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What exactly is “back-brushing” and why is it so important? Back-brushing is the term used to describe the process of working the finish into the wood and obtaining an intact, uniform film over the entire surface. Typically used when applying stain with an airless sprayer; however, back-brushing is just as important if the product is manually applied with a brush.

Back-Brushing Benefits:

• Forces stain to penetrate the surface and seep into small fissures/cracks
• Evenly distributes applied stain over all surfaces, allowing for a smooth, uniform final finish
• No lap marks
• Very efficient, saves time and delivers beautiful results

The first step in the process is to obtain a high-quality brush. A cheap, three dollar brush will not give you satisfactory results. You need a good, quality brush like a Purdy or Wooster. For back-brushing logs, use a fairly wide brush, preferably 3” to 4” wide. Using a narrow brush takes longer and may result in visible brush marks. If you plan to hand apply the finish with a brush and pail, you will use the same brush for both the application and the back-brushing.

IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY STAIN BRUSHES

When applying water-based finishes like those in the Lifeline™ family, use brushes made from synthetic nylon/polyester, or blends of bristle and polyester. These brushes are durable, so they’re great for staining rough surfaces. They maintain their stiffness when exposed to water and are easy to clean. You don’t want to use a 100% natural bristle brush for applying a water-based coating, as natural bristles absorb water. You’ll end up with a limp brush that won’t work very well. Also, rough surfaces will quickly wear out a pure bristle brush.

Ever since the industry started moving away from oil-based coatings, brush manufacturers have designed brushes specifically made for the application of water-based stains and clear coats. Since transparent stains are typically much less viscous than paints, if you use a normal paint brush, the brush won’t hold much product and you’ll end up having to constantly dip the brush after just a few strokes. Use the largest brush suitable for the surface you are coating. You’ll probably need small brushes for narrow surfaces like frames and trim, but when coating logs and siding, larger brushes carry more finish; there will be less dipping to refill the brush, and fewer strokes to cover the surface. Larger brushes also do a better job when back-brushing a surface that has had a finish applied with an airless sprayer.

Perma-Chink System has all the needed tools to get your job done right. Check out our line of brushes here.

PROPERLY USING YOUR BRUSH

Never press too hard on your brush. Stains and topcoats should be applied with the tips of the brush, not the sides. Don’t try to load too much finish on your brush. A heavily loaded brush will result in more drips and runs. Lifeline finishes are designed to go on in thin coats, including the first coat. If applied too thick, the long-term performance of Lifeline finishes can be diminished. In other words, more is not necessarily better when it comes to applying a Lifeline finish to your log home.

If your brush becomes messy, don’t be afraid to stop and occasionally wash it out. One of the advantages of using quality brushes is that they can be repeatedly washed without harming the brush.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

If properly cleaned and maintained, a good quality brush will give you many years of good service. If you take a break even for just a few minutes, rinse your brush out with clean water and shake out the water. If you are through for the day, thoroughly wash your brush with a mild soap or detergent, shake or spin the water out and return the brush back into its original storage sleeve, it will help retain the brush’s shape while it dries.

QUALITY STAIN + QUALITY BRUSH = BEAUTIFUL HOME

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We often get asked if it is acceptable to apply our Lifeline™ finish systems over an existing oil-based or petroleum stain. It would be nice if there was a simple yes or no answer to this question, but there is not. It depends on a number of factors, including how many coats have been applied, how long the stain has been on the walls, and which oil-based or petroleum stain is present on the wood surface. In general, it is ALWAYS best to remove an existing competitive finish before applying Lifeline.

All too often a homeowner has no idea what is on the walls, let alone how many coats were applied. What they do know is that they want to apply something on top of what’s already there to avoid the cost and effort of stripping the surface down to bare wood. This approach is very risky, especially with a water-based, high performance film-forming finish like Lifeline.

Let’s look at some of the individual parameters that have to be dealt with and addressed.

Appearance

Perma-Chink’s Lifeline stains are transparent finish systems. This means that any discolorations or residual pigmentation that remains on the wood will show through our finish systems. With few exceptions, our finishes have little or no hiding power. Once our Lifeline system has been applied, it essentially locks the surface of the wood in place. If you are dissatisfied with the final look and appearance, it can be quite costly and time consuming to remove the finish, address of the discolorations, and refinish the wood surface.

