Modern American families still want to own log houses because aside from the fact that it is an all-American sort of thing, log homes can last a lifetime when properly maintained.
Part of wooden home maintenance is the application of log home stains which is a rather long and meticulous process. But staining is vital in log homes since it protects the whole log house from external environmental damaging elements such as insects, moisture, and the sun. So, it cannot be skipped, delayed or neglected if you want your log cabins or homes to last for many years.
So, before staining you log homes, consider these three things first for you to get the maximum positive results from all your staining efforts.
Weather
The weather is an extremely important consideration before starting your log home stain maintenance project. Ideally, the log’s moisture have to be 19 percent and below to achieve perfect finish. Obviously, you need the sun to shine on you while you stain your log home. Schedule the staining project on dry seasons and check on the weekly weather forecast before commencing.
Timing
Staining is done in a step by step by process which may take you a week or more to finish the job with proper timing. For example, staining should be done before chinking and not the other way around. Also, when spraying stains, the sprayed finish has to be brushed immediately after to soak evenly the wood surface. If multiple coating is required, which is usually the case to achieve beautiful results, subsequent coats are applied only after the latest coat has dried up.
Diligence
Depending on the color of the stain finish you had applied on your log home exterior, you have to re-stain your homes every two to four years. Also, you have to check on you logs from time to time to ensure that no abnormal discoloration has appeared on any part of the log surface.
These three factors – weather, timing and diligence – have to be taken quite seriously to ensure that your log home stains maintenance efforts will not only waste your money, time and energy.
