs dark brown and now the paint is chipping. I want to strip the paint, seal, and stain the wood. What is the best method for stipping the paint off? I am really trying to stay in a budget, but would it be more cost effective to have someone else strip, stain, and seal? If so, do you know someone in the Huntsville, AL area to help with this task.?

Thanks for your help!!

Question:

We just bought a 10 yr old log home last year. We cleaned the back deck last summer, and noticed that some of the stain on the back log walls came off. The house needs to be restained. We like the color, which we think is Sherwin Williams Woodscapes (the can was in the basement). If we wash the logs with Log Wash and the stain comes off unevenly, will we need to blast it before we stain? Or will we be able to stain over the existing without it looking blotchy? Could we not wash it and ju

Question:

Just finished staining the inside of my fir log home with an oil based stain, the color I chose turned out much more yellow than I like, is there anything I can use to tone down the yellow and achieve a natural cedar color??

Question:

There is pine car siding on the inside of my home. it is stained a cherry color, and is turning orangeish. I want to strip and restain a warm honey. Do I have to take down the paneling first??

Question:

I just bought a small (12x30, with 12x12 loft)brand-new pine log cabin in WI. The exterior has already been stained. I would like to finish the interior for easier maintenance/cleaning. What would you recommend I use to finish the interior? On other sites I have seen suggestions to use tung oil, is this an option?

Thank you.

Question:

What is the best one coat application process stain/sealer available today?

Would you use any of these?
Sansin SDF
Superdeck Log Home Oil Finish
Rymar Xtreme Weather
Penofin Ultra Premium Red Label
Messmer's UV Plus

Question:

We just purchased an 1850's log cabin, that's been covered with wood siding. We are in the process of taking the siding off and the forest pine logs are in good shape! Should we bleach them to try to get them back to their original color...or just use some type of sealant to keep the weathered patina?

Question:

We used a clear polyurethane on the interior of our logs and on the T&G interior walls and ceiling. The logs turned a warm honey color and the T&G turned yellow. They are both white pine. Will they over time blend? Or can we apply a tinted stain to the T&G boards over the clear polyurethane to try to match the color?

Question:

I painted the interior log walls in my house with polyeurethane clear cloat, and now I want to restore the log walls to their natural finish. What is the best procedure for this project? What do you think would be my expense ?

Question:

Is there a differernce in yellow pine vs white pine logs, both kiln dried, in terms of structural integrety, rot/insect resistence etc. Looking at having a home built from one of the many manufacturers. Right now comparing Southland Log Homes with Honest Abe.

Question:

Dumb question:
I am about to buy a log house that was built in 1987. -I think from a kit. How can I tell what kind of wood the logs are?
Thanks

Question:

I am building a log home, have you ever heard of not finishing the interior walls, I have heard that it is easier to keep clean.
Thanks

Question:

Building cypress log home and want to turn it silver grey. What kind of weathering agent sould I use, I have read that Cabot #3244 is good.

Question:

right now my walls in my lake home are white, any sugguestions on color scheme for a lake home in northern wisconsin, boulder junction.

Question:

I'm building our log home this winter and the shell should be done in the spring. My question is when is the right time to Borate treat the house And stain the house???

Question:

I hope this is not a sacrilege but I want to paint my log home --on the inside. Well, I'm looking at a log home w/flat horizontal boards on the interior walls. It has nice windows at the ends of a great room but the whole wood interior just needs lightening and I need more light . So I would like to know if interior walls like these can be painted and/or bleached-white washed. The finish on these walls is a flat, matte -not acrylic or anything shiny. If this can't be done, I can never buy

Question:

Hello, I own a 2 yr old Eastern White Pine log home in the Smokies. My shower enclosure is barely 6 ft high and the rest is the exposed log
wall. It always gets very wet during showers. This doesn't sound right to me. Am I damaging the log wall?

Question:

We have had our Hemlock log home for about 20 years now in SE Missouri. I recently power washed and used a Behr silcon sealent about a month after power washing. I have just read your warning about silicon sealents and power washing. We have bare logs on the inside and most all the checks in the logs are not sealed. My question is, is the silicon mainly prevent the logs from breathing? What should I do now?
Thanks, Dale

Question:

We recently purchased a lake home that we are looking to put log siding on and I was wondering what types of stain you would recommend. The location is Central Illinois where it gets pretty humid in the summers. Someone told me to look at Outlast Q8 log oil but I can't find too many product reviews. Any recommendations would be helpful. Thanks.

Question:

Dear Log Dr.:

We are replacing 20 logs in our home. The origional logs are pine and we are going back with Cypress. The logs that are being instaled seem to be wet. When the contractor hits them they have wetness coming out. How long before we can Borate and stain?? Moving into the rainy season as well here. What should we do?

Best Regards

Question:

Have 25 year old cedar channel lap siding installed with the channel out. Has Woodscapes Semi-Transparent Cedar Bark on it. built new garage and installed cedar same way. Love the cedar color--what clear product would last longer than 2 years or should I go with Cedar Bark again?

Question:

Live in CO front range, very low humitidy (less than 10%), house was powerwashed to strip stain off. How long do we wait before treating with borate solution?

Question:

Used Superdeck stain on exterior on 11 yr old log home. Been redone 2 times. Been 6 years since last done. Wanted to use Permachink this time. They say we have to strip first, do we?

Question:

Iown a kuhns bros. log home.The house is two years old and was was stained with woodguard.Beforehand I powerwashed with bleach and water.I was told this was not good so im letting the house go this year before restaining.what stain(latex/oil)and how to prep?I want to do the best possible thing regadlessof the work!!