Adhesion

How much residual oil still remains in the wood and is it enough to interfere with the adhesion of Lifeline stain? These are questions that are just about impossible to answer. Yes, a small test area may quickly determine that there is a problem, but if a problem does not show up within a few days there is no way to tell what may happen over a period of several months or years. We have seen several issues that were directly attributed to the prior application of oil-based or petroleum stains. Peeling occurred around checks and micro-fissures because they had been flooded with an oil-based product during the initial staining process, and although most of the oil had evaporated from the surface of the logs, the checks had retained enough oil to reduce the adhesion of a water-based film.

Blisters

When several coats of an oil-based or petroleum, penetrating stain have been applied to a wall within the course of a few years, the underlying wood can become so saturated with oil that it may take a long time for it to evaporate. When a homeowner finally decides that it is time to change to a quality finish like Lifeline, pressure washing with just water, or even a mild detergent, may appear to remove most of the residual oil and colorants, and give the appearance of a prepared surface for the Lifeline finish. The wood may look clean and bare, but in reality the old oil carriers may still be in the top layer of wood. With the application of the first coat of Lifeline, these oils are now trapped in the wood and serve as a vapor barrier. Yes, our finishes breathe water vapor, but oil molecules are much larger and can’t make it through the film.

Now weather comes into the equation. If the days stay cool and cloudy until the entire finish system is applied and has time to cure, there’s a good chance that nothing of consequence will occur. But if the sun comes out and heats up the wall while the finish is still soft and pliable, the oils contained in the wood will begin to evaporate, creating blisters in the finish. This can occur after the first coat, second coat, or even after the entire finish system has been applied. One thing that these types of problems have in common is that they typically show up within a week after application.

If you plan to apply Lifeline after having applied a penetrating oil-based stain, what is the best way to minimize the chance of forming blisters? The product to use in these cases is S-100™ Finish Remover. S-100’s formulation includes a strong and aggressive detergent package that will help make the residual oils water soluble and easier to remove and wash away from the wood surface.

Once the finish is removed using S-100, allow the surface to remain bare for a couple of months to allow any remaining oil to evaporate. When you are ready to stain, wash the surface with Log Wash™, allow it to dry and apply the first coat of Lifeline.

We often get asked if it is acceptable to apply our Lifeline™ finish systems over an existing oil-based or petroleum stain. It would be nice if there was a simple yes or no answer to this question, but there is not. It depends on a number of factors, including how many coats have been applied, how long the stain has been on the walls, and which oil-based or petroleum stain is present on the wood surface. In general, it is ALWAYS best to remove an existing competitive finish before applying Lifeline.

All too often a homeowner has no idea what is on the walls, let alone how many coats were applied. What they do know is that they want to apply something on top of what’s already there to avoid the cost and effort of stripping the surface down to bare wood. This approach is very risky, especially with a water-based, high performance film-forming finish like Lifeline.

Let’s look at some of the individual parameters that have to be dealt with and addressed.

Appearance

Perma-Chink’s Lifeline stains are transparent finish systems. This means that any discolorations or residual pigmentation that remains on the wood will show through our finish systems. With few exceptions, our finishes have little or no hiding power. Once our Lifeline system has been applied, it essentially locks the surface of the wood in place. If you are dissatisfied with the final look and appearance, it can be quite costly and time consuming to remove the finish, address of the discolorations, and refinish the wood surface.

Adhesion

How much residual oil still remains in the wood and is it enough to interfere with the adhesion of Lifeline stain? These are questions that are just about impossible to answer. Yes, a small test area may quickly determine that there is a problem, but if a problem does not show up within a few days there is no way to tell what may happen over a period of several months or years. We have seen several issues that were directly attributed to the prior application of oil-based or petroleum stains. Peeling occurred around checks and micro-fissures because they had been flooded with an oil-based product during the initial staining process, and although most of the oil had evaporated from the surface of the logs, the checks had retained enough oil to reduce the adhesion of a water-based film.

