This Custom Luxury Timber Home Is Draped In Perma-Chink Systems Ultra-7 And Advance Satin

This extraordinary custom timber frame home was designed by Jan Donelson with Timberland Design and Hearthstone Homes, in TN. Hearthstone Homes feature an unmatched ability to create any imaginable style of custom, luxury, handcrafted Heavy-Timber or Log-Based Home. Timber framing is a noble type of construction that utilizes exacting variations of mortise-and-tenon type joinery and massive timbers to form the framework of a building. Note Hearthstone's signature 'antique weathered' texturing on the Doug Fir Timbers

Built By Alpine Log Homes - Protected By Perma-Chink Systems

A 21-year-old treasure

Those of us that have been in the industry for 20 or more years will remember. Alpine Log Homes was one of the industry leaders in the design and build of handcrafted log homes. For example, this beautiful home in the mountains of Glenwood Springs, Colorado was built by Alpine Log Homes 21 years ago. I know you would prefer to see a photo with Spring flowers and green leaves by now, but it is a reality of the Colorado mountains have snow in April! Yes, the photo above was taken in early April of 2023. Indeed, the winters in the Colorado mountains can be long and present extreme conditions for any home. But it is not just the winter months that pose challenges to log homes. This log home experiences on average 12+ feet of snow a year but it also sees on average 320 days of sunshine a year, which presents extreme UV conditions being located at an altitude of 8,100 feet.

However, twenty years ago in 2003 the exterior of this home was stained with Lifeline Ultra-2 Bronze and Advance Gloss topcoat. Two coats Ultra-2, one coat Advance and with little maintenance done since this home looks as great as it did the year it was first stained. What a great testimony to Lifeline stains and finishes. This beautiful finish has weathered the environment for over 20 years!   

Products Used:

Perma-Chink Systems History Over 40 Years

The Beginning

In 1980 my neighbor told me about building a log home in Eastern Washington. He said that he loved the home and the lifestyle but was disappointed that with the wind constantly blowing and harsh cold winters, there was no real effective way to seal the gaps between the logs. The house leaked air and heat, and wind-driven rain literally came right through the walls.

He tried various caulking materials with little success. Caulking around a bathtub or sink was significantly different from ‘caulking’ literally miles of seams between logs in a log house. After a number of conversations and experiments, it became apparent that there was no readily available product that could seal the gaps, look like authentic chinking, and last more than a few months.

After literally months of trial and error, it became apparent that if we were going to design a material that would be acceptable, we would have to design it ourselves.

How to Use Deck Defense™ and Log & Timber Defense™ Products

Proper treatment and care of your horizontal and vertical structures can add beauty and longevity to your entire living space. To help seal and protect your deck, fences, or railings we recommend using our waterborne finish Deck Defense. For vertical structures such as wood siding, trim, timberframe, beams, and rough-cut cedar we recommend Log & Timber Defense.

Defense products work by penetrating several layers deep into the wood fibers creating a lattice network that strengthen and protect your wood from the inside out. These products are formulatedfor better performance, longer life, easier application, and upkeep. They also will not flake or peel when applied according to labeled instructions.

All structures should have a surface moisture less than 20% before applying a Defense product. High moisture content will hinder the penetration and adhesion of the finish. If constructing a new deck, boards should be placed bark side down. Also, if the boards have a high moisture content, they should be placed in direct contact with one another when laid down. As the boards dry a gap will open for proper airflow and drainage. If you gap them when they are too wet, the gaps between the boards will likely be too large. Having to estimate what the final gap will be, can be avoided if moisture equilibrated kiln dried boards are used. Finally, let the new boards season for several months prior to application of a finish. This will allow time for the wood to shrink completely and come to an equilibrium with its environment.

Wood Preparation

In situations where a Defense product is going to be applied on an established deck, the deck must be free of the existing finish, in addition to being clean and dry. The cleaning solution required depends on the condition of the boards.

Log Wash™ is an excellent wood cleaner to remove dirt, grime, pollen and surface stains from bare wood (use two cups per gallon of water).

Cedar Wash™ is a ready to use cleaner designed specifically for wood with high extractives content such as Southern Pine, Spruce, Douglas Fir and Cyprus wood.

Wood Renew™ is used when the wood surfaces have been damaged. i.e., grayed wood and mill glaze. It will restore the wood back to its natural color. Wood Renew is also the preferred method for preparing deck boards for staining. It is important to follow all labeled instructions when using this product.

Sanding is used to remove surface imperfections. Although labor intensive, sanding helps to increase mechanical adhesion, provides for better color uniformity and aids in opening the substrate to promote better penetration of the stain. 40 – 60 grit sandpaper is recommended for decks. Always sand in the direction of the grain. When finished with the sanding, clean the surface using our Log Wash solution.

