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In the early 1980s Rich Dunstan, our founder and company president, had to come up with a company name. Although Perma-Chink Log Home Chinking was the only product manufactured at the time, he chose Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. The name was chosen because he had a vision of developing a full line of products to construct, clean, preserve, seal, finish and maintain the wood components of a log home. Over the years Rich has fulfilled his dream and Perma-Chink Systems, Inc. has become a systems company. No other log home related company offers the broad range of products that we do. However, this large product offering presents a challenge to our own salespeople. We expect them to achieve a high degree of expertise in a wide variety of different product lines. To reach this goal we devote hours of training so that they can knowledgably assist our customers.
Since we are a systems-based company, we have put together a family of products that work together and complement each other. We are often asked questions similar to, is our Energy Seal compatible with ABC Stain or can LIFELINE be used on a home that has been cleaned with XYZ Wood Cleaner? There are hundreds of small regional manufacturers of these products scattered across the country, with full disclosure of ingredients not always given. Since we cannot test all products, the compatibility of these with Perma-Chink products are unknown.
We make every effort to communicate with our customers that we do not sell individual products that can be used indiscriminately with products from other manufacturers. We sell a system of products that work together. When a customer chooses to step outside of our system, problems may develop that can be challenging to solve. Homeowners often understand our system concept better than some applicators/contractors. Over the years, some professionals have found a favorite local manufacturer they prefer for a cleaner, caulk or stain. Then a customer wants him/her to use LIFELINE Ultra-2. The home gets cleaned with XYZ Wood Cleaner, followed by LIFELINE Ultra-2 and Advance, with the home being sealed with AAA caulk. A month or so later we get a call that the wood under the stain has developed dark spots and the caulk is falling out of the checks. The applicator or homeowner comes to us for help because they believe the problem is a result of our product since they have been using the same cleaner and caulk for years.
We often have a difficult time determining the root cause of the failure since we do not know the compatibility of XYZ Wood Cleaner or AAA caulk to our stains. That is why it is important to obtain all your products from Perma-Chink Systems, a systems company, to avoid such problems.
The principle of utilizing our systems is that we have spent many years developing products that work, are safe to use and are compatible with one another. We pride ourselves on being the log home industry leader by constantly making improvements to our finish and sealant systems. We stay abreast of the latest developments in polymer technology and additives. This approach has kept us well ahead of our competitors. We have occasionally been criticized for making changes;however, those changes have resulted in better performance, increased beauty, and easier application of our products.
Another vision that Rich Dunstan had from the beginning of Perma-Chink Systems was to manufacture only products that were friendly to our environment. Yes, we were green when the definition of green was the color of grass. We started making water-based stains when 90% of the log home stains were oil-based. We also invented and introduced the first low toxicity borate-based wood preservative that could be applied to an existing log home. Over the years we have consistently considered the environmental impact of all our products and removed or changed those that did not meet our high environmental standards. This too is a part of our systems concept. Not only do our products work with each other but they also work to protect our environment.
Many people do not understand how film-forming stains work and how they adhere to wood. Much of this misunderstanding relates directly to the term “stain.” In the past, staining wood meant that the wood fibers themselves became impregnated with color and that the color penetrated into the top layer of wood. Even today most oil-based stains work in this manner. Once stained, if the surface is rubbed or scratched, the color of the stain still remains since the solvents carry the colorants into the top layer of wood which make the fibers beneath the surface the color of the stain.
On the other hand, water-based stains like our Lifeline™ products do not actually penetrate into the wood fibers! That’s one reason we try to refer to them as finishes rather than stains. But since the term “stain” has been used for hundreds of years, it’s difficult to change the vernacular that defines the difference between oil-based and water-based products.
When we talk about the penetration of our products, we are referring to their ability to fill the microscopic voids, fissures and pores on the surface of the wood. This enables the film to adhere tightly to the wood’s surface. It’s this property that we call adhesion. However, if the film is scratched or rubbed off of the surface, the original color of the bare wood will be visible.