Blisters

When several coats of an oil-based or petroleum, penetrating stain have been applied to a wall within the course of a few years, the underlying wood can become so saturated with oil that it may take a long time for it to evaporate. When a homeowner finally decides that it is time to change to a quality finish like Lifeline, pressure washing with just water, or even a mild detergent, may appear to remove most of the residual oil and colorants, and give the appearance of a prepared surface for the Lifeline finish. The wood may look clean and bare, but in reality the old oil carriers may still be in the top layer of wood. With the application of the first coat of Lifeline, these oils are now trapped in the wood and serve as a vapor barrier. Yes, our finishes breathe water vapor, but oil molecules are much larger and can’t make it through the film.

Now weather comes into the equation. If the days stay cool and cloudy until the entire finish system is applied and has time to cure, there’s a good chance that nothing of consequence will occur. But if the sun comes out and heats up the wall while the finish is still soft and pliable, the oils contained in the wood will begin to evaporate, creating blisters in the finish. This can occur after the first coat, second coat, or even after the entire finish system has been applied. One thing that these types of problems have in common is that they typically show up within a week after application.

If you plan to apply Lifeline after having applied a penetrating oil-based stain, what is the best way to minimize the chance of forming blisters? The product to use in these cases is S-100™ Finish Remover. S-100’s formulation includes a strong and aggressive detergent package that will help make the residual oils water soluble and easier to remove and wash away from the wood surface.

Once the finish is removed using S-100, allow the surface to remain bare for a couple of months to allow any remaining oil to evaporate. When you are ready to stain, wash the surface with Log Wash™, allow it to dry and apply the first coat of Lifeline.

For the best performance and long lasting beauty, Lifeline™ finishes should only be applied to bare wood surfaces or an existing Lifeline finish that is still in good condition. To remove an existing finish, there are basically three options: pressure washing along with a chemical finish remover, media blasting, or sanding.

Media Blasting

Although we rent and sell the Blaster Buddy™ and furnish crushed recycled glass blasting media, we usually advise do-it-yourself homeowners to use chemical finish removers along with pressure washing because the process can be easily accomplished by an average homeowner. And since it is less susceptible to surface damage, chemical finish removers result in a more attractive finished surface.

However, when performed by an experienced professional, media blasting can effectively and efficiently remove the most stubborn existing finish. We do recommend that you first inspect a home that has been media blasted before making your final decision about which method of finish removal you want to use.

Media blasting consists of using corncob grit, walnut shells, glass beads, baking soda, dry ice, or recycled crushed glass to abrade the finish off the wood. We prefer crushed glass since it is very efficient, relatively inexpensive, and does not impregnate the wood with organic material that can later mold. Plus it is very safe for the environment.

Once a home has been media blasted, there are two steps that are often overlooked but need to be followed:

Step 1: Blow off as much dust and debris as possible using compressed air.

Step 2: Wash the wall down with a two cups per gallon Log Wash™ solution no more than seven days prior to staining. It is not necessary to use a pressure washer, a garden hose will do. Clean from the bottom up and rinse from the top down. Rinse well and allow the wood to dry before applying a color coat or Prelude™ Clear Wood Primer.

This removes all of the loose wood fibers and dust that may still be remaining on the surface and ensures better adhesion of the finish to the wood.

Sanding

Sanding can effectively remove an existing finish, but it is time consuming and a lot of work. The use of sanding disks rather than sandpaper can save you both time and money but you need to be careful not to create swirl marks in the wood. When sanding exterior surfaces, never use anything finer than 80 grit.

Water-based film forming finishes require some wood texture for good adhesion, especially on exterior surfaces. Osborn™ Buffing Brushes work great for removing raised wood fibers (feathers) that may have resulted from aggressive pressure washing but they are not suitable for removing finishes.

A sanded wall is not clean! Always wash down sanded walls with two cups per gallon Log Wash solution no more than seven days prior to staining. It is not necessary to use a pressure washer, a garden hose will do. Clean from the bottom up and rinse from the top down. Rinse well and allow the wood to dry before applying the first coat of finish.

