Color Test Your Stain On Your Log Home.

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Permalink Reply by Dave and Julie Christiansen on November 10, 2008 at 12:46pm

Great advice. We did this and took it one step further; after we stained the logs, we also put on the clearcoat we plan on using over the stain and then set the logs on our back porch and let them be subject to the weather over the winter. This way we know how the logs will hold up through rain and snow. Dave

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Permalink Reply by Terry Tadysak on November 10, 2008 at 11:38pm

Beware of clear coats on the exterior as they can trap moisture. You want the exterior to breathe. Also, once you start the clear coating you need to keep this up every two or three years and eventually the coats build up and crack. Looks great initially but can cause the logs to rot over time if the mositure is trapped. Satin clear coat on the enterior is very desirable and makes the interior log surface much easier to dust and clean.
Do your sample logs with the same stain but do not clear coat and observe how they hold up. Be sure you prep and treat the logs as you will on the log home logs before applying the stain. I recommend DOT or otherwise known as TimBor or Borada-D which are borax salts. Safe, effective in preventing wood rot and insect infestations.

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