Why is this important? We’ve had customers call us thinking that the product we shipped them was defective because they were able to rub or scrape the film off and there was no color evident under the film. In their mind, the wood had not “taken the stain.” That’s because they had never worked with a water-based, breathable film stain before, and were used to seeing the results produced by a penetrating oil-based stain.
So how can we best explain how our products work? Most people are familiar with use and behavior of latex paint. It behaves quite similar to a water-based film forming stain in that if it is scraped off of the surface uncolored bare wood becomes visible. Our water-based stains behave in a similar way to latex paint. The benefit is that the protection offered by a film on the surface of the wood is far superior than that provided by a product that soaks into the wood leaving the surface of the wood exposed to the sun and weather.
Microscopic Cross-Section of Wood Surface
The wood surface absorbs an oil-based penetrating stain into the top layer of wood fibers, carrying the pigments along with it. The fibers themselves are thus “stained” with the pigments.
A water-based, film-forming stain sets on top of the wood surface and fills in many of the small cracks and fissures, resulting in a smoother surface; however, the wood fibers themselves retain their original color.
“Which of your products should I use to seal my log home?” is a question often put to us by prospective customers. Why do so many people refer to “sealing” a log home rather than staining or finishing? Nobody talks about sealing siding or trim on a stick built home. They are either stained or painted, yet sealing is the term used by many log home owners. As it relates to log homes the term “sealing” dates back to the early 1900s. Prior to then, most log homes were constructed using heartwood from old growth timber and left bare.
Since heartwood is resistant to insect and decay infestations, and the people who built log homes knew better than to not include porches or leave log ends sticking out beyond the roof line, the best thing for them to do was to leave the logs bare but keep them dry. That’s why so many of them survive to this day.
Sealers
Starting at the end of the 19th century, old growth timber was no longer readily available and people started constructing log homes using second or third growth timber that was mostly sapwood. They also stopped using many of the good construction practices of their ancestors, so problems with bugs and decay began to arise.
At around the same time, the petroleum industry began to develop, for the first time, affordable oil and tar products. Log home owners soon discovered that smearing some of these oil derivatives over their homes helped eliminate some of their insect and decay problems. In their minds, they had “sealed” the logs, and the term has stuck with us to this day. Up to the 1950s, unless the logs were painted, log homes came in two basic colors, black and gray.
So, are any of our Lifeline™ exterior finishes sealers? As the term relates to keeping liquid water from entering the wood, they all are. All of our Lifeline stains (Ultra-7, Ultra-2, Exterior, and Accents), as well as Prelude™ Clear Primer and Advance™ Topcoat, all act as water repellents to keep the underlying wood dry.
There is a misconception that our pigmented finishes alone do not act as water repellents and it’s the Advance Topcoat that seals the surface. That’s why many people call our Advance Topcoat a sealer, but that’s not an accurate description of the product. All of our stains are excellent water repellents. They may not bead water, but they provide a polymer-film barrier that prevents liquid water from penetrating into the wood.
Stains
Calling our pigmented finishes “stains” can also be a bit confusing. The term itself implies that the wood fibers are “stained” with the colorants contained in the products. However, in the case of film-forming, water-based finishes, the wood fibers are not impregnated with the colorants like they are when penetrating oil stains are used. If wood is painted with a latex paint, no one expects the paint to impregnate the underlying wood. So if you believe that your wood is not “taking” our Lifeline stain, it’s important to understand that our finishes behave more like latex paints than penetrating oil-based stains.
Since most people are comfortable with “stain” as a product that alters the color of the wood and still allows the grain to show, using “stain” is more accessible for customers (as well as when searching on the Internet).
Topcoats
Top coats are clear finishes that protect and cover the pigmented finish on logs, timbers, and other wood features. One of the most frequently asked questions we receive about our Advance Topcoats is why isn’t it included with the stain. The answer is that if we did, it would no longer be a topcoat. Topcoats play a specific role in protecting any finish system.