Using a Chemical Finish Remover

It is always best to use finish removers supplied or approved by Perma-Chink Systems. Never use finish removers containing potassium or sodium hydroxide. They disrupt the chemistry of the wood and can lead to discolorations appearing under the finish. Before purchasing any finish remover be sure to obtain a sample and test it on your existing finish to see how well it works. Finish removers do not dissolve finishes; they only soften them enough to allow the finish to be removed with pressure washing.

Tools & Equipment

Before you start have all of the tools that you will need at hand and be sure that they are clean and in good working order. These may include:

• Paint brushes
• Paint scraper
• Stiff nylon brush (never use a wire brush)
• Airless sprayer*
• Wet and dry rags
• Water hose
• Gas powered pressure washer with an output of 2 to 3 gallons per minute (gpm)
• Tarps
• Recommended safety equipment such as eye protection and rubber gloves

Note: Most quality airless spray equipment will handle our S-100™. On the other hand, for applying StripIt®, you will need a professional grade airless sprayer with an output of at least 0.54 gpm. In either case, there are a couple of minor modifications that have to be made before using them. The first thing is to change the tip to a 0.021 tip orifice. We stock universal 521 tips in case you cannot find one locally. If a smaller diameter orifice tip is used, it will take longer to apply the proper amount of finish remover and the tip may become clogged. In addition, since a small orifice produces a fine mist there is a greater chance of wind drift onto surfaces that you may not want to strip.

Once the stripping process is completed, it’s of utmost importance to replace the 0.021 tip with a 0.015 or 0.017 tip for applying our stain and topcoat. The second thing is to remove any sprayer strainers, screens and/or filters. Our finish removers are somewhat thick and viscous, so having to pass through screens and filters will impede the flow of product through the sprayer and may eventually clog it up.

Preparation

Before you start be sure to remove downspouts and cover or mask off any areas that you don’t want to strip. Finish removers will soften both stains and paints. You may wish to protect window and door trim with plastic sheeting. If you do get some finish remover on an area that you don’t want to strip, immediately wash it or wipe it off with a wet rag. If you have a deck or porch floor that you want to protect it’s best to cover it with a tarp. Although neither S-100 nor StripIt is highly toxic to plant life, it is best to either cover plants or wet them down prior to starting then rinse them off when stripping is complete.

Application and Removal

Step 1: Thoroughly read the label and be sure to wear the proper safety equipment and eye protection. Starting at the bottom of the wall, apply the finish remover with a brush or airless sprayer according to the directions for use. Be sure to follow the directions pertaining to the application rate; if applied too thinly the finish remover may not work and you will have wasted your time and money. Be sure to give the product time to work. On hot dry days, work on small sections of a wall at a time so that it does not dry out.

Step 2: Allow the finish remover time to soften the finish. It may take 30 minutes or several hours depending on the existing finish, product and temperature. If you see that the S-100 is beginning to dry, mist it with a light spray of water. For drying StripIt apply another coat on top. In colder weather conditions it may take many times longer for the finish to soften than it does in warm or hot weather. On cool days you can apply the finish remover to the entire wall late in the afternoon or early evening and leave it on overnight. Neither S-100 nor StripIt will damage the wood or cured Perma-Chink sealant, even with prolonged contact.

Step 3: Once the finish has softened, use a pressure washer to remove the chemical stripper along with the finish. The use of a 15-degree fan tip works well. Start at the bottom of the wall and work up. You don’t want to wash away the chemical stripper from those areas you are not ready to strip. Hold the pressure washer wand at a 30- to 45-degree angle from the wall. The objective is to “peel” the softened finish off of the surface, not blast it off with a lot of water pressure. This will help avoid gouging the surface and severe feathering. If there are some spots of remaining intact finish, try scraping them off with a paint scraper or a stiff nylon brush before they dry.

Step 4: Once the entire wall is completed, begin the rinsing process starting at the top of the wall and work your way down. Rinsing off all remaining chemical residue and bits of loose finish is very important for the long term performance of the new Lifeline finish system.

