I have purchased a 200 year old cabin. I need some recommendations. 1. The logs are gray and the last time it was protected is unknown. What should I do? 2. Chinking appears to be whiteish concrete. What can I do to protect/stain the wood and not stain the chinking? 3. Some areas where the wood meets have small cracks where wind can be felt, how should we seal the crack? It’s a wonderful historical home and I just want to maintain preservation. Thank you for your input and recommendation
If it is gray and you want to keep it that way you should wash it then apply a borate treatment of Shell Guard concentrate. If you want to stain it then have it corn cob blasted then apply stain. You can then apply a fresh coat of chink right over the mortar chinking. If the existing chink is loose then take it out and install Grip Strip backer before chinking. You can fill the checks (cracks) with Energy Seal if you know they are allowing wind, water or bugs inside. Otherwise leave them alone or squeeze some of the Shell Guard into them.