Take car finishes for example. The pigmented paint provides the color and helps protect the metal from corrosion. It is formulated to adhere to the primer and retain its color. The car’s clear topcoat is designed to protect the color coat from abrasion, dirt and sunlight and the only thing it has to adhere to is the color coat. Our Advance Topcoats play essentially the same role, to protect the color coats from the weather, sunlight, and dirt.
Although our stains adhere to bare wood, previously applied stains, and existing topcoats, it is not necessary for Advance to adhere to bare wood since it clearly states on the label that it’s to be applied only over an existing finish.
Although most topcoats on the market are just unpigmented versions of stains, Advance is specifically designed as a high performing topcoat with a unique set of characteristics that have yet to be duplicated by anyone else in our industry. One of the reasons Lifeline Advance outperforms all other topcoats is that it is designed for a very specific purpose and should never be applied to bare wood.
It’s time to close up remote and vacation cabins for the winter. For most vacation homes, the close-up process usually occurs after Labor Day, but we all try to squeeze out a few more weekends as the weather allows.
Depending on where the home is, the “living” season might be longer, or year-round, especially if the property doubles as a seasonal rental. If you’re lucky enough to live in a mild climate that doesn’t require much seasonal “changeover,” it’s still a good idea to inspect your home for potential issues. We have available information on Fall maintenance and landscaping tips to keep homes maintained.
For those homes that get buttoned-up for the winter, the folks at Cabin Life compiled a checklist of tasks to ensure a protected home for the duration of the winter season.
Preparing for Winter Checklist
(Adjust as needed for your climate and your frequency of winter use.)
Outside Duties
- Waterfront homes: Clean and store boats, dock ornaments, ladder, life jackets and ski equipment.
- Mow the lawn one last time (if you have a lawn at your place).
- Clean and winterize lawnmower and other gas-powered yard equipment.
- Rake and remove leaves within at least 30 feet from your cabin.
- Store fire pit decorations, emptied flower pots, drained hoses and sprinklers, and deflated water toys.
- Keep firewood more than 30 feet away from home.
- Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, pipes, windows and doors; then seal leaks with caulk or insulation to keep out cold air and pests.
- Insulate pipes in crawl spaces by wrapping them with heat tape or thermostatically-controlled heat cables; also open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
- Clean out gutters and inspect roof for shingles that are raised or cracked; leaking roofs and clogged gutters can lead to significant water damage.
- If your lake is prone to ice movement, take in dock and boat hoists. Remove hoist motor and electric line.
- Turn off outside pump breaker, hoist motor breaker, dock light breaker.
- If you are in the snow belt, store outdoor furniture, picnic tables and hammocks.
- Make sure your winter sports gear is ready to go. Snowmobile and ATV tuned up? Skis waxed? Where are those snowshoes?
Inside Duties
- Ensure that the power and water are in the proper mode for vacancy.
- Set thermostat at the appropriate temperature for the region. If you heat your place in the winter, set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees; if you keep the A/C on when you are gone, set it to 80 degrees.
- Clean furnace filter to maintain an efficient heating and cooling system and reduce the risk of fire.
- If you are shutting off the refrigerator, leave the door cracked open to prevent musty smells from developing.
- Unplug computers and major appliances to protect them from power surges and lightning strikes.
- Pull shades, or cover furniture to keep it from being bleached by the sun.
- Put mothballs or dryer sheets near linens.
- Restock and store first-aid kit.
- Take out all perishable foods; store those that remain in air-tight/critter-tight containers. If you don’t heat the cabin in winter, carry out canned goods so they don’t freeze.
- Turn off dehumidifier and water heater.
- Close damper for fireplace. Seal box to prevent critters from entering cabin.
- If you don’t heat in winter, drain the pipes by attaching a hose to the lowest point in the plumbing, then blow out all water with an air compressor.
- Winterize washing machine; kitchen appliances.
Perma-Chink was designed to eliminate the undesirable results often obtained by using older less successful methods of wood slabs, mud, and cement types of chinking, as basically they did not work well over the long haul. So it became a constant worry or job to re-chink or repair the failing products. Most of the products used did not have any degree of flexibility or they did not adhere to wood that well. The results were cracking cement caused by the stress of the logs shifting or shrinking. The resulting failure often allowed separation between the chinking and the log surface allowing water intrusion, and possibly early wood decay.