Step 5: If after rinsing there are still remnants of finish remaining on the wall, repeat the process until all of the existing finish is removed. It is not necessary to reapply the stripper to the entire wall. Only use it on those areas that need it.

Step 6: Once the entire wall is completely bare rinse the entire wall starting at the top and work your way down. Allow the wall to dry before making your final evaluation.

Step 7: If pressure washing the wall has feathered the surface you may wish to lightly sand it or use an Osborn Brush to remove the feathered wood fibers. Never use sandpaper or Osborn Brushes finer than 80 grit on exterior surfaces. Sanded or brushed surfaces MUST be washed with two cups per gallon Log Wash solution and the surface allowed to dry before the first coat of finish is applied.

Brenda and I bought a log home in Challis, Idaho in 2015. This home was built in 1980. As with most homes built in this era it was very dark which made it outdated for the present era. We saw the potential this home had, we just needed a lot of advice on how to get it there. After careful review of several companies and their products we chose Perma-Chink.

I was informed from a good source that builds log homes that Joanne Hamlin with Perma-Chink could help us out with whatever we needed. Boy were they right! I called Perma-Chink for the first time and got hooked up with Joanne. She has been so kind, sweet, considerate, educational, so helpful on how to, what product to use, and how to apply it. Guidance in all areas has just been wonderful experience. Look forward to all future business with Perm-Chink.

Travis Sakellaridis

Challis, ID

Tom D. says:

I used cleaner after cleaner on my 20-year-old, completely black log home and the only thing that worked was Wood ReNew. It was like night today, I couldn’t even believe it.

Your decks and railings do not weather in a uniform fashion like your log walls. After a year or two with some deck stains, areas exposed to direct sunlight may hold little or no trace of the original finish, while shaded surfaces may show very little, if any degradation.

Maintaining Your Deck

There are three primary elements to your deck which can maximize longevity and structural integrity as well as aesthetics. These include periodic maintenance between applications of stain, preparation of applying new stain and the staining itself.

Regardless of the stain used on your deck, its life can be extended with periodic cleaning. Pooling water can easily be swept off with a push-broom, which can help prevent premature failure of your deck stain. However, cleaning it periodically will make the biggest contribution to maximizing its life and appearance. A diluted solution of Log Wash™ (1 cup per gallon) can easily be applied through a garden pump sprayer ($20 – $30 at any garden center or hardware store) then lightly pressure washed off. If you don’t have access to a pressure washer, a strong jet stream from a garden hose will also work. Remember, here you are trying to clean the deck, not remove the finish.

For decks that may have excessive levels of dirt, mildew, green algae, etc., the mechanical action of scrubbing or using a medium bristle push broom after applying Log Wash will help a lot. Make sure to thoroughly rinse off all detergents as you never want them to dry on the wood surface.

For decks that have darkened from sun exposure with little or no stain left, a deeper pressure washing can be done to remove the darkened surface in order to get down to clean, bright wood. Photos 1 and 2 above show these results. If necessary, Wood ReNew™ and a pressure washer may be used to clean away any gray UV damaged wood fibers, as well as deep rooted mold and dirt residue.

Your deck is ready to stain immediately after cleaning. Pick your color and apply 1 coat of Deck Defense. Once the initial coat of Deck Defense applied to bare wood, a future maintenance coat applied to a surface previously coated with Deck Defense is easy – clean and recoat, no mechanical or chemical stripping required.

Have you noticed your heating bill increasing year after year? It could be that your home has cracks that let heat escape, costing you money. Seal up cracks and seams before the weather turns cold and it’s too late to do anything about it.

Specifically designed for milled and scribed log homes, Energy Seal is a revolutionary product offering superior binders that effectively seal all interior and exterior gaps and cracks.

Energy Seal is a 100% acrylic polymer sealant formulated to provide a long-lasting and resilient barrier for any chinkless log home. Since logs constantly twist, turn, swell, and shrink during the life of a log home, annoying gaps can appear. These gaps promote the retention of moisture, which can lead to log decay and damage, as well as seepage of air and water.

Energy Seal will virtually eliminate these problematic gaps by adhering directly to the logs while eliminating any air space. When applied on your log home it stops outside air infiltration, increasing energy efficiency.

