maintenance
Maintenance is the key to protecting your home’s beauty and value.
While our cob blasting services can give an old home a fresh start, it still must be finished and then maintained regularly, or the wood will begin to deteriorate.
Here are some tips for proper maintenance.
MAINTAINING YOUR LOG HOME
- Start with a good quality finish. We recommend finishes with a track record for longevity.
-
YOUR LOG HOME NEEDS TO BE CLEANED. This is vital to the longevity of your wood’s finish. It is important to realize that “dirt on wood is like salt on a car.” If it is not removed, it will eventually break down the finish and begin to damage the wood. If this step is followed, it will greatly extend the longevity of any finish. Your log home should be cleaned using a mild detergent and a soft bristle brush and rinsed with a garden hose. It is not recommended to use a pressure washer as the high pressure could remove some of the finish and force water into the home. For most houses, this step should be followed once a year. If your home is prone to mold/mildew or heavy dirt/dust, it may be necessary to clean it twice a year.
- This is a great time to do a thorough inspection of your home and make note as to any areas that will need additional attention. Finding small problems early and fixing them keeps them from becoming big problems.
- All finishes require maintenance coats to be applied periodically. Depending on the type and quality of finish chosen, this will need to be done anywhere from once a year to once every 4-5 years or so depending on the type of weather and sun exposure your home has. Also, this step should be followed before the finish starts looking bad. If the finish is blistering, cracking, or failing, it is most likely too late and the old finish will need to be removed before new finish can be applied.
- Caulk as needed. Over time, the expansion and contraction of logs causes air leaks between logs, at the corners, and around doors and windows. These areas may from time to time need to be caulked. When this is necessary, a good quality caulk designed specifically for log homes should be chosen.
…or let US do it!
Blastmaster offers a complete maintenance package beginning with our cob blasting service, followed by application of high quality finishes, and application of maintenance coats as necessary. All of the above steps will be handled by our employees. This way, you do not have to remember or take the time to clean the house, apply maintenance coats, climb ladders, or wonder how long the finish will last. We make it easy for you! We would appreciate the opportunity to keep your home looking its best for years to come. Keeping your log home looking its best is our best advertisement.
In addition to keeping your home looking its best, let Blastmaster restore your deck and handrails. We use deck finishes designed to handle the foot traffic and wear that most decks see. Due to the heavy exposure of decks and rails, they do require maintenance more often than log home finishes. Therefore, we recommend washing them annually and re-coating about every other year.