Log Home Staining – Maintaining Your Log Home
Posted on June 6, 2019
Staining vs Painting Log Homes
Log homes have different characteristics than traditional homes with stucco or siding. Because of this, it is recommended that log homes not be painted, but stained. Log homes and cabins are popular in the NE Wisconsin area and our team has completed a large number of local log home staining projects.
Why do log homes need to breath?
Log homes are very different than traditional building materials, logs contain moisture. Generally the tree segments are given about a year to dry out but its not enough to completely remove the moisture from the wood. Even log homes decades old may still contain moisture within the logs.
Why Shouldn’t I Paint a Log Home?
There are a number of reasons, however the main reason is paint prevents the logs from being able to get the airflow they need. Paint will trap the moisture in the logs, and can cause them rot from the inside. Paint on the outside will mask any visual damage being done. Painting covers up areas where possible issues might be forming and prevents the logs from being able to ‘breath’. A staining application leaves visibility of the wood, enhances the look of wood grain, protects from the elements and still allows moisture to leave the logs.
Staining Log Homes – Why it’s different than Paint.
Stain will soak into the wood rather than cover the exterior. Stains provide a natural wood grain look that does not block moisture from escaping the log. It protects the logs from elements by repelling outside moisture.
Log Home Chinking
Chinking is a flexible sealer used on log home to help seal them while still allowing them to breath. We can provide chinking services for your log home. Check out our video below to see our team at work on a log home chinking project.
Log Home Projects We Completed
See below for a few photos from our residential portfolio of log home projects we completed in the NE Wisconsin service area. There are many log homes in northern Wisconsin and we regularly provide staining services to log cabins and homes in the area.
