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Perma-Chink Systems, Inc., a long-standing provider of wood care solutions for log and timber homes, is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2026. Since its founding in 1981, the company has focused on helping homeowners, contractors, builders, and manufacturers protect and preserve wood structures through purpose-built products and practical expertise.
In its early years, Perma-Chink Systems introduced the industry’s first flexible chinking – an innovation that addressed long standing challenges in making log homes energy efficient. That early work helped establish a foundation for continued product development and long-term relationships throughout the log and timber home community.
Over the decades, the company has expanded its offerings to include a comprehensive range of specialty sealants, high-performance finishes, preservatives, and cleaners, all designed specifically for the unique demands of log and timber homes. Today, these products are used on a wide range of structures, from cozy cabins to expansive log and timber-frame residences.
Perma-Chink Systems’ progress has been shaped by the experience of its team, whose combined decades of hands-on work in log home care inform both product development and customer support. That practical knowledge continues to guide the company’s approach to research, technical assistance, and education.
“Reaching 45 years is a reflection of the relationships we’ve built and the trust our customers have placed in us through the years,” said Terry Knight, CEO of Perma-Chink Systems. “Our founder, Rich Dunstan, believed strongly in doing things the right way—listening to customers, standing behind our products, and acting with integrity. Those values continue to guide how we operate today.”
As the log and timber home industry has evolved, Perma-Chink Systems has remained focused on supporting those who build, maintain, and live in wood homes. The company’s emphasis on technical guidance, customer service, and thoughtfully engineered products has made it a consistent resource for professionals and homeowners alike.
Looking ahead, Perma-Chink Systems remains committed to building on its experience while continuing to improve how log and timber homes are cared for. Through ongoing product development, service, and education, the company aims to support the long-term durability and beauty of wood homes for years to come.
About Perma-Chink Systems, Inc.
Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. manufactures wood care products formulated specifically for log and timber homes, including chinking, sealants, stains, finishes, cleaners, and restoration systems. Founded in 1981, the company serves homeowners, builders, and contractors with specialized products and technical support grounded in decades of industry experience.
Read about the invention of first log home chinking: Perma-Chink Systems History – The Invention of the First Log Home Sealant – Perma-Chink Systems
Contractor: Ferrari Structures & Woodworks
This historic home in Chesapeake, Ohio, has quite a story. Local tradition says it was built by Jacob Suiter, a stout Pennsylvania Dutch settler, who hand-hewed the white oak logs on site and joined them with wooden pegs. The Ohio Historic Inventory (1976) records the date as 1824, though other sources suggest it may have been built as early as 1805–1825. That makes it the oldest known house in Chesapeake.
The main structure is a two-story, roughly 28′ x 35′, set on a 5′ crawl space/cellar. It originally featured half-dovetail log corners (a hallmark of German-influenced builders), with horsehair chinking later patched in with cement. A family room addition and enclosed front porch were built after 1925, using sandstone quarried right on the property. The upper gables were originally hand-split cedar shakes, which the client asked us to update with cedar shakes vinyl siding for easier upkeep.
In restoring the home, we removed layers of cement that had been applied over the logs and carefully assessed the structure. Twenty-one logs had to be replaced — all with white oak salvaged from a deconstructed 1815 structure in Wheeling, WV. These reclaimed logs were in excellent condition, and it was exciting to bring 200-year-old timbers back into service. We removed the paint on the logs, repaired and replaced chinking throughout, replaced the old fascia and window trim with rough-sawn hemlock and corrected a long-standing gap between the chimney and the house. The roof framing showed sawn rafters rather than rounded poles, which was an interesting detail.
For finishing, we used Perma-Chink Systems products: Log Wash, Ultra-7 in Gentry Gray, Lifeline Advanced Gloss Clear Coat, Stone-colored Perma-Chink log chinking and Chink Paint, and Dark Natural Energy Seal (which blends more naturally into the logs).