So as for a particular type of home, yes Perma-Chink is designed for any home that incorporates a specific joint design where it could be employed. For example; the large timber square logs that use a dovetail system as seen throughout the Eastern United States, as well as the large handcrafted round logs from the Western part of the United States. These homes were designed to be chinked from the start.
I think it’s important to interject another fact regarding log homes. Not only has the formulations of Perma-Chink changed over the years, so has the entire log home industry. Many people think log homes are still being cut by someone with a pickup truck and a chainsaw, working from a drawing on piece of cardboard. Today’s log home are engineered structures designed and approved by architects and require approval by various build codes in given areas. They are high-quality structures designed and manufactured by professionals using computer programmed tools and equipment to create structures that are built to stringent specifications. These homes are designed to require less maintenance, last longer and to provide a sound investment for your money. They are not just log cabins anymore, they are log homes.
How has log home chinking changed over the past few decades?
Perma-Chink was the first synthetic chinking produced in 1981, there have been many significant changes made in formulations to improve the adhesion, flexibility, and longevity. Early formulations were lacking in elongation and freeze-thaw stability which resulted in performance issues and storage and application concerns. Today’s Perma-Chink offers excellent qualities in all areas to meet the needs of the industry. Application can be accomplished in a much wider range of temperature extremes with little or no worries about product performance. There have also been additions to the color palette of the products keep up with the homeowner’s desire to mix and match shades and hues of today’s finishes.
Who can apply log chinking properly? A DIYer or a Pro?
Basically anyone can apply Perma-Chink properly if they follow instructions. Some homeowners attend workshops or seminars to learn how to apply Perma-Chink, if they decide to DIY. But in today’s busy environments, some homeowners choose to use the services of trained contractors as the design of their dream home may require the use of specialized equipment such as lifts or scaffolding, and a trained contractor can usually shorten the time required to accomplish the job. Therefore the homeowner can tend to the other necessities involved to get moved in, and sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day for the homeowner to do this.
Visit our Find A Contractor tool to find a professional log home chinking contractor near you.
If you’re looking for some ideas this Thanksgiving to partner with your baked, smoked, or deep-fried turkey, we’ve compiled a list of recipes that you might find new and interesting to serve this year.
Side Dishes
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Not everyone’s favorite, but for those that love Brussels sprouts, this is a winner.
Click here for the recipe from AllRecipes.com
Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
Click here for the recipe from AllRecipes.com
Succotash
The list of ingredients for this Southern succotash recipe – including fresh corn, tomatoes, lima beans, and okra – are practically synonymous with summer (something we’re thankful for). And the combination of these five complementary flavors is only heightened with the additions of crumbled bacon and fresh basil.
Click here for recipe from Southern Living
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it? A new addition to the sides could be this delicious dish.
Click here for recipe from Food Network
Awesome Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing
This Thanksgiving apple sausage stuffing is fantastic! It is very flavorful and fresh-tasting. This recipe will stuff a 10-pound turkey (which serves six) plus extra. You can replace the usual pork sausage with much healthier turkey sausage. Other dried fruits may also be used in place of cranberries.
Click here for recipe from All Recipes
Desserts
Mini Apple Pies
For me, one apple pie is mini… I think I could eat two or three apple pies. But, if you want to pace yourself this holiday, these bite-sized treats will be a winner!
Click here for recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies
These cookies are fantastic for Fall! Shortbread and maple together make this cookie a sweet treat and a great alternative for those who aren’t a fan of pumpkin pie.
Click here for recipe from Taste of Home
Drinks
Cranberry Fizz (non-alcoholic)
This drink is very popular for holiday gatherings and there’s never enough!
Click here for recipe from Taste of Home
Bourbon Slush
A drink customizable with your favorite tea.