Question:

We've been building our dream home and have put log siding on it. without going into detail, some of the siding was applied in early spring '07 before 3 months of rain. And some has been applied fairly recently (it's now Oct '07). The older siding shows some blackening, we assume is mildew. We are planning to power wash all the siding, then stain with Sherwin Williams Woodscapes soon. Should we only wash the siding that is blackened? Or do it all? And can we use bleach on the blackene

Question:

We've been building our dream home and have put log siding on it. without going into detail, some of the siding was applied in early spring '07 before 3 months of rain. And some has been applied fairly recently (it's now Oct '07). The older siding shows some blackening, we assume is mildew. We are planning to power wash all the siding, then stain with Sherwin Williams Woodscapes soon. Should we only wash the siding that is blackened? Or do it all? And can we use bleach on the blackene

Question:

We have just finished putting log walls and roof on our home. The logs are from Montana and a mix of engelman spruce/lodgpole pine. The logs were pretty dry when we got them, but got wet some during construction. Very few of the logs had mold (white or black) growing on them when we uncovered the original bundles. We treated the ones with mold with a product called 30 seconds. Now we would like to finish the interior and exterior. Now that we have things dry, I hesitate to pressure wash o

Question:

Where can I find log steps for my new log home? I haven't found but one website that carries steps.

Question:

We had our log home sand blasted. He started to stain and the stain we chose was Sikkens Cedar color, the stain came out MUCH darker and red than we thought. We had him stop and bought the color natural and had that applied instead. The house is finished and it looks yellow and orange and fuzzy. The stain is darker in some areas and lighter in others. I am very frusterated and don't know what to do to fix it. I wanted a nice carmel color and for the logs to be glossy. Please help!

Question:

We've just finished construction of a cedar log home. Acrylic or oil based exterior stain - what's our best option?

Question:

What is the best way to remove water stains from the interior walls of a log home? Some of the stains are from when the log home was built in 1992 and others are from leaking over the years. The leaks have been repaired. The interior walls have never had any finish put on them. Thanks

Question:

Our contractor hired a stainer to prep and stain our log home. The only prep work they did before staining was to powerwash the logs. This left water streaks over ALL the logs which the stainer stained over the top of. I have 2 questions: 1. would corn blasting be the best method to remove these and to start fresh? 2. What is the normal prep work that SHOULD have been done before staining? THANKS!

Question:

Could you please recommend a product to keep as natural a look as possible w/out too much greying for cedar siding? Reapplication won't be too much of a problem. If the cedar has been on the house untreated all summer, will we have do any treatment prior? It's not grey but not quite as yellow as when first put up. Thank you.

Question:

Our log home is 10 years old. When we moved in, we used a danish oil on the interior logs. Now, I would like to put a coat of urethane or varathane on them. What is better to use?

Question:

I recently boughta new log home package made of douglas fir. I heard a lot of controversy about oil and water based finish. I want to know the right finish that would preserve my log home . The log home was sprayed at the log yard to prevent mildew and what is the next step for us to do?

Question:

We have a 22 yr old log home. The previous owners stained it with SW Exterior Alkyd Wood Preservative, but the color is too dark for our tastes. It's overdue for a staining, wearing thin in some areas. Corn-blasting seems to be fairly expensive, so we're considering going with a lighter-colored solid stain for now. What type of stain should I use to go over the old stain? Also do I need to use a borate preservative or similar product when re-staining? Thanks!

Question:

I bought a 4-year old unfinished log home that has not had any exterior finish over most of it. I am sanding the entire house and then want to use Sikkens Cetol SRD on the logs. Is this compatible with Permachink Check Mate 2 and Energy Seal? Should it be stained before caulking or caulked first? Also, should I use a borate treatment first? Thanks Much.

Question:

My husband and I built our log home in northern MN. I'm looking for a home remedy for staining / preserving our logs. Do we use only a stain or a combination of linseed,stain for pigment with a turbintine for bugs. What is best combination to use?

Question:

Hello, Our log home has had black streaks in the interior since we bought it under a clear stain. I just noticed tiny black dots on the interior and I'm afraid it is mold. It is throughout the interior of the home. Will allergic children we need to find out what it is and fix it. Most rooms have a clear shiny coat of something...but the bedrooms don't look like they are sealed. We live in the home and will occupy it when fixing. Help. Also , I am staining the exterior with a solid stain

Question:

Hi Log Doctor,

We just bought a log home, and I understand that it was last stained about 3-4 years ago. It is currently ready for new treatment. We are planning to caulk, then power wash and clean with a bleach solution, apply a preservative, and stain.

I've contact Sherwin Williams several times, and I am getting conflicting information. Is Sherwin Williams Woodscapes a product that can be used on log homes? If not, can you suggest a few brand names?

Also, are we on the right t

Question:

I have a 16 year old log home, 10" d-style pine logs, all the knots are leaching and dripping sap on the exterior. I am going to strip the house and restain. what can i do to prevent sap from dripping from these knots? Thank You

Question:

Just purchased a Cypress log home which has a honey color interior which has faded a bit on some logs in some areas. Not necessarily from light exposure. Would like honey finish consistant throughout all logs on interior of "D" logs, and clear seal it to make it look good. Can I use the honey stain on faded and not faded logs and end up with the same color? What products would be best for the Cypress Log interior?

Question:

What about shingle oil on a newly built log cabin?

Question:

I have a log home made of western red cedar. Yesterday I power washed half the house and today I read that you say I should wait 4 weeks before staining. Would this also be true if I sanded the house and then washed it? I am going to use Permachink products and they say it breathes. The problem is that it rains so often here and we have a good weather window. Also the logs are bare on the interior.

Question:

I have a customer that has a log home that was stained with a product called "rawhide" appox 5 yrs ago it is now orange what can we do? The look is like apoxy on the wood

Question:

We bought a log home that outside has not been maintained for at least 20 years. We are on a tight budget, can you recommend the products we could use that are available from a home-depot to prepare the wood and to stain?