It’s been an honor to help preserve this remarkable piece of history for the current owners, The Nelson’s. Many thanks to Wilderness Woods for supplying the reclaimed oak and hemlock materials and to Perma-Chink Systems for their fantastic Products. Here are informative links to the house with a pre-addition and pre-restoration photos: Oldest House in Chesapeake Ohio | Jacob Suiters House in Ohio
Perma-Chink Systems Products Used
- Log Wash
- Lifeline Ultra-7 – Gentry Gray
- Lifeline Advanced Gloss Clear Coat
- Perma-Chink – Stone
- Chink Paint – Stone
- Energy Seal – Dark Natural
Celebrating Log Home Excellence
Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Icon Project Awards! This annual celebration recognizes the outstanding craftsmanship, innovation, and dedication of professionals in the log and timber home industry.
From breathtaking new log and timber home construction to the careful restoration of historic log homes, this year’s winning projects showcase the artistry and expertise required to build, preserve, and maintain these timeless structures. Each project highlights the passion and skill of the builders, contractors, and restoration specialists who continue to keep the tradition of log and timber homes thriving.
Join us in celebrating the remarkable work and craftsmanship that define excellence in the log and timber home community.
Honoring Extraordinary Dedication
At Perma-Chink Systems, we recognize and honor the extraordinary dedication of those who preserve these iconic structures. Their work keeps the log home legacy alive, blending craftsmanship, innovation, and reverence for history.
Meet the 2026 Icon Project Award Winners
Icon Project Awards Honorable Mentions
Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. is proud to recognize the Honorable Mentions of the 2026 Icon Project Awards. These projects represent outstanding achievement in the care, restoration, and preservation of log and timber homes and wooden structures.
Submitting your Projects
All Perma-Chink Systems contractors are eligible for this award. To be considered for the 2027 Icon Project Award, we invite you to Submit Your Project and showcase the craftsmanship, dedication, and expertise behind your work.
This award celebrates projects that set the standard in care, restoration, and preservation. If you’ve completed a build or restoration you’re proud of, we want to see it.
Share your project with us and let your work inspire others in the industry. We’re looking forward to reviewing the outstanding projects that make this community exceptional.
Homeowners almost always have a list of projects they want to complete around their home. As a contractor who has worked on the exterior, winter is a great time to reconnect with your customers and check whether they have interior projects they’d like to address during the colder months.
There are several winter indoor maintenance and upgrade projects that are ideal for winter months. Help homeowners improve the look of their home now while keeping you productively booked during the off-season.
1. Freshen Wood Trim and Moldings, Doors and Window Frames, Cabinets, etc.
Freshening wood trims, cabinets, doors and window frames are perfect indoor maintenance projects for winter. Winter is the best time to stain inside because the air is drier than humid summer air and helps the finishes dry more quickly. You also can crack a few windows in winter to provide proper ventilation without worrying about bugs flying inside. Another reason to stain in winter is that you will get your inside projects done and have more time to do exterior projects when the weather improves.
Keep in mind that you do things a little differently when staining interior trim than when staining walls. You’ll need to sand your trim, clean the dust, and then apply finish. You can apply color stain before you finish it with a clear topcoat, or just apply a clear primer like Lifeline Prelude directly to wood and then topcoat it with clear Acrylic Gloss or Satin, or PCS Clear Shield finish. If you would like to add more gloss to your wood trim, PCS Clear Shield is your best choice. Click here for application instructions.
2. Check for Air Leaks
Many indoor winter maintenance projects also help homeowners save money. In fact, one of the best money-saving maintenance tasks is checking for air leaks. According to HomeAdvisor you can “stop energy-sucking, money-wasting air leaks by caulking, sealing and weather-stripping all of the gaps, seams, cracks, and openings in your home.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing air leaks cuts heating and cooling costs, improves durability, increases comfort, and creates a healthier indoor environment. It’s especially important to check for air leaks if you have a log-style home since builders intentionally leave room for settling.
What does an energy audit do? Energy audit is the first step in the process; it finds the source of any air leaks and determines how bad those air leaks are.