Click here for the recipe on TasteofHome.com
Spiced Bourbon with Red Wine
Liven up the party with a creative cocktail.
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.
Applying Interior Finishes
1. Stir the containers of LIFELINE finishes thoroughly before starting. Remember that even clear coats require stirring to blend different ingredients within the container. Use a drill-powered paint agitator for 5 minutes on a newly opened container to completely mix settled ingredients.
2. NOTE: Sure Shine should be hand-stirred, using a paddle or a paint stick to avoid entraining air in the liquid.
3. When using multiple containers of colored finishes, they should be ‘boxed’ (see ‘Mixing and Boxing Stains & Topcoats‘). Do this by thoroughly stirring LIFELINE in its original container and then combining contents of different containers together in a separate container.
4. To avoid leaning ladders against freshly applied LIFELINE, it is best to start at the top of the wall. Place ladder end on unfinished logs below your work line.
5. Wipe up runs and drips immediately. They will come off best using a wet rag.
6. When you take a break, submerge the sprayer tip in water to prevent clogging with partially-dried LIFELINE.
7. Avoid lap marks. Work on one or two courses of logs at a time and never stop in the middle of a log. Work to natural break points such as corners, window edges, butt ends of logs, or other natural break points.
8. Continue application by running a wet edge until a break point is reached. As you approach a break point, feather your wet edge and continue working the LIFELINE from your brush until the product runs out. Start spray pattern away from the break point and finish back-brushing to the break.
9. Apply LIFELINE in thin coats. If it runs down the wall, you are applying too much. OBSERVE CORRECT COVERAGE RATES as listed on label.
Beauty is a Duty.
Your log home manufacturer built you a beautiful home. Now it is your duty to finish it with the best log home products to highlight and preserve that beauty. Let Perma-Chink Systems offer you the world-class stain and finish brand: Lifeline Ultra.
Simply Unmatched.
The benefits of Lifeline Ultra are endless, but here are some points that differentiate the Lifeline brand from others.
Not just Beautiful, but also Durable!
In addition to building a strong home, you want to build a beautiful home, too, which is why the finished appearance of your logs is so important. No doubt that high-quality finishes will save you time and money in the long run. Longer lasting finishes equates to less labor expense over the life of the finish.
Top 5 Benefits of The Lifeline Ultra brand:
1. Unsurpassed Adhesion to Wood
The secret behind its durability is Lifeline’s state-of-the-art resin that creates a flexible and tough seal on your home’s logs. Perhaps more importantly than the seal’s strength, the resin ensures a continuous seal, providing protection from holes and gaps that might otherwise develop with an inferior finish.
2. More Resistant to UV Degradation and Color Fading
The transparent iron oxides protect your logs without resulting in a “painted” look that hides the natural texture and beauty of the wood grain. Plus, these pigments provide superior UV protection, blocking the fading and bleaching effects of the sun for a much longer period of time.
3. Water-Resistant and Breathable
All Lifeline finishes form water-resistant film that breathes just like Gore-Tex® to allow trapped moisture to evaporate while protecting the wood.
4. 5-Year Warranty
We are so confident in the performance of Ultra-7 and Ultra-2 that it comes with a 5-year warranty against UV exposure when applied to bare wood and covered with an initial coat of Advance clear topcoat.
5. Meets and Exceeds all Standards for low-VOC
Water-based finishes lack the chemicals in oil-based finishes that are harmful to the environment and difficult to clean up.
UNLIMITED COLOR CHOICES
I think we have already convinced you that Lifeline Ultra brand is the best there is in the industry for any wood home. Now here is the icing on the cake – you can choose any color your heart desires!
Choose from any colors below or send us your desired color chip. Then let us know what base you want the color to be in – Lifeline Ultra-7, Lifeline Ultra-2, Lifeline Accents or Lifeline Exterior.
If you’re looking for a different color than what we offer, we will make a custom stain color for you the same day. Don’t wait, call us today for your custom color at 1-800-548-3554.