Question:

I have to stain my log home and was wondering is the correct way media blasting verses using a stripper to take off the old stain and sealant? I would need to drive 150 miles to rent a media blaster. Would "eazy strip" be just as good? Also, we used lifeline in the past but was wondering what your best feelings on stains are. I have heard that sikkens is also good, but does it let the logs breathe?
Thanks.

Question:

wehave just bought a panel boat home and want to whitewash the log. can u tell us what we need to do

Question:

We have been building a log home for about 2 years on our own to save on contractors costs. The roof is ready to be installed and I need to do something to the logs because they are weathered. I was told to bleach them and to start from the botom up. Is this true? My logs are cypress and I would like them to be the lightest color log possible but yet have a shiny wet look. What do you recommend and in what order? Thanking you in advance. T.F.

Question:

we have a 20 year old log home and used sikkens every 5 years it is not lasting more than 2 years the dealer said to strip it entirely off and start over. this home is 4600 sq. ft i told him he was crazy. any ideas. also the sikkens on the deck is not last more than a year. what can i replace it with it is getting very costly to do every year. can u put any other stain overtop of sikkens without stripping

thank

Question:

We are considering purchasing an old log home which appears to have been built with telephone poles soaked with creosote, but the inside of the home smells very strong of creosote. Is there any way to get rid of this odor? Seems like it would be harmful to a persons health to be inside this home as the smell is overwhelming.

Question:

I have to apply a waterproofing to my oak logs. I know you have recommended waterbased Permachink products but I came across a silicone based waterproofer by Cabot. Any reason I should not use a silicone product on oak logs?

Question:

I am considering having my log home blasted this winter. The home is currently painted with several coats of latex paint with a couple of layers of transparent and solid stain. The home also had T-111 siding on the gables and other non-log walls and Hardi-plank on an addition. I want to restore it to a stain finish, replace the T-111 siding with a fiber-cement product. Will the latex or oil based stains offered on your website work on fiber-cement products and will there be a color differenc

Question:

Our log home in Ohio has been coated with CWF since it was first built in 92. We are trying to determine if we can switch products, to what option would be better for our home which is one floor full log, one floor log siding. Also, are there products that can be applied over the existing CWF, or would we need to corn blast?

Question:

We had red pine log beams that were cut down by the builder last Oct. installed in our new home. They are now dripping sap. What can we do?

Question:

I have just completed building a white pine log cabin. Can i use a regular generic polyurethane to do my inside? What prep work is required first?

thank you

Question:

I have new 1/2 log siding on my cabin, how do I clean it, and is woodscape semi transparent srains a good product?

Question:

can a oil based urathane finish be used over a water based stain/sealer on interior logs

Question:

I have a forty year old Panabode rancher in Langley, B.C. It was painted (I think) and after reading your many answers I wanted to know if removing the paint with Wood Bio Wash was a good idea?

Question:

looking for cob blast contractor in lakes region of NH

Question:

We have a 6 year old cedar home that we have stained with Cabot Water-based Clear solutions 3065 Pacific Redwood. It is in need of staining and we are having trouble finding this same stain, due to new VOC regulations in NY. Can you tell us where we can find it or what we need to use to obtain a similar color/finish.

Question:

We are re-siding and putting up western red cedar on just a portion of our home. Could you please recommend a product that would allow us to keep as much visibility of this wood as possible, while keeping it from greying? We're doing such a small portion in this manner that reapplying won't be a problem at all. Thank you!

Question:

1) I recently bought a log home built in 1976 what is the first steps in pepareing the log for a sealer.
2) The original home owner left a case of caulk the brand is Sikken is this good for the chinking
3) What brand of log sealer do you recommend for my log home I live in New Hampshire

Question:

Hi,
I have a cedar sided home which was last stain in 2000/2001 and due for another treatment. The stain used was a semi-transparent oil based stain CWF 50% clear and 50% cedar. I would like to be able to get more life out of the treatment, not just 5 years. What are your thoughts on power wash the house, add 1 coat of cedar tone Cabot 5/15 year stain, add another coat of cedar tone Cabot stain and finally adding a latex stain. Would this increase the protection and life of the stain? And

Question:

I just purchased a three year old cabin that the builder stained but never sealed. Must I remove the stain before re-staining and what can I use other than corn blasting (if any) to remove the stain?

Question:

We purchased a log home that is 24 years old and the outside logs are in desparate need of being refinished. the rawhide has worn off in places, and there are areas of black from where water hit the logs. What do we have to do first in order to stain it? Do we have to remove the rawhide before staining?

Question:

we have a log home and some of the bottom logs are starting to rot. Is there someway to repair them with something like a fiberglass mixture?

Question:

I made the mistake of putting a sikens stain on a pressure treated deck that is covered and not really exposed fortunatly I have only done a third of the deck LOOKSVery dark and has a tacky feel. Is there something I can strip it off with

Question:

I have a bad oil stain job that is turning black.We don't have corn blasting. We plan to sand. Will we get enough of it off to apply borate and a latex stain? No one told us about borate. Need to start from scratch. Thanks.

Question:

We bought a cedar siding home that has log at the corners, window frames, etc. 1 1/2 years ago. The lower part of the house where it gets the most weather wear needs restaining. We talked with the previous owner and she "thinks" it was done with a water based stain that she got at Sherwin Williams. Can we restain just those boards that need it or do we redo the whole house. We aren't sure of the color of the stain. Also, we were told we should seal the boards that are cracked. If so, what

Question:

we want to stone the entire s. end of our log home,due to needing all new windows and trapazoid windows can you stone over the exsisting logs or do we have to cut them out first?

Question:

we have a 30 year old cabin that we are considering putting a solid color stain on due to the darkend color it has gotten to be. we are adding on and afraid we would never match the new.do you know where we could view existing log homes done this way?? pics,etc.

Question:

I recently moved to CA south SF bay area and purchased a log home. I am having difficulty finding a someone with log home experience to stain/seal the home. Can you offer any recommendations?

