Has anyone stained their log home on their own?

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Permalink Reply by Neighborhood Host on June 5, 2008 at 2:10pm

While I can't give you a step-by-step tutorial on staining a log home (anyone got one out there??) I can offer you this article, which provides some budget saving tips for staining the interior of a log home. Let me know if it's helpful. And I'll keep looking out for some great resources for you.

In the meantime, I'm sure there are others out there who've been there, done that, and are willing to share.

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Permalink Reply by Alison Morgan on June 5, 2008 at 2:22pm

My husband and I stained our log home last summer. All the stain products were included with the log home kit from Katahdin. We would recommend a water and bleach cleaner be applied first, especially if the logs have been up for a while. This solution easily cleaned some of the mildew we had developed on our logs. We would also recommend completing the staining before the windows are installed. Not need to tape off the windows if you are able to stain first! We used a combination of brushes and a sprayer to apply the stain. I think we did a fantastic job - I doubt anyone can tell it was not professionally done. The most difficult part was accessing the high areas via ladder and having to continually climb up and down to move the ladder. Staging would have made the job much easier. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Shelley Martinez on June 5, 2008 at 2:27pm

Thank you Alison for the great tips! Did you do both the interior and exterior? We will be tackling the exterior - our windows are already installed - so now you made me think about how we need to be extra careful and plan to cover them.

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Permalink Reply by Alison Morgan on June 5, 2008 at 3:20pm

We did some of the interior. Most of the walls were done by a contractor and the clear poly was sprayed on. I did interior stair railings, room doors, trim, etc. If you decide to spray on the interior, I would recommend at LEAST 2 coats, maybe even 3, because it goes on lighter with the sprayer. The hand painted areas look slightly different than the walls. Or in other words, the hand painted areas really show the poly, on the walls it's not as visible. I'm including some interior photos for you. Have fun. We had the best time throughout the whole process of building our home!

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Permalink Reply by Bob Barnard on June 5, 2008 at 3:02pm

It's not much different from painting. I would recommend starting on the bottom and working up, then drips are easier to catch and do not stand out. I used low VOC, water based TimberPro products, a Wagner "paint crew" sprayer, and backbrushed. It looks terrific!

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Permalink Reply by Shelley Martinez on June 5, 2008 at 9:53pm

Thank you Bob - especially letting us know about the type of sprayer you used.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Merkle on June 12, 2008 at 10:11am

Shelly,
Our logs went up in August of 2001, in upstate NY, and I maintained the handcrafted log cabin until it was sold in 2007. After visiting many log yards and talking with many in the industry, we elected to use Sikkens and plan to do so again on our new log cabin. My father taught me to paint when I was 12, and I am an excellent painter and strongly prefer the use of a brush. I would be happy to offer details about timing, etc, if you wish.

Jim

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on June 15, 2008 at 12:44pm

I'm glad to post a few notes here, we do this for a living and believe me when I tell you, you do not want to skip any of these steps.

1. All new log homes should have the logs lightly cleaned before sealing/staining them. Why? Because any beginnings of mildew or other microbial growth needs to be removed before the sealer is applied. You can't see this with the naked eye necessarily, but skipping this step can lead to premature failure of some coatings!

2. Always prep your wood before sealing/staining it. Prep may include light buffing or sanding on any areas that need it.

3. Mask doors, windows, fixtures, and shrubs to keep from getting sealer on them.

4. Apply the product with an airless, and back brush using a china bristle brush. Follow the directions on the pail for dry time between coats, and for clean up for brushes etc.

5. Remove masking....enjoy!

NOTE: If you have chinking on your home, you have to decide if you want to:
1. apply the stain by hand to avoid getting it on the chinking,
2. decide if you don't care if it is on the chinking,
3. or elect to paint your chinking afterwards if using an airless sprayer and back brushing.

Chinking in proximity to staining needs to be considered before you begin, so you don't end up with a mess on your hands.

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Permalink Reply by Shelley Martinez on June 15, 2008 at 1:22pm

Great - great info!!! Many thanks!

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on June 15, 2008 at 1:47pm

Please post pics when you are done. Can't wait to see it! Have fun, and if you have questions, just ask! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Jim Merkle on June 24, 2008 at 10:38am

Your response indicated sanding the logs prior to staining. Our first log home was Engleman Spruce from Canada and the logs were very clean and required no sanding. Borate was applied and also a wood preservative, and allowed to dry for two heating seasons. Our new log home is up to 10 rounds and the logs are tamarack, and will require sanding. I will be doing the sanding, mostly interior, because we like the rustic appearance on the exterior. I have a palm sander, but I wonder if you could make some comments about the sanding process. Is there a special type palm sander that is best for this work? What grit?

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Permalink Reply by See Dirt Run! Inc. on August 4, 2008 at 4:21pm

Hi Jim,
Sorry I missed this before. You can use a palm sander, but you might look into a variable speed Makita or DeWalt tool and get an osborn brush instead. I personally don't like to go any finer than 80 grit on an exterior. Double check with the manufacturer of the product you will be applying to see in a finer grit would impede surface adhesion. Hope this helps!
Beth

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