Just A Sample Of Available Colors
Can Lifeline™ Interior stains be used to finish interior floors? Technically the answer to this question is yes, but we rarely recommend them unless whoever is going to be finishing the floor fully understands the characteristics of water-based, transparent stains and knows how to apply them.
Professional floor finishers have been using oil-based stains ever since it became fashionable to add some color to flooring. The application techniques and procedures used for applying an oil-based floor stain has not changed for decades, so most everyone selling or applying floor finishes will give a standard set of instructions to anyone planning to finish their own floors. However, if these directions are used when applying a water-based stain, the results will be unsatisfactory.
Once the floors are sanded and cleaned, a professional floor finisher using an oil-based stain will usually “cut in” around the baseboards and corners with a brush, rag, or pad, then apply the stain to the remainder of the floor [see Diagram 1].
Since oil-based stains take a fairly long time to dry, the interface between the “cut in” areas and the center area can be feathered together, so it becomes impossible to see any differences in color. Water-based stains dry very quickly, so it’s impossible to feather in any previously stained areas without creating lap marks. However, there are some distinct advantages for using a Lifeline water-based stain. These advantages include little or no odor, soap and water clean-up, quick dry time, and environmental friendliness.
If you choose to use a Lifeline Interior stain for your floor, here is the way to apply it:
1. Sand the floor as usual.
2. Vacuum, then wipe the floor with a damp cloth. Keep rinsing the cloth so that it does not accumulate too much sanding dust. It will raise the grain a bit, but that’s okay. The water-based Lifeline stain will end up raising the grain anyway, and the slight roughness will be dealt with later in the finishing process.
3. Once the floor is dry, apply one light coat of Prelude™ Clear Wood Primer with a brush or pad. This will seal the surface and help prevent any blotchiness due to varying porosity from the sanding process. Don’t worry about lap marks or surface roughness at this stage.
4. After the Prelude dries, apply the first coat of Lifeline stain. This is where care must be taken to avoid lap marks. Start at one corner of the floor and work on two or three boards at a time all the way across the floor. If you must stop before you get to the other side, be sure to continue to where one board ends and another begins [see Diagram 2]. Apply Lifeline in a thin coat and back-brush as you proceed.
5. When the floor dries you can decide if you want to apply another color coat. It’s not necessary and depends on how much color you want to obtain. Do not sand.
6. Once you have attained the desired color and the floor is dry, you can begin applying Sure Shine Polyurethane Finish to the floor. The technique for applying Sure Shine is different than applying the Prelude or Lifeline stain, so be sure to read the “Applying Sure Shine” Technical Tip before you start.
7. Now that you have the first coat of Sure Shine on the floor, and it’s good and dry, you can give the floor a light sanding using fine sandpaper (180 grit or higher) to remove any surface imperfections. Do not sand too hard or you’ll end up removing the finish. Once sanded, remove any dust with a damp cloth. Sanding between subsequent coats will not be necessary. Floors usually take two to four coats of Sure Shine to assure maximum durability and desired uniform appearance.
8. Although you can usually walk on the finished floor within a few hours, it’s best to wait 72 hours before replacing any furniture or subjecting the floor to heavy traffic.
What about applying Sure Shine over a newly applied oil-based stain? There is no problem with this as long as the oil-based stain is good and dry. Typically, we recommend waiting a week or two, but it really depends on the temperature and humidity. It is best to check with the manufacturer of the oil-based stain to see what drying time they recommend before applying a water-based polyurethane clear coat.
“My log home is around 2000 square feet. How much stain will I need?”
Often that’s all the information a customer has available when they first call Perma-Chink Systems. When people talk about the square footage of their home, they are usually referring to the floor area that may or may not include a garage. But does this number give us enough information to make an estimate of how much stain and topcoat will be required to finish a home?
Look at the outlines of three log homes with approximately 2000 square feet of floor area at the bottom of this page. Home A is just about square, Home B is long and narrow and Home C has two extensions on the ends. Even though the floor areas of these homes are nearly the same, the perimeters of the homes are significantly different and the perimeter is a significant factor in determining total exterior wall surface area.
