1. Walk around the perimeter of your log home once a year. Take pictures to compare changes over the years. Keep plants 18 inches away from the house. Keep firewood as far away as possible.
2. Look to see if you have any new checks that need to be filled with caulking/chinking material. Only Checks 1/4 or larger should be filled. They should only be filled on the top half of the log.
3. Examine any high moisture areas for possible water damage. If rot is present, use a wood restoration product to remedy the situation. Purchase a moisture meter to monitor your logs. Moisture above 20 percent is a problem area.
4. Look for any small holes created from wood boring insects. If you remove the old stain, apply borate on the logs before restaining. A product called "Home Guard" is good to apply once a year.
5. Look to see whether your log stain is faded or peeling. Is the stain becoming grey from UV damage? Darkened wood could mean it is drawing in too much water or that mold is forming. In either case, the stain has failed.
6. Clean your wood before applying more stain material. The idea is to remove any dirt, dust or debris from the surface of your wood. The new stain material will only be as good as the surface that it adheres to.
7. Permachink Ultra II stain is the best stain to apply to well-prepared logs. Walnut shell media blasting with follow-up sanding is the best way to remove the old stain.
8. Use a quality log home stain. Permachink Ultra II stain has a five-year warranty, unlike any other stain on the market.
9. The better surface preparation you do, the longer your log home stain will last.
10. Fill all checks and cracks that are 1/4″ or greater. This will prevent any water or bugs from getting into
your home.
11. Look for any tears in your chinking. This material can happen from a poor initial application of chinking or excessive movement in your wood. Fixing the torn chinking can be as easy as re-applying more chinking material to the existing chinking. Most chinking materials adhere to themselves.