The three basic tools used for an energy audit are a blower door, a thermal imaging camera and a computer loaded with the appropriate software. The blower door in conjunction with the computer measures the cumulative air leakage within the home and provides a negative internal air pressure, so the thermal imaging camera can better locate air leaks. The thermal imaging camera takes actual pictures of the air leaks, so you’ll have a record of exactly where they are located. Read more about the thermal imaging and blower door testing here.
After you identified the leaks, sealing or caulking and weather-stripping are two common solutions. Seal and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air. You also should caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring enters through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits. Seal air leaks around chimney, furnace, and gas-fired water heater vents.
Sealing the leak with Energy Seal or Perma-Chink prevents water penetration along with air infiltration. General purpose caulks and sealants found at local hardware stores and DIY outlets just don’t offer the performance that’s required for the unique needs associated with log or timber homes.
Give us a call at 1‑800‑548‑3554 with any questions about the proper application of our products or any technical information you may need. We’re here to help.
Yes! Pantone has officially announced the Color of the Year for 2026, and it’s Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201) – a soft, balanced shade of white.
This marks a historic first: it’s the first time Pantone has chosen a white hue for its annual selection. The Pantone Color Institute describes Cloud Dancer as:
- Designed to evoke serenity and mindfulness in an era of digital overload
Pantone says the choice represents simplicity, clarity, and a fresh start, and it’s intended to serve as a “blank canvas” for creativity.
What does this trend mean for our customers?
Good news — you don’t need to rush to Home Depot for a can of white paint. Perma-Chink Systems has you covered.
We’ve developed stain colors specifically formulated for large logs and timbers — allowing the wood to breathe while the finish flexes and moves with it. And we have the perfect match for this emerging trend: Pickled White in our Lifeline brand. It’s available for both interior and exterior use, and several of our log and timber home manufacturers are already using it on their own homes — you could say they’re ahead of the trend!
Just look at Honest Abe Homes below, for example. Their stunning white-toned finishes show exactly how beautiful this shade can be. The name Cloud Dancer fits our Pickled White stain perfectly. Its semi-transparent finish allows the natural wood hues to shine through, adding depth, character, and a soft, modern elegance. It truly feels as if the color is dancing across the logs.
Pickled White also pairs beautifully with a wide range of colors — from Dark Walnut to Midnight to Barn Red — creating a versatile canvas of design possibilities.
Ready to explore the new trend?
Order your free samples here for your interior or exterior project.
A collection of beautifully decorated log and timber homes to inspire you this season. Enjoy – and may your holidays be warm, joyful, and full of light.
Beautiful decorations by Honest Abe Log Homes, Hearthstone Homes, Appalachian Log Homes, Satterwhite Log Homes, Beaver Mountain Custom Homes, Timberhaven Log and Timber Homes and StoneMill Log Homes.
My grandfather, Sophus Johnson, once gave me $2,500 to finish college in 1975. Instead of tuition, I asked if I could use it to buy land and build a house out of an old barn. He laughed, said yes, and made me promise I’d finish college after the house was done — which I did.
Forty-eight years later, I’m rebuilding his log home on the very same land he helped me buy. That’s why we call it Sophus’ House.
Reusing and reclaiming materials has been my way of life ever since I built that first home in 1976. So it’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that my current project combines my grandparents’ 135-year-old log cabin from Denmark, Wisconsin with a historic log barn from Montgomery, Minnesota.
The real push to start came when the producer of Restoration Road called asking if we had any unique projects for 2022. After hearing my idea, they loved it — until they realized filming meant sending a crew to Minnesota in January to watch me dismantle a log barn. Even after I offered to buy them snowmobile suits, they passed!
They were right about the schedule being ambitious, but just before my 70th birthday, it felt like a sign: It’s now or never. I had told so many people about the opportunity that I knew I had to move forward, with or without TV cameras.
And so the build began — using reclaimed materials from all over Minnesota.
- Floor framing from a barn in Sanborn and an old bar in Eveleth
- Second-floor beams from a bank in Albert Lea and logs from Good Thunder
- Insulation and stair timbers salvaged from Fergus Falls
- Basement studs milled from beams taken from a demolished motel in Gilbert
- Soffit, fascia, and trim from a barn near the Mankato airport
- Garage siding from a barn in Mapleton
- And flooring made from black walnut trees we harvested in Mankato three years ago
- All restoration, repairs, chinking, and finishes were completed using Perma-Chink Systems products.