For example, if we have flat log walls that are 12 feet high and ignore window and door openings, the exterior wood surface area of Home A is 2136 square feet whereas the exterior wood surface area of Home C is 2880 square feet, a difference of 35%. That’s why knowing the floor area of a home does not really help us determine the amount of finish required to stain a home.
So how can you determine the square footage of your exterior log walls?
It’s easier to work up the numbers one wall at a time then add them together. Start by measuring the length of the wall with a tape measure. Then either measure the height, or estimate it by counting the number of log courses and multiplying the number of courses by the diameter or height of the logs. Just remember that the diameter, or height, is in inches, so you will need to convert inches into feet. For example, if the logs are 6 inch high logs, they are 6/12, or 0.50 feet, in height; and if they are 10 inch logs they are 10/12, or 0.83 feet, in height.
So if we have a wall that is 25 feet long and has 16 courses of 10 inch logs the calculation is:
25 ft. x 16 courses x 0.83 ft. = 332 square feet.
Now this assumes the wall is flat, but what if the logs are round? A rule of thumb is to add 25% to the square footage of a wall to compensate for the increased surface area created by the curvature of the logs. So in the above example, if the logs are round you would multiply the 332 square feet by 1.25 resulting in 415 square feet of wood surface area.
What about log siding?
Round log siding has a curvature too but it’s typically not as pronounced as full logs. In this case a multiplying factor of 1.15 will work. Gable ends appear to present a challenge in calculating their square footage, but if you take their height from the base to the peak and the width end to end, multiply them together, then divide the number by 2, and you’ll come pretty close.
Estimating the square footage of exterior wood surfaces is not easy and mistakes are commonplace. Just remember a few tips: never multiply feet by inches, measure everything twice, and have someone else check your calculations.
We usually recommend not to deduct door and window openings (unless the windows account for over 20% of the wall area) or chink joints. It’s always best to stain the log edges of a chink joint before the joint is chinked to protect the wood from water infiltration. The last thing is to add at least 10% extra product to your order. It’s better to have some material left over than it is to run out near the end of a job.
Here is a comparison between three homes with similar floor square footage. You can see from the calculations how the footprint of your home can affect the surface area of your home.
Most people are accustomed to spring cleaning, but if you are a home owner, you know that your house needs attention year-round. Fall maintenance is much like spring house-cleaning, but more preventative and less “cleaning.” And it’s much easier to do it now rather than wait until the weather turns nasty.
From The Top
Fall means leaves—and plenty of them. You will certainly need to clean out your gutters. A word of caution: most of the automatic guard systems only screen out large leaves while allowing gunk and small sediment to accumulate. You still will have to routinely clean the nasty rotting gunk out of your gutters! So an alternative is to have your roofer regularly come and clean your gutters every fall. You should make sure that the drainage area around the downspout is functioning properly as well. The roof area should also be checked for any leaks around the flashing at the chimney and around the vents for the heating or sewer system.
While inspecting the roof area it’s important to check for any holes or access spots where squirrels, raccoons, or bats can enter your home and make themselves a vacation home for the winter. Clear away all debris from around the foundation of the house.
Caulking around all exterior areas is a must. You probably won’t find but a few areas where the caulk needs replacing, and it’s not a big job to replace old caulking with a fresh bead where needed. Weather stripping also should be examined and replaced if you find any that is curled or coming loose. Neither the caulking nor weather stripping replacement is a heavy job. It just takes some care and close examination. This can usually be done in a day for a moderate-sized home.
A Quick Scrub
Your exterior walls should get a good cleaning. In addition to making your home look great, a wash-down with Log Wash will get rid of the dust, dirt, and grime. Freezing weather is especially hard on log exteriors and a little bit of upkeep now may prevent costly repairs next spring.
Once your walls are clean, go around your home looking for signs of worn stain and failing sealant. If the stain looks faded or dingily, you should consider applying another coat of Lifeline stain and Lifeline Advance topcoat. Don’t forget the topcoat is an integral part of the system and will help protect your home and extend the life of your stain.
