Newly built log homes are usually stained and sealed as soon as or shortly after “drying” is complete. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? Well here are a few things to consider before applying a beautiful natural wood finish to your new log home.
First, newly built houses are often built from “green logs.” Green logs are logs that have been cut and still have a high moisture content. Many log houses make their logs “kiln dried” which eliminates this problem, but many do not. Green or damp logs, as they dry out, will shrink, causing cracks or cracks to appear, as well as twisting and warping. The biggest problem with this is that it causes windows and doors to not work properly, seams to split and joints to split creating air and water leaks as well as a way for bugs to get into the house.
There is also a good chance that the logs have been recently milled or shaped. The milling process creates a “mill glaze,” a thin waxy film that can prevent penetrating stains from absorbing into the wood. What this means to the homeowner is that if the sealant doesn’t penetrate the logs properly, it won’t last. Add to this the fact that the wood grain of new logs or any wood is very narrow and it also prevents the sealant from penetrating properly. All of this will prevent the sealer from penetrating properly and lead to premature failure of the finish. Often this is unavoidable due to manufacturer building requirements or sometimes bank loan requirements.
That’s the bad new. The good news is that proper registry cleaning will eliminate two of the problems. Time is the only way to solve the problem of wet “green” logs.
To prepare a newly built log home for sealing, we typically use a 12% chlorine/TSP solution. The chlorine will kill and remove mold and mildew, while the TSP will remove dirt and construction debris and open the pores of the wood. The solution is applied with a sprayer starting at the bottom and working upwards. Always start at the bottom. If you start at the top and work your way down, you’ll end up with streaks in the records that are difficult to remove and create unnecessary work.
Once applied, the solution is allowed to sit for a predetermined period of time. A light mist is applied to areas that are beginning to dry out to keep the solution moist and working. If it dries on the wood, you will have unwanted problems that could and should be avoided. It is required to work in small sections at a time.
Once the dwell time is reached, a pressure washer is used to remove mildew, mill glaze, and dirt. It is worth mentioning that the pressure washer is used more for the volume of water than for the pressure of the water. A pressure washer in untrained hands can cause irreversible damage to logs. Less than 1000 psi…preferably 5oo to 600 is ideal. To give a comparison, the typical car wash is around 1500.
Once the logs have been cleaned and rinsed, the job is NOT done. I don’t stress because the next step is just as important as cleaning, but more often than not it gets overlooked or simply ignored for financial reasons.
That step is to neutralize the wood. Chlorine, strippers, and other types of cleaners, including dishwashing liquids, are caustic materials and will raise the pH levels in wood. This is evidenced when the wood darkens after applying the chemical. If caustic chemicals remain on the wood, they can and will react with the freshly applied finish, resulting in poor performance and premature finish failure.
A good example is if you’ve ever gotten bleach or even dish soap on your hands and found it very slippery and difficult to rinse off, the same goes for logs. No amount of water will remove all of the caustic chemical from the wood. Therefore, it must be neutralized. Once neutralized, it still needs to be rinsed very well to make sure the pH balance is back to normal. The best way to tell is to test the water that comes out with pH test strips like the ones found at a pool supply store. If a neutral runoff reading is obtained, you will have successfully removed all caustic chemicals from the wood.
However, the neutralization process is not difficult, it takes more time, but the benefits far outweigh the associated costs. Plus, if it will make the finish last longer, it’s definitely worth it.
Ideally, in a newly built log home, it is best to wait a few months to allow the logs to fully dry out and age a bit. Then, with proper cleaning, the logs will be ready to accept a quality sealant. Preparing the logs and applying a finish in this manner will ensure optimal performance of the sealer and will keep your new log home looking beautiful for many years to come.