Log Home Staining in the Greater Knoxville Area

Residential Painting Services > Log Home Staining

Professional Log Home Staining in Knoxville, TN

While not the most common type of home, there are a number of log homes and cabins in the greater Knoxville, TN area. We offer log home staining as part of our line of exterior painting services. When it comes to log homes, maintaining the exterior of the house is a little different than other types of homes, due to the nature of the materials. If your interested in this type of service, contact us for a free estimate.

Log Homes Need to Breath

Due to the inner water content of the logs, they need the ability to breath and release moisture. When log homes are initially built, the wood is left to dry typically for about a year. However, this isn’t enough time to completely dry out the logs, in fact some homes still have moisture content even 10 years after the initial build. You can assume there is probably some moisture in the logs no matter the age of the home.

You Should Stain, and Not Paint Log Homes

The main reason for this is because of the moisture contained within the logs. Paint will completely seal the exterior log surfaces and leave no where for water vapor to go as it slowly makes its way out of the log. After a few years, wood rot is likely. While it is technically possible to paint the exterior of a log home, and if you really insist it can be done, but it would not be recommended. Additionally paint covers up the ability to do a visual inception of the logs, so if rot or damage does start to happen, you may completely miss it until it becomes severe.

Why Staining is Important for Log Homes.

Stains will soak into the wood, and allow the ability for moisture to escape the log, while still protecting from the elements on the outside of the home. Log homes should be stained approximately once every 3-7 years, depending on the types of materials used and the weather / conditions around the home. Lots of direct sunlight, rain, hail, or snow, can accelerate the rate at which staining applications should be done. Staining is one of the most important maintenance requirements for log homes and should be on your maintenance calendar if you own a property like this.

The Process for Staining Log Homes

The process for staining a home is overall, fairly simple. However depending on the architecture there may be some unique problems with accessing all of the wood surfaces for staining. Here in Tennessee, 2 story homes with some hard-to-reach places are not uncommon. Take great care if you decide to DIY a staining project like this and seriously consider hiring a team of professionals.

1. Clean the exterior – Remove all dirt, bugs, debris that would otherwise interfere with the staining process, a hose or power washer are good methods of doing this
2. Let the water from cleaning dry out, and start the staining process. There are numerous ways to apply stain, but a sprayer and a brush are an efficient combo of tools. Srpay on the stain, brush it into the wood. Work your way all the way around the house doing this process. Be generous with the stain application, dont skimp!
3. Make sure at least 30 min have passed, and start the process over again for a 2nd coat of stain.
4. After giving the stain some time to cure its a good time to plan for chinking. Chinking can be done at any time but after looking over the entire exterior of the home while staining your probably have a good idea of where this need to be done.