Energy Seal is not affected by ultraviolet rays and resists most chemicals, salt spray, mold & mildew, and has low thermal conductivity.

Log homes can tend to appear darker because wood absorbs excess light. Energy Seal’s lightly textured design and colors reflect light to brighten and even out log wall tones, dramatically eliminating shadow lines.

Unlike commonly used caulks, which look shiny and artificial, Energy Seal is textured to match the visual characteristics of wood and look like it belongs there. It easily tools to a smooth, professional finish, virtually disappearing into the walls after it’s applied. It softens the lines on log walls and accepts the color of wood finishes. In fact, Energy Seal so closely matches your walls, most people can’t tell the seams are sealed.

There is nothing on the market that can beat Energy Seal’s natural appearing colors, ease of application, coverage and hiding properties: Energy Seal is the only product created for the unique sealant needs of the milled log home.

Check out the color selection of Energy Seal to complement your finish. Enhance the beauty of your home and start saving money right away!

There are literally hundreds of wood boring beetle species that infest live trees, but only a few that commonly create problems in log homes. Occasionally a beetle larva that was in a tree when it was harvested will later emerge as an adult out of a log in a home but since these beetles can’t reinfest dead wood, these types of infestations end within a few years. It’s the beetles that specialize in consuming seasoned wood that present problems in log homes.

The life cycles of most wood boring beetles are similar. It starts with an adult female depositing her eggs in the wood. The eggs hatch and a small grub-like larva emerges. It’s the beetle larvae that feed on wood, and they may continue eating the wood for several months or, in some cases, up to 20 years depending on the species. These beetles go through a transition just like a caterpillar changes into a moth or butterfly. There comes a time in its life cycle when it’s getting ready to make the change that the larva makes a hole to the outside of the log, so it can get out of the wood as an adult beetle. That’s why the holes are called “emergence holes.” Typically this is the first sign that beetles are present in the wood. Once the hole is complete and the tunnel is cleared of the sawdust or frass, the larva creates a pupa case and makes the transition to an adult beetle. The adult beetle eventually emerges from the hole, feeds on pollen and nectar and looks for a mate. Once impregnated, the female beetle can start the cycle all over again.

Borate treatments are quite effective in preventing and eliminating wood boring beetles by making the wood toxic to beetle eggs and young larvae. However, once larvae start making their emergence holes they no longer consume wood and will probably complete their life cycle. That’s why signs of beetle activity may continue for several months after a borate treatment. But since the borate kills the eggs and younger larvae, eventually the infestation will end and the wood will be protected from future infestations.

There are two types of beetles that commonly infest log homes, powderpost beetles and old house borers. We’ll address each individually.

Powderpost Beetles

Although we’ve characterized them as powderpost beetles, there are actually two beetle species that are commonly referred to as powderpost beetles, lyctic beetles and anobiid beetles. Both species make small round emergence holes and have similar life cycles. Lyctid beetles are true powderpost beetles but they only infest hardwood species like oak, poplar, maple, walnut, etc. We occasionally run into a log home made from hardwood trees, but it’s not very frequent. However, lyctid beetle infestations in oak flooring and hardwood cabinets and trim are quite common.

Although anobiid beetles are not true powderpost beetles, that’s what they are commonly called. They infest both hardwoods and softwood species like spruce, pine, cedar and fir. They are also one of the few beetles that infest really old wood. Anobiid beetles are very small insects, the larva is a tiny white grub and the adult looks like a dark miniature ladybug. Typically you’ll find their small, round emergence holes grouped in a one or two foot area on a single log. Their galleries rarely extend more than an inch or so deep into the wood, one reason they are so easy to control with a borate treatment. Anobiid beetles prefer damp wood, which is why you usually find them on exterior surfaces that have not been stained or maintained for several years. On rare occasions they can emerge from interior surfaces in newer homes. But in most of these cases the infestation started before or during the construction process. Anobiid beetles typically complete their life cycle in two to three years.