Finish Removers are used to remove an existing finish. There are two relatively safe waterborne finish removers designed to soften the finish so that it can be removed mechanically using a pressure washer.
(1) S-100™: Is supplied as a ready to use high pH gel. The gel helps it to remain active for an extended period.
(2) Strip It®: Is supplied as a ready to use pH neutral finish remover. It is designed to remove multiple layers of finish at a time.

We recommend that you obtain samples of each and test both to determine which works best for removing your finish. Follow all labeled instructions.

Rinsing is very important to completely remove the cleaning solution and debris. Use pH strips to test the rinse water run off to make sure the rinse water is between 6.5 – 7.5. Inadequate rinsing will lead to unnecessary problems and shorten the life of the stain. After rinsing allow the surface to completely dry before application of a finish.

Application Guidelines

• Surface Preparation: Must be applied to clean, dry surface.
• Application Weather Consideration: Do not apply if rain is eminent within 6 hours.
• Personal Protective Equipment: Although Defense products are considered non-toxic, gloves are recommended when applying.
• Protect from overspray: Wet down and cover nearby vegetation and adjacent surfaces. Keep these areas wet during application and rinse promptly when finished.
• Mixing: Mix thoroughly initially and every 15 min. to ensure color uniformity. Do not use powered mixing equipment.
• Boxing: We recommend boxing pails together if using different batch numbers. This will help with uniform color.
• Application Methods: Low-pressure pump-up sprayer, Paint Pads (for deck application), quality brush, or roller. Apply in a flooding manner to completely cover the surface of the wood, allowing the product to soak into the wood. Back-brush the finish into the wood using a quality brush.
• Maintain a wet edge: Work in small sections to help maintain a wet edge. This will help prevent lap marks.
• Work in the same direction: When applying the finish apply in the direction of the grain and stop only at natural breaks such as board ends to prevent lap marks.
• Application Surface Temperature: 40 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit:
• Number of Coats: Defense products works great as a one coat stain. However, for color or if the surface appears blotchy, a second coat may be applied. The second coat should be applied wet on wet. If it is not, wait one week before application of a second coat.
• Drying Times: Drying times will vary with application, airflow temperature and humidity. Under ideal conditions Defense Products will dry to the touch in 20-30 minutes. For horizontal surfaces wait 4 - 6 hours before walking on the surface and 24 hours before replacing heavy furniture.
• Coverage Rates: Coverage rates will vary considerably based on the type of substrate and methods of application. A second coat will require much less. Below are some approximations of coverage rates based on the type of wood.
• Rough Sawn Wood: Rough sawn wood such as fences will soak up a large amount of stain. Perhaps as low as 100 – 175 ft2 per gallon
• Older mature decks: 175 – 250 ft2 per gallon
• New Wood: 250 – 300 ft2 per gallon
• Protect from Freezing: Although freeze thaw stable, this will ensure any possibility of degradation.

Clean Up

If cleaned soon after application, tools and equipment are easily cleaned with soap and warm water. Dispose of unused product in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines.

Maintenance

Good maintenance for decks as well as for other wood surfaces will prolong the need for re-staining or removal. Defense products will not flake or peel when properly applied. Clean with log wash when needed. We recommend using one cup concentrated log wash per gallon water. Expect to see more wear in high traffic areas such as steps and traffic patterns. These areas can be recoated easily where needed after cleaning with log wash. We discourage using a clear topcoat over Defense products. A topcoat will prevent any future recoating.

Before you apply coatings to interior surfaces, always thoroughly wash them with a recommended cleaning solution. Log Wash is made for this purpose and should be used as follows:

Mix 1/2 cup of Log Wash Concentrate in a pail with one gallon of warm water. Apply the Log Wash solution to the wall with a rag or sponge. Allow the solution to remain on the wall, keeping it wet for at least 10-15 minutes. Using a clean rag or sponge and a pail of clean water, wipe the Log Wash solution off of the surface. Frequently rinse the sponge or rag in the pail of water and frequently exchange the water in the pail with clean water.

To make sure you have the correct amount of finish, read this Tech Tip on determining square footage, as log homes are built in various layouts which all affect square footage. 

Projects can be daunting if you have limited or no experience. You gain experience by doing, and getting expert advice when you need, whether it's before the project, during, or after. Our customer service exists to help all log home owners get the best results using the best products for their log or timber home.

One recent homeowner project done by our customer Beth H. required removing the old finish and sealant, then restoring the home with Lifeline Ultra-2 Natural and Energy Seal in Cedar. Lifeline Advance Gloss topcoat encapsulated the wood, ensuring a long-lasting finish and great look.