This home is more than a building — it’s a living scrapbook of places, memories, and people who shaped my life. And most importantly, it all started with my grandfather’s gift.
The barn was transformed into the two-story section of the house, while my grandparents’ home became the bedroom wing on the left.
This is now a 4,500 sq. ft. model home, and Mark invites anyone who would like to see a great example of his work to check it out – either in person or virtually. Mark’s website is listed below.
The full restoration video is here:
🎥 How I used Perma-Chink products to restore my grandparents log cabin
Story by Mark Johnson
Artisan Restoration
The exceptional quality of Perma-Chink Systems’ log and timber home wood care products has always been vibrant, and Lifeline Accents line takes that philosophy quite literally. Lifeline Accents, the extensive interior/exterior stain product line, boasts a variety of features that everyone from professional applicators to the do-it-yourselfer find irresistible, and the most obvious is color.
Bold hues such as jade, garnet and midnight catch the eye, while more traditional tones, such as sand, umber and charcoal, round out the 18-color palette. Each vibrant color is designed to allow the wood’s grain to emerge, so the color complements the wood, rather than covering it.
And unlike many other tinted stains, the color endures, meaning fewer touchups over time. Our Lifeline Accents high-performance semi-transparent stains are designed utilizing our proprietary technology to highlight and protect both interior and exterior surfaces.
Creates a wonderful accent for your wood trim,
interior and exterior walls, millwork, timber, furniture and
other elements of your home.
The combination of exciting colors and ease of application will expand choices and add value for both homeowners and applicators. As a leader and innovator in wood-finishing products, Perma-Chink Systems offers a complete line of specialized sealers, stains, finishes, preservatives and cleaners made for the unique needs of log, timber and wood-trimmed homes. Order your free samples here.
If you’d like some guidance for a more substantial home restoration, or you’re interested in trying a new color this year, please reach out today 1-800-548-3554. Just pick your colors and order FREE samples to try it on your wood. Custom colors are available upon request.
Lower Your Energy Consumption and Prepare Your Home for Winter
From the Experts at Perma-Chink Systems
As winter approaches, one of the most important tasks for maintaining your log home is ensuring it’s properly sealed. With the cold months ahead, taking the time to address any gaps and cracks will help prevent cold drafts and keep your home cozy and energy-efficient.
In today’s world of rising fuel costs and growing environmental concerns, keeping cold air out and warmth in has never been more important. A well-sealed home reduces your energy consumption, helping you save money while also minimizing your environmental impact.
At Perma-Chink Systems, we specialize in products designed specifically to help you seal your log home effectively. Although we’re widely known for our premium stain products, our reputation was first built on our high-quality chinking and sealants. So, what exactly do we mean by “sealants”?
In the context of log homes, sealants are materials used to fill gaps, cracks, seams, joints, and any other spaces where air, water, or pests might enter. While many people refer to these materials as “caulk,” we call them “sealants” to emphasize the superior quality of our products compared to typical caulks you’ll find at your local hardware store.
What makes Perma-Chink sealants different?
Our products are specifically designed for log homes, offering superior performance in sealing, and insulating. Unlike basic caulk, many of our sealants remain flexible after curing, providing long-lasting protection without cracking or peeling. They come in a variety of formulations, each tailored to meet different needs—from maintaining flexibility to achieving a hard, durable seal.
Sealants are typically plastic-like compounds that come in tubes or pails, and once applied, they cure to form a strong bond with the surrounding material. This process helps prevent drafts and moisture infiltration, ensuring that your home stays warm and dry throughout the winter months.
If you’re ready to lower your energy costs and get your home winter-ready, Perma-Chink Systems offers the ideal sealants to help you achieve the best possible results. Let us help you seal in comfort and save energy this winter! Call us at 1-800-548-3554 or visit us at Store.PermaChink.com.