Question:

i am looking to build a cabin in south eastern tennessee how will white pine hold up vs cedar for the cabin walls

Question:

We have a 13 year log home, Lifeline Ext has been applied 5 years ago. We want to clean the exterior which has mold spores. 1. what is the ratio to use water-tsp-bleach to clean? 2. Can we use a log stain by Cabot over the Life Line>?

Question:

I wrote you from AR and have lost info about person you recommended to look at our log home. Could you send me that again please? We are in Fairfield Bay. Thanks.

Question:

Having trouble finding the stain I used on my log siding ten years ago. The No. is # 615 Golden Oak. The name on the can is ( Scandinavian Oil Wood Stain ) Natural Hand Rubbed Lustre with Wax

Question:

Is it ok to use polyurethene on exterior log walls as long as they walls are covered by a porch and recieve very little sunlight

Question:

Hi, my home is part log and part half log siding finished in Behr Rawhide #12 (Transparent). A discontinued product. After 9 years it seems to have worn away in patches that are now weathered to gray. What can I apply over this product and how do I prep the surface. No one in my area does corn cob blasting. thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Gord

Question:

i have a log home that has been polyurethaned on the outside what do we need to do to take off and re-stain thanks

Question:

Hello- finished a log home in Erie Conty PA and it will be about 14 months old and am now looking to get ready for a finish for the outside- what is the true and best prep for this? (powerwash vs corn blasting) and we are looking for a lite and natural look for a stain- people are pushing us towards the 2 step Cetol sikkens product? what is your recomendations? 1st time at this and Jane and I do not want to make a mistake- meeting with some contractors in late April and would like to go with s

Question:

I want to switch exterior semi-transparent oil based stain from Woodguard preservative and stain to a Sherwin Williams woodscapes Poly semi stain. Do you forsee any potential problelms switching without removing Woodguard (put on only two years ago and fading). Thanks

Question:

My husband and I bought a 30 year old log home in Oklahoma. Since we don't know the home's history, I'm not sure what it has been treated with, but it needs it bad!! Where do we start?

Question:

My husband and I bought a 30 year old log home in Oklahoma. Since we don't know the home's history, I'm not sure what it has been treated with, but it needs it bad!! Where do we start?

Question:

i have a red wood patio. It has oil based red wood deck paint on it wich is severly chipped. I want to get rid of the paint and use stain instead, but i cant get the paint off. Is there any way of getting rid of the paint without staining it?

thanks for your help!

Question:

Please Help! We recently purchased a Log Cabin in the Colorado Mountains. The logs have been painted with a BROWN LATEX PAINT! We are wanting to remove the latex paint. We have researched this process and have come up with 5 different answers? Corn Blasting, side angled grinding, stripping, etc. We are confused on what process would remove this paint. We have been told by a Professional that corn blasting a painted log will be too agressive to remove the paint. This would leave gouges in the log

Question:

We recently bought a 7 year old pine log home. The logs starting cracking this winter, expecially bad are the logs that run from the outside of the house all the way through it. Huge cracks. Now, all the stair railing are cracking open. My dining and living room walls are no longer beautiful. We installed a humidifier to keep humidity at 40% and still logs are cracking. Any solutions to this?

Question:

We are renovating a log cabin that is 36 years old. How do we remove black cresote that dripped from a wood stove pipe onto sealed and treated pine logs?

Question:

we used oil based polyurethane on the interior of our walls when we take down pictures or anything we have hanging on the walls there are faded or lighter spots where the picture or etc was hanging. what can we do to fix this??

Question:

correct blast media for log siding - I have read that blasting with sand will damage log siding, and other places have said its ok to use sand as long as you are careful and smooth the wood out afterwards. Is it ok to use sand as a blast media for stripping exterior stain on log siding?

Question:

Our logs are rounded and are getting dusty. What is the best way to clean the log walls?

Question:

We are planning to redue our home in log siding.
What should we be looking for in the siding? Red, white or yellow pine vs ceder? Tounge & grove vs ship lap vs square butt? Vertical corner vs butt & pass. We are researching our options however, we keep coming up with different answers to our questions?

Question:

Ok ok I got it better late than never- never power wash a log home, but it was and like the person above the logs are fuzzy. You didn't answer the question, what does one do to get rid of fuzz.

Question:

Hello, again and again, ok the previous home owner used Werther water seal, You said was a no no, does this have to be corn cob blasted off, wore off or what, do we stain over this?, Also this is a half cypress log/half framed, back side of home is framed with vertical cypress planksiding with one inch strip, does that explain the werther's??

Question:

I have a 30 year old cedar sided home. Just had 1 coat Sherwin Williams Woodscapes solid color stain applied. Original cedar siding is probably a grade 4. Replaced badly worn boards with grade 2 cedar channel siding. Old boards and new boards are not blending well due to textural differences. Any suggestions on blending these?? Old boards were cleaned, but were previously stained a dark brown. New color is a dark redwood.

Question:

Hello again, bought the log home in central florida last week, in talking to the homeowners,
who owned it for a year they dont believe the orginal owners had done anything to the logs inside or outside (home is 12 years old), so outside they had their handyman put Werthers water seal on with a brush, the outside looks good, but should we stain this and/or borate treat it.Or wait a while, Also inside appears just dull what should I do inside to give a little shine??

Question:

We have a dark interior log home that was finished 30 years ago with a Sikken stain and a varnish. We wish to have the logs lighter and have a contractor who is suggesting first sanding the logs and then applying a Minwax gel stain. However, he does not believe that the sanding will remove all the color of the stain. How will the Minwax really lighten the logs if this is the case?

Question:

Help Doctor! I'm buying an existing log home that is 13 years old. 18 months ago the owner power washed the home and applied chevron shingle oil. It already looks bad, and I would like to apply a stain to the home. Do I have to stick with oil base products? Should I strip and start over? If so what is the best product to use.

