Stain

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Permalink Reply by ANGELA on July 25, 2008 at 1:44pm

The best finishes can seal and allow the logs to breathe. All of the finishes with that sheen you are talking about are film-forming finsishes with a topcoat. Perma-Chink Lifeline Ultra-2 w/Advance and Sikkens Cetol 1 & 2,3 are two of the best. Pressure-washing with wood cleaner (no bleach please!) should mostly revive your logs and get them ready for a new stain although some sanding may be necessary as well.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Tadysak on October 5, 2008 at 9:18pm

Perhaps you could contact Sikkens and ask them if their product is a 'coating' product or penetrating oil. Sikkens reps inform me that their product is a 'coating' product, not penetrating product. I totally agree with you that any product used MUST allow the logs to breathe. Please inform your readers, after how many coats of the second satin shine coat of Sikkens will the layers begin to trap moisture ? Sikkens no longer pushes the 3 coat step. They have reduced it to two, as I have been informed.
I also agree, no bleach. I do not agree that pressure washing is the best method of cleaning logs unless the pressure is low. I suggest investigating products like X-180. 414-962-5272. Sikkens is also water based. Consult with wood experts to see if they are choosing oil based as a first choice. Eventually, almost all products for this application will be water bourne, but, until the Industry perfects the water bourne products, investigate benits of the proper oil based semi transparent penetrating stains available as well.

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Permalink Reply by Brent Nelson on September 9, 2008 at 11:57am

Lindsay,
I'm getting ready to stain the exterior of my new log home next month. I've been studiously studing many stain brands and applying them to scrap logs. I'm taking my samples and photographing them beside my log home then taking the pigment colors and "photoshopping" them onto the logs of my home in the photo, using the "paint bucket" feature. This gives me an idea (on a photo) as to how dark or light, the tone, saturation and values associated with log stains. I know it sounds crazy, but it works.

It sounds to me like the key word in your situation is "transparency". You want the wood grain to show and like me...hate that chalky stain that looks like paint.

One thing I've found. Many people go dark and then wish they went with a lighter stain. Logs turn dark after time. Remember, if you go light, you can always go darker later on. If you go dark, its so much harder to go lighter and requires "corn cob" (sand blasting) the surface to get the old stain off.

If you go through log home magazines, 90% of the log homes pictured are stained with the lighter tones.

I'm going with the Sikkens Cetrol SRD log stain in Natural Oak. It is a mid-range lighter stain and looks a lot like the cedar stain. Since our log home sits among oak trees, all the better, even though white oak bark is gray. The Citol SRD is a transparent mat stain that alows the grain of the wood to show through.

I'm by no means an expert and have yet to apply my stain, but I want to make sure I've investigated every possibility to insure a stain color on my home that I'm pleased with.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Diane on September 19, 2008 at 9:12pm

Hi Brent
Am interested in more of your findings. I've been "diggin" deep for information on best product and process AND for that all important color choice (my husband thinks I'm nuts1:-) What made you decide on Siikkens Cetrol SRD? I, like you, want to be sure I'm 100% happy with the color. Your photoshop idea is an excellent one and will "steal" it to make sure color I choose is the right one. We are almost done buidling in Maine and my husband is stressing about getting the wood cleaned/stained and sealed. People from PermaChink said the house will be fine through the winter months and to wait till spring to start and complete the process of washing/staining etc...due to the temperatures dropping. Thoughts on this? Any info you can forward regarding product will be most appreciated. One more question, are you doing the work yourself?
Thanks! Diane

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Permalink Reply by Terry Tadysak on October 5, 2008 at 9:29pm

I have done considerable research on exterior and interior stains. If you would like my suggestions based on my research I would be pleased to e-mal you my "How to Do" sheet.

The leading experts perfer oil based semi transparent penetrating oil stains as their 1st choice. I chose TWP Cedartone 101 made by Gemini Coatings. TWP as it ages gets lighter. When you apply added coats it returns to its original color, NOT darker.