How should I go about making sure that I get started right when it comes to maintenance? How critical is it to begin proper maintenance when the home is new?
Research
Do your research in finding the right system. We provide a robust library of Tech Tips that provides information you need to take care of your log and timber home. New homes should not have issues, and we recommend homeowners perform inspections of their home to find any small issues and fix those now, before they become big issues.
The Right System
Chose a system of fully compatible log or timber frame home products to protect your home, such as Perma-Chink Systems. When doing your research ask for samples. This allows you to choose the best color combination you prefer. Our products cover all stages of log home finishing from insect and mold prevention to wood cleaners to sealants to finishes. Our “whole-home” approach results in all our products working together in preserving your log home.
The Right Amount
You’ll also want to determine how many linear feet you’ll get from a pail of sealant or log chinking to ensure you order the right amount. You can use the calculator on Energy Seal or Perma-Chink page to help.
Do you know the square footage of your log home exterior? You’ll need to know that when ordering stains and topcoats. How many square feet of coverage will you get from a gallon of finish? Sometimes the more moderate or even higher priced products are a better value because they go further than the cheaper ones. This is worth considering, as labor rates keep increasing.
Proper Project Prep
Prep is always the number one thing when sealing or staining. Clean logs, proper log texture (not overly smooth), and compatible weather – avoid extremes and rainy weather.
Hiring a Contractor
If you hire a contractor, make sure that they have a solid background, check their references, make sure they are current with their insurance company, and get quotes from more than one contractor. Perma‑Chink Systems has a trusted network of Preferred Applicators who know exactly how to care for your log home, or timber home. And a quick pro tip: book them well ahead of time – these contractors often fill their schedules months in advance!
Proper surface preparation is a must and is the key to a successful job. Wood has a chemistry, all of it’s own. First of all, it is close to neutral in pH, much the same as drinking water. Any chemical you apply is likely to change the basic chemistry of the wood and may affect the performance of your finish. That means once you have prepared the wood and before applying the finish, you should try to return the wood to a neutral pH.
LOW PH WOOD CLEANER
Log Wash is a liquid concentrate for cleaning log and wood surfaces. It can be used as maintenance cleaner or to prepare the surface of wood for a new coat of stain or topcoat. Log Wash removes dirt, grime, pollen, and surface stains without harming the wood or the finish. As opposed to bleach solutions, Log Wash does not upset the natural pH balance of the wood, thus preventing wood fiber damage and iron tannate stains. (To treat gray, UV-exposed wood see below Wood Renew).
One gallon of Log Wash when diluted with water will clean 3000 sq.ft. for maintenance cleaning.
For redwoods and cedar, we recommend Cedar Wash. It is a ready-to-use cleaner specifically formulated for preparing the bare wood surface of wood species that contain high levels of wood extractives and resin oils.
For New Construction Projects
Let’s start with brand new wood right out of the mill. As the logs are planed, the process creates surface heat and pressure. This heat can cause the starches and sugars to form mill glaze on the surface of the logs. Mill glaze is very smooth and can inhibit adhesion and penetration of finishes. Most finish manufacturers recommend removing mill glaze prior to application. The best way to remove mill glaze from exterior wood surfaces is by using Wood ReNew, a percarbonate cleaner, and pressure washing. One old standby procedure was to wash the home down with household bleach. This is a No-No. Bleach is caustic and it will destroy lignin in the wood. Lignin is what holds the wood fibers together. You will end up with “fuzzy” logs, as the lignin is destroyed and the fibers break loose from each other.
You are probably wondering why this neutral balance is so important. Wood is a very interesting object and usually is very forgiving. But whenever the pH balance of wood is altered, the chances of developing iron tannate stains increases. While these stains do not damage the wood, they are unsightly and are very often misdiagnosed as mold or mildew under the finish. If tannin stains develop, they are easily removed with treatment of oxalic acid solution, like Oxcon, a brightener. Oxalic acid is a mild acid, but must be treated with caution and properly rinsed off to bring the chemical balance of the wood back to neutral.