Question:

We had our log home corn cob blasted last fall. Then a Perma-Chink sealant was applied followed by 2 coats of Perma-Chink Autumn Gold Stain and 2 coats of Pema-chink gloss. We also had he entire house sealed with Energy Seal. The problem is the house has a very mottled look color-wise with very dark areas interspersed with lighter areas. Is this normal?

Question:

OIL BASE VS WATER BASE STAINS. I have been trying to decide which is the best approach to take with staining my home. The providers of each of the different products all say they have the best product. What is your experience. Which product is best to keep a house looking good the longest, and best a protecting the logs.

Question:

New log home.
Want Scandinavian red color, or barn red.
Scandinavian red stains are loaded with iron oxide (stands up to sun) and used to be linseed oil (toxic to things which like wet weather here in Pacific Northwest).
Any recommendations ?

Question:

I won a factory log cedar home. I am planning to restain this year. Is there a product that can be applied after staining that will waterproof the log? My sill log extends past the wall surface and is a magnet for soaking water. I am planning on flashing over the sill log with Aluminum cauling above. I just want to eliminate as much water intrusion as possible.

Question:

I am moving into a small log cabin soon. The people who have recently moved out did not keep it clean in there at all. How can I get all of the built up dirt and dust out of each crack in the walls? Is there a special product that I should use on them or something that I should stay away from?

Question:

My log home has Sikkens stain on it. I am ready to restain the home. What is the difference between Sikkens Cetol Log & Siding and Sikkens SRD. I am considering using one of these two. Do I need to apply a borate product on the logs before staining? Thanks for your help.

Question:

Inside our log house (white pine, red pine, and hemlock from North Carolina) has never been treated for 25 years. The logs are dirty and a tenant sprayed "something" on the logs beneath the windows (to make it appear the windows leaked). This was about four months ago. How can I "clean" the entire house and how should I try to handle the stains beneath the windows? Thank You, Roy

Question:

I am purchasing a 30 year old cedar home, the home has not been stained in several years it has various stages of wood color I would like to keep the cedar stain color without looking "patchwork" due to the various stages in wood is in. I am a single mom and can not afford expensive contract repair work to bring the wood to its natural stage. I was told to use Woodguard by one painter in a Tawney or Pecan color even with blackening spots, and woodscapes acrylic color stain by another because the

Question:

Hello. My Husband and I are building a log cabin, and we are to the point of staining or oiling the logs on the inside. Well, I came home the other day and half of the house was stained. Oh my gosh! It is horrible. The stain came out so dark! I was looking for more of a allmond or honey color. Previously, we tried really light colors or clear but they just made the logs look yellow. What is your suggestion for getting a pretty golden color that also shows the grain of the logs. Is there s

Question:

How can I "paint" over stained wood
Thanks

Question:

Dear Log Doctor,

Six years ago I had the inside of my basement finished with wood log siding and I finished these logs with two coats of clear Polyurethan Valspar American Tradition Satin Oil. This was recommended by the builder.

I have hung pictures and other items of interest on these log walls. I now have spots the shape of every item I hung on these log siding walls. I have tried sanding the spots, staining, and blending into the existing finish. None of these methods has produced

Question:

What is the best way to apply a borate treatment to bare logs? Thanks.

Question:

We would like to remove paint from the exposed logs in the interiour of our house. The home is 26yrs old & the previous owners painted the exposed logs in two rooms. Do you have any suggestions on how to best remove the paint so we can enjoy the natural logs again?

Question:

We have 40 year old Pan Abode Cedar Log summer cottage. Over the past 20 years nothing has been done to the maintain the logs and the outside has been getting blacker and blacker starting at the foundation and working upwards towards the roof. There is definitely some black mold but I am not sure if all of the black coloring is due to mold. I want to get rid of the mold and remove the black color and then refinish the cedar. Please advise on how best to do this and what cleaning products/equ

Question:

Help! We removed wood siding to expose logs of home built around 1880. Logs are square cut and appear to be ash. They were sandblasted inside and out and now we want to refinish the logs. The logs inside are very roughly cut in places. What is the best way to refinsih the exterior and interior and what are the best products to use. The logs also need to be rechinked. Someone suggested filling the interior with mortar and painting the mortar, is this a good idea?

Question:

we own a 6 year old cedar log cabin in Vermont. The woodpeckers have become a real neusance mostly on all four corners and ends off logs or posts on the porch roof. We have attached plastic owls to try to scare them away. It seems be be helping, but what can we do to stop them. We live here only during the summer months.

Question:

We have just finished the reset on a winter cut dougfir handcrafted log home. The project started in the log yard in March of 2006 so the logs are bare, clean, but somewhat grey. They have a good start on drying this year and the roof will be on in about 3 weeks. It is unlikely there will be heat put in this winter (but maybe in the spring).
I would like to get the logs back to their origninal color before staining.
1) Do you recommend using a spray on & rinse off cleaning agent to remove t

Question:

We recently added on to our log home. The new portion is log siding and the old is full log. We had the old portion sandblasted to remove the old oil. It had been covered with Behr oil (#15 and #16). After the sandblasting we had rain and the logs now are a little dirty looking. What should we do? I am not sure if they are just discolored or have some mildew. We were going to wash it before oiling. Should we clean it first? What type of stain/oil would you recommend? How long can we wa

Question:

My wife and I are building a new log home. Recently, the builder, by mistake, sprayed the interior logs with exterior Woodguard Oil based stain. The home has an intense odor, they have had to remove and replace most of the insulation, which became saturated and the sub-flooring has overspray on it as well. What do you recommend we do in order to get rid of the odor and hopefully seal the interior logs of our home to make it liveable. thanks

Question:

What is the best way to apply stain to a rough-hewn, stacked square log home without accidently covering the chinking? Would a roller be best?