Old House Borers

Old house borers are large insects with a life cycle that can extend to 12 or more years. The old house borer attacks only softwoods and the initial infestation typically occurs while the logs are being stored or during transit. Although called the old house borer, the first emergence of these beetles in a home usually appears within five to seven years after construction. The larva is a large white grub an inch or so in length. The adult beetle is brownish black with two long, thin antennae which is why they are also called “longhorn” beetles. Since old house borers infestations are usually scattered around the home they are considered more of a nuisance pest than a structurally damaging insect.

The earliest indication of an old house borer infestation is usually the chewing noise made by older larvae in the wood. This can be very disconcerting, especially in the middle of the night when the larvae are most active. The appearance of oval emergence holes is the next step in the process. The frass consists of fine powder and small tightly packed pellets. The adult eventually emerges from the hole and the process can start all over again. Old house borers burrow quite deep into the wood and it is not unusual for an infestation to start on the outside surface with emergence occurring on the inside wall.

Treating a home for old house borers takes some patience. The only quick remedy is a structural fumigation. However the cost of fumigation and the inconvenience of leaving your home for a few days is more than most people are willing to tolerate. Borate treatments work, but they take time, sometimes lots of time before total control is achieved. It is not uncommon for old house borer activity to continue for up to two years after a borate treatment.

Additional borate treatments will not speed the control process. Since older beetle larvae are large insects and at that stage of their lives eat little wood, their tolerance to borates is quite high. They will probably complete their life cycle and emerge as adult beetles. The presence of borate in the wood does two things; first it kills younger beetle larvae that are feeding in the wood, and second it prevents any old house borer eggs from hatching. The borate treatment interrupts the beetle’s life cycle and eventually the infestation will end.

As hot weather approaches, we begin receiving calls about resin bleeding out of logs, and what can be done to stop it. Some people call it sap, or pitch, or resin, but it’s all the same, and short of replacing the log or logs that are bleeding, there is nothing anyone can do to stop it from occurring.

Resin is made of up of a combination of rosin acids, fatty acids, and hydrocarbon compounds. It is produced by most trees, but particularly softwood species like spruce, pine and fir. Amber is fossilized tree resin.

One problem with resin bleed is that the log may continue to bleed each summer for many, many years. Most of the time it’s just a few logs on a wall that bleed resin, but occasionally we do encounter a log home where just about every log or knot on a south or west facing wall bleeds resin, and when that happens, it can be very unsightly. There is no way to outwardly determine if a log will bleed resin or not.

Trees may form pockets of resin due to a past injury, or for a variety of other reasons, and when that tree is harvested it may take months or even years for the resulting log to begin to bleed resin. Tree resin is typically thick and viscous, but gets quite thin when heated. During the summer months, logs on the sunny sides of homes get hot enough for pockets of resin to thin and bleed out of the wood. Once this begins, it is virtually impossible to halt the flow of the resin out of the wood. It will easily burst through coatings like paint or stain due to its highly acidic nature, and form an ugly, sticky mass on top of the finish.

So is there anything that can be done about resin, pitch, or sap bleed? Since the resin is soft and sticky, it is impossible to wipe off the surface without making an even bigger mess. It’s not water soluble, so it can’t be washed off. Small spots of resin can sometimes be cleaned off with alcohol or other organic solvents (i.e. xylene or toluene), but if there is a finish present, the alcohol or organic solvents can also degrade the existing finish.

It is important to remove any remaining solvent residue that could possibly interfere with the adhesion of the reapplied finish. The only effective method of removing resin that we are aware of is to chip it off, but in order to do this the resin must be cold enough to become brittle. In the north, it’s best to wait for a cold winter day, but in the south, cold days are few and far between. In warmer climates, you can use an ice pack to cool down the resin then try to chip it off. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it may be worth a try. The problem is that come summer, the bleeding will most likely start up again.

One of the biggest challenges relating to resin bleed is when it occurs on bare wood prior to the application of a finish. Since there is no effective way to totally remove the resin, the finish ends up being applied on top of it. When the wall heats up and the resin starts to flow, it carries the finish along with it leaving unsightly spots of exposed bare wood. Again, there is not much that can be done to end this process until the resin eventually stops bleeding out of the wood.