Log Home Doctors has set up a division within the company dealing exclusively with
log home inspections, renovations, restorations and maintenance.
Log Home Restoration is the all inclusive phrase that any number of Log Home repair tasks would fall under, such as log repair, log replacement, media blasting, log chinking removal, log caulk removal , borate treatments, log staining, clear coat protectant, log chinking, log caulking and post, railings and deck maintenance. Lets attempt to address these subjects and a few others in a somewhat organized fashion.
If I had A nickel for every time I heard this one I wouldn't have to work any more"I how I wish I would have known before I bought it." We hear this phrase countless times a year at trade shows and at clients' log homes. Conventional home inspectors and Insurance company's are a great group and for the most part, they do a great job, however most don't have the years of restoration experience necessary to recognize the many issues exclusive to log homes.
For as little as a few hundred dollars, we can provide you with a professional assessment along with a written quote in contract form for any work that may to be done to correct any issues if any found . You also may be able to use this information to better leverage your position when making your offer price wise.
We recommend that at the very least you have the exterior of your log home inspected for stain or top coat failure along with a close look at the condition of the log caulk or log chink. It is also a good idea to inspect the logs for any sign of decay and check the railings and posts for stability. This should be done at least once every two years. We will provide you with a written report along with our recommendations if any, that we feel would be beneficial to you for the preservation of your log home.
Log repair can be viewed as less invasive then log replacement. If you have logs that are decayed or showing signs of decay, we strive to replace just the outer face of the log after the decay has been removed providing that 40% to 60% of the original log is sound. This also saves trying to match the texture and the detail on the interior and is usually less costly than full log replacement.
Log replacement becomes unavoidable when the decay cannot be removed by any other means other than total replacement. While this can tend to be more difficult than refacing a log or replacing half logs it is not the end of the world. When you add our years of experience in restoration to the fact that we are accomplished log home builders, we are better equipped and staffed than most to complete these projects for you with ease an ability that you can count on.
Borate Treatments
After stripping the stain and prepping the logs, we treat the logs with a Boron based preservative prior to staining. Boron based preservatives are a natural based product derived from the mineral Borax. Borates help raise the Ph of the wood, thus hindering the decay organisms that cause rot.
In some cases the condition of the log caulking or log chinking is in such bad shape that the only option is to remove the existing caulk or chinking and start over. The two main causes of log caulk and log chink failure are the use of the wrong product and or poor workmanship. Quite often if the log chinking or log caulking was applied in accordance with the manufactures specifications we can repair it and achieve satisfactory results with a little extra effort.
We do maintain a business relationship with a couple particular log home stain manufacturers or supplier, however experience has led us to recommend the use of some of the latex based and oil based log home stains manufactured specifically for log homes by companies that specialize in log home sealants.We use a few different stain products the oil base we use is a Sikkens product there are many of there products to choose from depending on the application it self.
We also use Perma Chink latex based products. I believe we use the best products out there to protect your Log Home or Log Cabin.
Yet another key component to the completed log home is Log Chinking or Log Caulking. One of the first things you need to know is that not everyone can caulk or chink professionally. There are several important steps that we take to assure a quality job: surface preparation, no dirt, no moisture. We will only use log home caulk or log home chinking that has been formulated for log homes by accredited log home sealant manufactures, carefully consulting the technical data information to assure product compatibility. Manufacturer's recommendations must be closely adhered to, from the installation of the bond breaker to the depth and width of the log caulking or log chinking. Again, proper application all but eliminates the likelihood of product failure.
These are probably as hard or harder to maintain in like new condition than your log home. Decks and railings normally have minimal protection from the sun and rain, if any.
With the decks we have found that semi solid stains work about as well as anything, we have given up on anything transparent for decks. For the railings we still recommend reapplying a top coat or coat of the product that was used on your log home or log cabin to provide that protectant you need to the top rail and to the top of the bottom rail once a year. One of the secrets to deck post longevity is to keep them from wicking water up from the base that they are sitting on. This can be accomplished with the use of different types of standoffs. The nature of railing posts sitting on wet decks is tough, treated slabs under your post will help prolong the posts life, but we have come to the realization that, unfortunately railing posts and railings have a life expediency and are a replaceable item.
We recommend that at the very least you wash the dirt, cobwebs and pollen off of your log home once a year. This helps your logs breath and will allow for a more thorough inspection of your logs and the condition of the log stain and clear coat, not to mention that your log home will look much better. We do not use or nor do we recommend using pressure washers for this, we see an unbelievable amount of damage both to the log finish and to the logs themselves from pressure washers. Stick with the warm soapy water, rags and rinse with a garden hose or a chemical cleaning system. Once this is done you can inspect the caulk, or chink, stain and clear coat and repair or reapply as necessary. Remember, through all of this, the key is to get your log home finished properly once, then the regular maintenance becomes relative easy and quite affordable call for your inspection today or ask us how you can do it yourself. Wash your home like you wash your car. It is your most expensive asset.