Question:

My interior walls appear sealed and glossy. I was wondering if there is a chemical I can use to lighten/strip the logs with minimal mess. I do not need to completely stip just lighten a little. Would a stipper work or do I have to sand? I think it is pine.

Question:

both a log home and cover by thin i would like to restore to the scarre log and find out wath to put in betwin the log and wath cind of stain can i put on my log home i'm removing the old thin to see the butifull of my log cabin home. please help from canada ont

Question:

I have a 15 year old log home which will be corn-blasted this summer. Instead of sealing it, my contractor recommends oiling it every two years and not using any other products on it (besides a borate treatment). Do you recommend using oil instead of stain/sealants?

Question:

I'm getting ready to restain my log home. What is the best way to stain? And how do I stain without getting the chinking stained? Or will the chinking even hold the stain? Please help!

Question:

what is the best stain for white pine logs. How often should you have to stain

Question:

24 year old cabin, rotting logs on the southern exposure. I shaved a portion of it away late last winter. Want to repair it this spring. Have a 2 n 1 epoxy mixture. Are there any other "fixes" for severely rotted logs? There's probably 6 or 7 of them that need fixing up. What does one do in this situation?

Question:

I think I am in a Northwestern log home. It's 24 years old, and has white spots in the kitchen, between logs, inside which I thought might be mineral deposits, but having a chronic cough makes me think otherwise. When I left there the cough subsided. I bought a mold testing kit. sound like any problem you've had?

Question:

We are completing new cypress log home. We have wood bees starting to check us out hot and heavy but biggest problem is birdnests already forming in ledge of deck. OUr framing for porch deck (upper) is made of 8 x 8 cypress square log which makes 200 feet of "hidden home" for the birds, they are perching on ledges and making mess...help! Someone told me if we could get creosote (which we cannot) it will deter rodents and birds but not hurt them. Anything else? I saw bird spikes but seem cos

Question:

I have been sanding my log home with a belt sander and a mouse sander and then i finish it with borate and two part sashco stain.My question is can i use some type of sanding wheel or will that go against the grain.

Question:

We recently purchased a Northeastern log home that is five years old. The interior either is bare or has a very, very light coat of something (stain or poly?) on it. Is it okay to leave the interior logs bare? How can I tell if they are bare or lightly coated? Can you tell me the proper procedure for finishing them if they are bare or if they had a previous finish?

Also, the exterior had Northeastern's recommended stain applied upon building four years ago and then recently reapplied over th

Question:

What do you with a log home that has large exposed logs that are over 200 years old? Do you leave them alone. Would linseed oil help?

Question:

Our Northeastern log home is 19 years old and hasnt been sealed in about 8 years or more. There is mold everywhere and its dark. We just bought it and are looking for the best way to wash/seal our home. We have asked many people and gotten different answers. Northeastern says to powerwash with chemicals....Lincoln logs says to hand brush...and someone else recommended corn cob blasting. Which is the best/safest for the wood? Also what type of sealer/stain is recommended.

Question:

Are you aware of a silicon base stain covering for pine log cabins.who handles this product? Also, can this product or any other be mixed with a insecide. for a one shot spraying. It is a very large building and I am trying to save time and labor. Vince Goff

Question:

Our cedar log-sided home is 17 yrs old. Cabot's bleaching oil was applied when it was new and again in 1997. After cleaning could we apply a transparent stain, or what else might you suggest?

Question:

Dear Log Doctor:
I'm trying, with no avail yet, to match a Behr stain that has been discontinued. So far, I've spent 7+ hours in Home Depot and no color even comes close. Too grey, too red, too brown. Original was Behr Plus 80 base White Cedar and this base had NO colorant added. I've talked with Behr and the only thing they can tell me is to use a base of 4-77 oil base and tint it. I hope you can help me.
Respectfully yours, Nancy

Question:

Our home is about 3 years old, and I have noticed that it is now peppered with mold. Thing is, it is between the stain (Sascho Capture) and the clear top coat Sascho Cascade). How do I get rid of it? Its on 3/4 of the whole house, and we were told no additives were necessary where we live. It rained 9 days out of 10 all last summer when we were supposed to put on a new coat, so the finish was probably failing, but now what?

Question:

our house is a timber house with log siding and
inside we are putting the logs inside . we were told we have to sand all the logs and seal them
is this true

Question:

Is there a good, interior, spray on stain for logs?

Question:

Our eastern white pine 8x10 square log house has just been stacked. We are building over the winter and there is alot of snow. We will have significant overhangs 2ft-10ft. Our builder wants to stain right away to protect the logs- using an oil based stain because of the temperature. We like the colors of Woodscape's by Sherwin Williams, but that product can only be applied in warm temperatures, which will be May or June (4 months away). Is there another way to protect the logs so we can use

Question:

My neighbor would spray diesel around wood fascia of his conventional home twice a year. It deterred wood beetles and spiders. After I fought spiders for years (in Louisiana) hired terminix to no avail, I resported to diesel spraying for the last 5 years like they did and POOF! no more spiders or wood bees and it did not stain or seem to hurt wood trim. Is this safe for log homes also?
J Mc

Question:

We are In Louisiana, logs have been going up (down with hurricane) and back up for period of 6 months now, leaving logs really dried out. (Sun/rain/sun). Powerwashing was not removing dark mold on cypress so we bleached then rinsed. Turned beautiful white! We then stained with TWP CA Cedar oil stain. It soaked it right up leaving a dull look. We want to seal it with semi gloss to bring out color. Some say not to seal cypress. If so, what can you use over the oil stain? Confused.

Question:

I want to stain my interior, Eastern White Pine logs a medium walnut color but I'm worried that the stain will make dark streaks when it touches dark grey parts of our pine. My builder suggested bleaching the dark spots but he also told me they are part of the wood, not mildew, so I'm stumped. What can I do for a relatively even interior stain finish..prep and stain? Thanks.

