Caring For Your Log Home

Caring for your log home doesn't have to be a monumental task. With frequent "check ups" your home should stay as beautiful as the day it had its first coat of finish. All wood should be properly cleaned and sealed subsequently after the logs have been erected. With Old Timer's kiln dried logs, applications of stain tend to penetrate deeper and last longer. Because of this we recommend applying another coat of stain on the exterior after the first year. From this point your next application of protection will not be necessary for another three to five years. This also depends on the exposure your house receives from the elements.

The application of exterior and interior stains and sealers is essential for the lifetime and beauty of your home. Your home will require periodic maintenance to keep the finish looking well and offering the ultimate protection. A regular maintenance schedule, including washing the exterior once a year can assist in determining what maintenance needs to be done. Old Timer Log Homes recommends Perma-Chink stains and sealers for its log homes. These products have been used by Old Timer Log Home owners with very positive results.

The interior of your home also requires a finish. This can be applied soon after the home is completed. Many customers choose to leave the natural look. This will require a clear finish, such as Lifeline Interior stains and finishes, which will not yellow and allows the natural beauty of all types of wood to show through. Not only does an interior finish enhance your home, it reduces the absorption of normal household odors into the wood and is more easily washed, cleaned, and dusted.

For more information on Perma-Chink products and caring for your log home visit www.permachink.com.

Termites are not a major threat to a kiln dried log home. During the kiln drying process at Old Timer Log Homes, insects and larvae are destroyed when temperatures reach 180 degrees F. Therefore it is not necessary to chemically treat our logs, Old Timer Log Homes does recommend soil treatment prior to construction and a termite shield on the foundation wall. This is inexpensive preventative maintenance.

Crawling insects are controlled with an insecticide that is added to stains and finishes each time your house requires maintenance.

Wood boring bees on the other hand seem to be a relentless pest that must be dealt with. In order to keep the bees from returning to their nesting site, an insecticide must be sprayed into the holes and then plugged. This should break the nesting cycle and hopefully eliminate and future problems.