The real key when designing your log home is to keep the water off the logs. I have a 32 inch over hang on the sides and 7 foot overhang on the front and back. I have a 9 ft high 10 inch thick poured basement where the walls are almost 2 feet above ground level. In the most severe of rains my logs remain dry ! KEEP the water off your logs by design. This may be the best advice anyone can give you. I designed my 9 inch sweedish log home with Meadow Valley Log Homes in Mauston, WI. Cassy and Barb werb outstanding in creating a design that was built to see the 22nd century. If you would like pictures let me know.

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Permalink Reply by Dianne on September 24, 2008 at 11:17am

Just started staining. The product here is Sikkens Cetol SRD in cedar color. Don't know if this will help, but I thought to put it out here as an example. I chose this photo so you can see the contrast with the logs that haven't been stained yet. This is a new build (logs delivered May 19) and they were still in very good condition and needed very little cleaning before the staining started.

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on October 5, 2008 at 4:58pm

All wood should be cleaned and prepared before the initial coating is applied, for a number of reasons. If you skip this step you will see it a few years down the road as the finish begins to age. Even a light cleaning to make sure any surface pollutants and microbial growth are gone is very important.

Beth

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Permalink Reply by Terry Tadysak on October 5, 2008 at 9:07pm

You have decided on Sikkens. Highly rated by others. . Be sure you re-apply the second coat as they direct. Monitor the moisture of the logs with a moisture meter year by year. Use one that penetrates well below the surface. If you find that the second coat, layer after layer, is trapping moisture, call sikkens and ask them hoiw to solve this potentially difficult problem. Consult with U.S. Forest Products Lab Experts. They express concerns about products that coat and not penetrate into the wood.

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Permalink Reply by Ohio Log Home Restoration on September 29, 2008 at 1:33pm

My advice for exterior wood that is to dark it to strip it. No on the other hand if its interior there is a much easier process

Attachments:

• Log Home Exterior Before.jpg, 864 KB
• Log Home Exterior After.jpg, 866 KB

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on January 2, 2009 at 8:42am

Wow....those look "photo shopped". Look at the lake, and the sky, and the light...no way you get that identical background twice. It's true that it might depict a before and after, but I can't swallow that it actually is. Do you have any photos of the crew working on the house?

Beth

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Permalink Reply by Terry Tadysak on October 5, 2008 at 9:00pm

I think Velvit oil is an outsatnding product for the interior of the home finished with Maxtech water based polyeurathane satin varnish 3 to 4 weeks after the velvit oil, an oil based stain, dries. I personally would NOT use this product exterior. Any product with lindseed oil will turn dark in time and serve as food for insects. My suggestions are as follows:
1. call American Building Supply 1-414-421-4125 in Appleton WI.. Ask if X-180 will lighten up your logs and kill the fungus etc on your logs. If not, what method or product would they suggest. Then, once your logs are ready for a new stain call Gemini Coatings 1-800-262-5710 and ask about TWP, an oil based semi transparent penetrating oil that will likely be compatible with what you have already put on. ( Velvit oil is oil based.) Golden Eagle Logs Homes in Wisconsin Rapids ( as I have been told) promoted Velvit Oil exterior at one time and no longer does so. I will tell you that using a 25 % olden Honey/75% natural Velvit oil on the interior varnished with Maxtech 3 to 4 weeks later is, in my opinion one of the most outstanding richest looks for the interior you will find. So, I'm not trashing in any way velvit oil, just consider using it in the interior. I prepared a 'How to do' sheet suggestion. If you want a copy please give me your e-mail address and I will e-mail it to you.

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on December 1, 2008 at 5:30pm

Linseed oil to the best of my knowledge is not food for insects, but is food for mildew. However all the products I am aware of and any that are any good that contain linseed oil also contain mildewcides and anti-fungal designed to keep the mildew at bay. Additional mildewcide can be purchased at a paint store and added to any paid with a mixing paddle.

Also, X-180 is oxalic acid and while it may remove mildew it is not designed to kill it. You need sodium percarbonate for that. X-180 would be fine as a brightener after the sodium percarbonate cleaning however.

Beth

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