Question:

a local painter power washed the outside of our log home before staining and caulking and sealing. The water from the washer blew through and dripped down our log walls. How can we remove this? We've tried every product, including bleach. Do we sandblast? Thank you!

Question:

We own a 30 year old log. The inside walls are dark and we would like to clean them. I think that may lighten them somewhat, I'm hoping. How do we clean the logs inside? Thanks

Question:

We have a 25 year old pine log home. We have
some water stains and the walls are now a
dull dark amber color. What is the best way to
restore the walls? (without sanding if possible)
Is it ok to use polyurethane on the inside logs?

Question:

What is the best way to finish 1/2 logs in the interior? We like a light honny and a smooth none glare finish. The builder show room is exactly what we want but no one agrees on how it was accomplished I think it is Oil, that is none yellowing, sanded or buffed, We may uae log siding if it look like hand pealed loogs.
Is their a differance in finishing them?

Question:

How do you strip the old finish off both inside and out so that I can and apply a borate treatment and then re-stain.

Question:

Can you apply a latex semi-transparent stain over an oil based stain on the exterior logs?

Question:

We are just in the process of setting logs on our cabin. We would like to treat the logs as we go to prevent damage and mold. Can you give us a step by step process to follow that would help prevent future damage to the interior and exterior of the logs. The logs have been kiln dried and are Southern Yellow Pine. Do we have to treat it with a borate treatment first and then seal it. We have been looking into Sikkens is this comparable to what you suggest/if not what do you suggest? We ar

Question:

We're in the process of building a log cabin and came across some problems which, to keep a long story short, I'm not going to elaborate on. But, the inside of the cabin has been getting rained on for over a month and the walls are getting very dark with mold. Is there any way, when we get the house finished, that the darkness of the walls will be fixable and able to be cleaned and lightened to look the way they origionally did?

Question:

We are applying permachink products/stain in a few days to our logs that are being blasted with a baking soda mixture. Will there be a difference in the appearance of stain if I brush on part of home and spray other areas with back brushing?

Question:

We just powerwashed our new logs with bleach and TSP, and are in the process of sanding before we stain. The powerwashing caused the logs to get fuzzy and we are having a hard time finding a sanding product that will reach where the hand sander leaves off(where the logs meet). Our logs are large red pines. Thanks for any ideas!

Question:

I am looking into purchasing a log home. It was built in 1990 and stained then. It has not been touched in 15 years. The ends of the logs have greyed and split significantly. Is it best to stay away from this home, or can this be sealed and be okay.

Question:

We have bought log house that has been partially built 3 yrs ago but never stained. We are currently using water based stain on exterior. We still see damp spots on interior of house when it rains. We are afraid to stain the inside till we know what is causing damp appearance and feel of some of interior logs. Could water actually be penetrating through the logs where one log meets another? We have round on round logs. Thanks

Question:

We recently bought a log cabin that was partially constructed 3 yrs ago and never completed or stained or sealed. We powerwashed it and ready to stain. (I just read your comments re: powerwashing). My problem is...when it rains, the interior walls feel very damp. Once stain is on exterior, will water continue to seep through to the interior logs? We sealed around windows and doors. question 2: What kind of seal do we put over stain? Question 3: How long should we wait before staining inte

Question:

I have a 1880's Doug fir log cabin built by my great grandpaents as a homestead in Montana. The logs are all in good shape but are starting to get a bit of dry rot. They may have been oiled over 20 years ago. What do you recomend for preserving the logs but not changing its color or look.
Thanks,

Boone Nolte

Question:

Found your website looking for stain recommendations and discovered that you state not to powerwash a log home. Powerwashed yesterday. What do you recommend now ?

Question:

My log home was stained a dark color last time. It is time to restain, I want to go with a light natural color. What do I do?

Question:

What is this best way to remove mildew and blackening. I have used bleach in this past, but now the wood seems immune to the bleach. I am using a hard rubber sanding wheel but this will take forever. Also, once done, what is the very best stain for mold?mildew control....I don't want to do this again. Thanks much.

Question:

my son scratched an interior log, how do i repair this

Question:

I purchased a log home 5 ys ago, and it has what appears to be solid latex stain ( I did the alcohol rub test) Is it ok to restain w/latex stain or should I blast and then use oil based stain? Only 1 side of my house gets alot of weather and has some checks, and the rest looks like new. Thanks B

Question:

I have a 5 yr old Northern White Pine log home in western Pa. I stained 1st yr and 2nd yr with Men-Wood solid stain. I'm told Wood Guard is the stain to use. My home weathers well. It has no shady spots however we see more than our share of rain. What are your thoughts on switching to Wood Guard.

Question:

It has been about 20 months since our hand pealed 10" log home was first stained. We are ready to apply the second coat of stain. We want to know how to clean the logs before staining. We notice some mold spots on two sides of the home.(we are next to wet lands). We will be adding insecticide and mold inhibitor additives to the new stain.
Lorraine

Question:

sample of log stain light color...will i be darker when applied to the whole house..does it mean that you should always go lighter to get the right results

Question:

I would like to have my cypress log home a gray color. I have seen products that say they will turn logs gray, but I wonder what you do to actually protect the logs from drying out and moisture and such if you use those products. Would I be better off just to use a gray color of stain?

Question:

After seven years of living with wood wall, ceilings and floors, we find ourselves wanting to paint the interior of our d-style cypress walls white. They have a light coat of clear polyurethane on them right now. I saw where you state never to paint logs. I assume you only mean the outside of the logs? Is it alright for me to prime and paint the inside of my log home?

