Lightly cob blast, sandblast, sand, or preaaure wash (the most popular method) new logs.  When power washing, we suggest you use a cleaning agent. 

 

If the house is already furnished, cleaning the interior may be more messy than the exterior.  A general dusting may work, but to actually clean the logs, a sponge saturated with a bleach and water combination may be used.  The logs will need to be rinsed, hence the messiness. A trough could be built to catch any of the dripping water when rinsing, or use another sponge with plain water. Otherwise, just a light sanding is necessary.

 

 

 

Yes, if chink joints are greater than 1/4".

 

What does the tempurature need to be to apply caulk or chinking?
The surface tempurature of the logs should be between 40 and 90 degrees Farenheit.

 

 

 

As a general rule of thumb, it the stain is applied correctly, and according to manufacturer's recommendations, semi-transparent stains can last 3-5 years, less if the house is subjected to major sun exposure, longer if the house has large overhangs and is shaded.

 

Clear finishes are not recommended for the exterior of the house because there is no pigment or sunscreen to protect the logs from damaging UV rays.  Pigmented stains hold longer and will not flake off in a short period of time.  Using a "clear" finish means reapplying more often (may only last 6 months to a year under full sunlight). A light pigmented stain is an alternative to clear.

 

Stains can be mixed if they are the same product.  However, mixing is not recommended because of the difficulty of duplicating the same mixture for re-coating at a later date.  Mixing oil and water based stains in not advised.

 

Will Bug Juice change the color of my stain?

No.