The Doctor
loghomedoctors.net
Log Home Restoration is the all inclusive phrase that any number of Log Home repair tasks would fall under, such as log repair, log replacement, media blasting, log chinking removal, log caulk removal , borate treatments, log staining, clear coat protectant, log chinking, log caulking and post, railings and deck maintenance. Lets attempt to address these subjects and a few others in a somewhat organized fashion.
If I had A nickel for every time I heard this one I wouldn't have to work any more"I how I wish I would have known before I bought it." We hear this phrase countless times a year at trade shows and at clients' log homes. Conventional home inspectors and Insurance company's are a great group and for the most part, they do a great job, however most don't have the years of restoration experience necessary to recognize the many issues exclusive to log homes.
For as little as a few hundred dollars, we can provide you with a professional assessment along with a written quote in contract form for any work that may to be done to correct any issues if any found . You also may be able to use this information to better leverage your position when making your offer price wise.
We recommend that at the very least you have the exterior of your log home inspected for stain or top coat failure along with a close look at the condition of the log caulk or log chink. It is also a good idea to inspect the logs for any sign of decay and check the railings and posts for stability. This should be done at least once every two years. We will provide you with a written report along with our recommendations if any, that we feel would be beneficial to you for the preservation of your log home.
Log repair can be viewed as less invasive then log replacement. If you have logs that are decayed or showing signs of decay, we strive to replace just the outer face of the log after the decay has been removed providing that 40% to 60% of the original log is sound. This also saves trying to match the texture and the detail on the interior and is usually less costly than full log replacement.
Log replacement becomes unavoidable when the decay cannot be removed by any other means other than total replacement. While this can tend to be more difficult than refacing a log or replacing half logs it is not the end of the world. When you add our years of experience in restoration to the fact that we are accomplished log home builders, we are better equipped and staffed than most to complete these projects for you with ease an ability that you can count on.
Borate Treatments
After stripping the stain and prepping the logs, we treat the logs with a Boron based preservative prior to staining. Boron based preservatives are a natural based product derived from the mineral Borax. Borates help raise the Ph of the wood, thus hindering the decay organisms that cause rot.
In some cases the condition of the log caulking or log chinking is in such bad shape that the only option is to remove the existing caulk or chinking and start over. The two main causes of log caulk and log chink failure are the use of the wrong product and or poor workmanship. Quite often if the log chinking or log caulking was applied in accordance with the manufactures specifications we can repair it and achieve satisfactory results with a little extra effort.
We do maintain a business relationship with a couple particular log home stain manufacturers or supplier, however experience has led us to recommend the use of some of the latex based and oil based log home stains manufactured specifically for log homes by companies that specialize in log home sealants.We use a few different stain products the oil base we use is a Sikkens product there are many of there products to choose from depending on the application it self.
We also use Perma Chink latex based products. I believe we use the best products out there to protect your Log Home or Log Cabin.
Yet another key component to the completed log home is Log Chinking or Log Caulking. One of the first things you need to know is that not everyone can caulk or chink professionally. There are several important steps that we take to assure a quality job: surface preparation, no dirt, no moisture. We will only use log home caulk or log home chinking that has been formulated for log homes by accredited log home sealant manufactures, carefully consulting the technical data information to assure product compatibility. Manufacturer's recommendations must be closely adhered to, from the installation of the bond breaker to the depth and width of the log caulking or log chinking. Again, proper application all but eliminates the likelihood of product failure.
These are probably as hard or harder to maintain in like new condition than your log home. Decks and railings normally have minimal protection from the sun and rain, if any.
With the decks we have found that semi solid stains work about as well as anything, we have given up on anything transparent for decks. For the railings we still recommend reapplying a top coat or coat of the product that was used on your log home or log cabin to provide that protectant you need to the top rail and to the top of the bottom rail once a year. One of the secrets to deck post longevity is to keep them from wicking water up from the base that they are sitting on. This can be accomplished with the use of different types of standoffs. The nature of railing posts sitting on wet decks is tough, treated slabs under your post will help prolong the posts life, but we have come to the realization that, unfortunately railing posts and railings have a life expediency and are a replaceable item.
We recommend that at the very least you wash the dirt, cobwebs and pollen off of your log home once a year. This helps your logs breath and will allow for a more thorough inspection of your logs and the condition of the log stain and clear coat, not to mention that your log home will look much better. We do not use or nor do we recommend using pressure washers for this, we see an unbelievable amount of damage both to the log finish and to the logs themselves from pressure washers. Stick with the warm soapy water, rags and rinse with a garden hose or a chemical cleaning system. Once this is done you can inspect the caulk, or chink, stain and clear coat and repair or reapply as necessary. Remember, through all of this, the key is to get your log home finished properly once, then the regular maintenance becomes relative easy and quite affordable call for your inspection today or ask us how you can do it yourself. Wash your home like you wash your car. It is your most expensive asset.
The Doctor
loghomedoctors.net
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