Question:

choosing a coverage stain for exterior, does it matter if the sample is on a 2 ft log or an 18ft log. i've heard that the larger the area the darker the stain looks

Question:

Our new cypress log home has been up for about 2 months. We have not cleaned the logs yet with the bleach/tsp solution. We were told to wait 6 mths before staining the logs to allow them to dry - would this be 6 mths after installing the logs, or after washing them? Thanks for your help, love the site!

Question:

I have a log home that was custom built approx 5 years ago, the logs on the interior were never sanded. I'm preparing to undertake this huge/messy endeavor. Once complete I'd like to consider finishes. My builder recommends not using an interior finish but I really like the appearance of finsihed logs. Are there any downsides to finishing vs unfinished bare logs? The logs are Ponderosa pine - swedish cope/saddle notch construction.
Any easy way to tackle the sanding job would be appreciated

Question:

Our log home was previously stained with latex stain - what do we do now to take it back or darken the color? Also inside was apparently done the same way - what can we do here to take it back to natural color? thought of sand blasting but not sure that is correct - we are new at this so appreciate the help

Question:

MY LOG CABIN APPEARS TO HAVE HAD THE PAINTED FINISH SCRAPED OFF MANY YEARS AGO. I WOULD LIKE TO REFINISH THE EXTERIOR AND HAVE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO USE A PAINT LIKE STAIN AND NOT A REGULAR TRANSPARENT STAIN. WHAT SHOULD I USE?

Question:

Dear Log Doctor,
We recently bought a 20-year old log home that has not been stained in many years. It has a worn, blothcy appearance with darkened spots. The contractor we selected strongly recommended a Cabot semi-transparent stain. He has started work on the first coat, and we are not happy with the result. He did a cursory power wash that did not remove the blackened areas. Now is is power-spraying the stain on and not back-brushing. It appears that the stain is just concealing the "damag

Question:

I would like to paint the outside of my log home blue, or grey blue, in a paint, not stain. so, not translucent, but perhaps semi-translucent. Do you have any pictures of what that might look like? What is the down side to painting? pLease advise

Question:

We are in the process of finishing our white pine home and we never cleaned the inside of the log walls before the dry-in. They are black from run-off from trusses when it rained. What can we do to clean the inside walls? If they get wet will they ever dry? We still have not treated with borate or stain. Nothing on the logs now.

Question:

We just finished power washing our cabin ( then I found your website and learned not to power wash..) Do we need to apply the borate solution? or can we go ahead and waterproof and stain?

Question:

When do you stain a new cabin outside/inside.

Question:

The stain is peeling on my deck. I will need to have it pressure washed and restained. No 1, should I do it now or wait until Spring? No 2, what should I use that will last more than one year?

Question:

Is there any reason why I could not paint the log walls inside my house a color rather then leave them as wood looking as they are?
Thank you.

Question:

hi i have a log home that was supposedly redone with new stain. the stain has worn away in less then 2 years.bugs are starting to enjoy my home as well as woodpeckers. is there a product that i can apply before i stain and what stain is reccommended to apply.i live in the denver area...thanks

Question:

We are getting ready to seal the house with a weather gaurd. If the logs are dark, can we lighten them with the color of product we buy? Or should we buy a color close to what the logs already are? We would like to lighten them if it is possible.
Thanks!

Question:

My wife and I have just purchased a Canadian Log Home constructed of cedar logs. One of the bedrooms have a primer and (2) coats of latex paint applied. Is there a safe and efective way of removing this to get the natural color of the log back.

Thanks Danny & Margie

Question:

I contracted a company to come and remove the old stain on my log home and re-seal it. They powerwashed the logs and I think they had the psi up way too high. The logs look really fuzzy and in some places the logs are just all pulp. The company said they would wire brush and sand the logs prior to resealing. The seal is on and my home looks like a fuzz ball. I am afraid the logs are ruined. They did not sand or wire brush. The company says once the logs dry in about a month they fuzz will dissap

Question:

I forgot to ask, if pressure washing is cancer to a cabin, what is the best way to clean before staining, thanks again

Question:

What stain would you yse to go back to original red color. All houses in area are from the 1930's with old faded red stain.
We are in the process of corn cob blasting and wood treatment, along with re-chinking.
My wife want's to keep cabin looking like old wood school house.
Can you name a few products? We will be going with Permachink products for rest of project.

Rgds: Steve

Question:

is there a treatment for cedar using kerosene and something else, or is that old school?

Question:

I am considering purchasing a 25 year old log home in my home state of minnesota. The home has a solid color stain that was applied about 6 years ago. I've done some reading about this and understand that solid color stain is not a good thing for the long term life of the logs. I have major concerns about what the stain may be doing to the logs or what damage has been done to the logs as a result of the 6 years of solid color stain. Any advise or Ideas about what else I should know or be lookin

Question:

I just purchased a log home in New Hampshire that is about 11 years old. There aer some signs of weathering-with dirt & fading. I want to first clean the outside-what do I use? I want the wood to be a natural so I don't want any colored stains-any ideas?? There doesn't appear to be any rot beginning but I also need to treat with something fo rthe bugs right?! I'm a first time log home owner so any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks Kathleen

Question:

can sikens stain be applied over an existing oil base finish stain

Question:

We have mold growing on logs in our NEWLY constructed home. We're not moved in yet. The builders have bleached it once already, but since they had already used a sealer, it has come back. Please let me know the proper steps they need to take to correct the problem. The mold is both inside and out.
THANK YOU!

Question:

How do you determine how much stain and sealer you will need to recoat a log home?

Question:

do you stain the home before or after you chink? If there is a crack log should you replace it?

Question:

I have water stains on the inside of logs. Mostly in one bad corner, and around a window where there had been a water leak that has been fixed. Can water stains be repaired?

Question:

What is the best way to fill crack, and with what? (2) What is the best staine to perserve the logs with?

Question:

our pine-log kitchen was stained then heavily polyurethaned. We now want to paint these logs. What is the method/process to paint over poly logs.

thanks

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