Seal Up New Checks
While you are at it look for any new checks that may have opened up, especially on the top half of round logs where water can enter. Our Check Mate 2 comes in a variety of colors and is the perfect solution for closing up those potentially damaging checks.
Properly sealed joints and gaps go a long way in preventing cold drafts during the winter months. In these days of rapidly rising fuel prices it is important to keep cold air from entering your home. Energy Seal is specifically designed for this purpose. Pay special attention to places where wood meets masonry. Reseal with Energy Seal. In addition to saving you money on heating bills, it will help to keep your home warm and comfortable.
Firewood Storage
Many log home owners have fireplaces or wood stoves that they use to create an attractive atmosphere or as a source of heat. Typically fall is the time of year that most people build their inventory of firewood to carry them through the winter. Here are a few things to keep in mind when storing firewood: Never store firewood on your porch or deck or next to your home. One thing is for certain, along with the firewood comes a whole community of insect pests. Although some like wood roaches, pill bugs, centipedes and ground beetles are harmless, infestations of wood boring beetles, termites, and frequently carpenter ants, can start from stored firewood piles.
Store your firewood at least two feet away from the side of your home and keep it off of the ground. This helps keep the firewood dry and allows air to circulate throughout the wood pile. When you bring firewood inside, only bring in as much as you plan to burn in a day. Firewood stored by the fireplace may look attractive but once the logs warm up and the bugs start to emerge, you may think otherwise.
Preparing your home for winter in the fall can make life so much easier for you in the cold, dark winter weeks ahead. You’ll rest easier knowing that you won’t have to fight the elements when the inevitable emergency or problem crops up, as it always does. You can sit back in front of your fireplace with your family and enjoy those cold months secure in your well-protected home!
Log homes and autumn leaves seem to go together. Enjoy the season and don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-548-3554 or by email at techservice@permachink.com if you have any questions about maintaining your log home.
PRELUDE is a clear wood sealer and primer for surfaces that have been media blasted. PRELUDE is enhanced with UV Boost for maximum protection against graying due to ultraviolet light exposure.
Over the past few years media blasting has become a popular tool for removing old finishes in preparation for applying a new coat of stain. However, media blasting significantly increases the porosity of the wood, thus allowing it to absorb much more stain than those wood surfaces that have been chemically stripped, sanded, or pressure washed.
This high absorption results in a darker final stain color than that typically reflected by a color chart. In addition, wood is not uniform and media blasting often emphasizes the differences in wood grain absorption, even on a single log. This results in streaks and blotches due to varying amount of stain absorbed by different areas of the wood. PRELUDE solves many of the potential problems created by media blasting.
One coat of PRELUDE primer fills the pores of the wood and provides a uniform surface film in preparation for the application of a pigmented stain. However, it should be noted that PRELUDE is a wood sealer/primer and is not suitable as a clear, final finish!
Recommendations for the use of Prelude:
1. After a home has been media blasted.
2. If a home is aggressively pressure washed to the point where the surface is feathered and the porosity of the wood varies from area to area.
3. On wood where the surface has been unevenly sanded.
4. On rough cut siding before the application of the color coat(s).
5. If a section of a wall has been repaired or replaced and the new sections don’t match the surface characteristics of the old.
6. Whenever an older home (more than 80 years old) is going to be restored. Once the surface of old wood is cleaned of grayed wood it typically takes on the porosity characteristics of a blasted surface.
7. Whenever you want to use only clear coats on interior surfaces. Although Interior Clear can be used, the use of Prelude as the first sealing coat is a better deal, since it already contains UV Boost. Once the Prelude dries, Acrylic Gloss or Satin or Sure Shine™ Gloss or Satin can be applied over it.
8. Whenever a home is completed but may remain without an exterior finish for many months, a coat of Prelude will help prevent surface graying and make it easier to clean when it comes time to stain. Adding a dose of Stay Clean™ to the Prelude will help also prevent the growth of surface mold and mildew.
For use exclusively with Lifeline wood finishes.