Order free samples of Wood Renew and Oxcon
Some wood has characteristic of stains such as bluestain or sapstain that come along with the wood. They are natural occurrence and can’t be removed. Some people try to remove it by spot sanding. While this may lighten the color somewhat, it is best to leave it alone. Spot sanding creates a different surface textures that result in different color acceptance of sanded areas making the finish uneven. If you must sand, try to send the entire wall. Another solution for staining wood with uneven texture is to use a clear primer such as Prelude.
For Restoration Projects
There are two ways to remove old finishes from the logs, Wet and Dry.
Wet Method – Removing Old Finishes
We offer two types of environmentally-friendly wood finish removers that specifically designed for log homes: S-100 and StripIt. Both products are water-based solvents that remove most oil, water-based stains and topcoats. They contain no-harsh chemicals, are bio-degradable and non-flammable, and unlike caustic strippers will not discolor the wood. As opposed to media blasting, chemical stripping is much more user-friendly since all it takes is a general purpose pressure washer.
Order free samples of S-100 and StripIt
Dry Method – Media Blasting
The latest and greatest dry method around is blasting that aging, discolored finish off with new age glass media. Glass media is lighter than sand so while it strikes your home with necessary force, it has less weight – this allows it to remove the stain without harming the wood so much. There is also no risk of blowing water into your house, and because the media is dry, you can re-stain immediately. Of course, you can hire someone to do it for you. If you prefer, call us and we find you a contractor near you, or visit https://www.permachink.com/contractors/ for a list of contractors in your area.
For Maintenance Cleaning
The exterior of a log home is a settling ground for dust, pollen and other airborne contaminants that dull the surface and encourage mold growth. A light cleaning once or twice a year with Log Wash will keep a home looking beautiful and helps prolong the life of the exterior wood finish.
Read the product labels, follow the directions, be well informed before you start the surface preparation process, and the results will be rewarding. And remember, rinse, rinse and then rinse again! You should apply log finish as soon as the home has adequately dried.
Perma-Chink Systems: Advancing the Future of Exterior Wood Finishes
Perma-Chink Systems has been a leader in waterborne exterior finishes for decades. As federal and state environmental regulations increasingly restrict the use of oil-based products, the performance of traditional oil-based stains has declined. While these changes are a win for the environment, they’ve created challenges for manufacturers and homeowners alike.
Fortunately, waterborne transparent stains have evolved dramatically improving in both durability and appearance. At Perma-Chink Systems, we’ve spent years developing finishes that are not only environmentally responsible but also easy to maintain, long-lasting, and designed to enhance the natural beauty of wood.
Our Lifeline Ultra-2 and Ultra-7 stains, combined with our Lifeline Advance clear topcoat, represent a major leap forward in the performance of exterior transparent finishes—outperforming both waterborne and oil-based alternatives. These finishes deliver the signature beauty you expect from Lifeline, are simple to apply and clean up, and offer the highest level of durability we’ve ever seen in our testing.
From lab trials to outdoor test panels and real-world building applications, Lifeline Ultra-2 with Lifeline Advance has consistently demonstrated exceptional long-term performance. Based on these results, we’re proud to back this system with a 5-Year Limited Warranty – a testament to its reliability and resilience.
How Does the Warranty Work?
When applied to properly prepared wood, a base coat of Lifeline Ultra-2 or Ultra-7 followed by a clear topcoat of Lifeline Advance qualifies for 3 years of warranty coverage. To extend the warranty to the full 5 years, simply apply one additional coat of Lifeline Advance within the first three years.
This warranty, backed by decades of innovation and rigorous testing, ensures that homes remains protected and beautiful year after year with the most advanced waterborne finish system on the market today.
If you haven’t experienced Lifeline Ultra-2 or Ultra-7 with Lifeline Advance, now’s the time. Contact your nearest Perma-Chink Systems location and request a sample – you’ll see firsthand how beautifully it brings out the character of your wood.
Where to get Free Samples
Order free samples online: Exterior Wood Finishes or call 1-800-548-3554.
Warranty Details
Link to warranty form: Ultra-7 and Ultra-2 Warranty