That is true! You can plug the holes but they will drill new ones. You can kill them off, but their cousins will find the holes and move in. You just have to keep fighting them with a bee powder kit that you can get from Timeless Wood Care Products.… Read More »Archive-7982
No!!! Unless you are prepared to inspect every check 2-3 times per year. The caulk will eventually break away from the wood leaving a tiny split allowing water to seep down in behind. It will not be able to dry out and will cause log rot. Leave them open unless… Read More »Archive-7984
You should contact your local university and ask for their bug specialist. Most universities have an extension office that will do this consultation for free.
It is best to have log replacement done, but if you have to dig out the rot, apply a liberal amount of borateand fill with wood putty. The wood filler is not cheap either. The problem is that you can seal the rot in and it will continue to degrade… Read More »Archive-7988
There is no real good solution to stop birds from roosting. You can try placing objects on the areas affected to try and stop it.
You could clean this with a mixture of one cup TSP & one cup bleach to 4-5 gallons of warm water. You should try rinsing with clean warm water also. It sounds like that you have an insulation problem and I do not think that staining or clear coating is… Read More »Archive-7992
You should apply Energy Seal in the holes to patch them and then apply stain to hide. I have a plastic Owl hanging from my house to help keep the woodpeckers away. It must have glass eyes to be effective has been my experience.
The first thing should be to borate treat the logs. You can fill the bug holes with Energy Seal Caulk. They make different colors to help match the wood. I’m not a big fan of filling in rotten spots, but if you must, use Wood Epox, Liquidwood or E-wood Putty.… Read More »Archive-7996
Sanding is the method.
Sanding is the only good method for the interior. You may not be able to get the water or grease stains out. Sometimes they are so deep you can not sand them out without disfiguring the log. Corn cob blasting the interior is not a good option since it does… Read More »Archive-8000