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Water Based and Oil Based Log Home StainI can't express enough how important it is to use a high quality log home stain on the exterior and interior of your home. This thin layer of stain offers various important types of protection for any of the wood surfaces needing stained. The quality log home stains have UV inhibitors added, are mildew and mold resistant, and water repellant. One more important feature that a high quality stain will have is that it is breathable. It doesn't matter if it is an oil based or water based stain both types should have these qualities. The reason the log home stain must be breathable is to allow any moisture that might be trapped in the logs a way to escape. If the moisture cannot escape the logs may start to deteriorate from the inside out. Both the interior stain and the exterior stain that you apply should be breathable. The interior log home stain that you use on your log home should have the same basic characteristics as the exterior log home stain. Some log home owners don't want to apply any type of a stain to the interior. This would be making a mistake which could cause you problems down the line. Believe it or not you do need to have UV protection on the interior due to the sun shining through the windows. A properly applied coat of interior stain will also make it easier to clean and dust the logs. The stain will also keep the logs from obsorbing odors from cooking and other everyday household odors. If you want to leave the logs with that light natural wood look then just pick a real light colored stain. I know it doesn't matter if you are doing the staining or if you are hiring the staining done, it is adding alot of work to your home. It will be worth it in the long run. Now for those of you log home owners who have a home that is serveral years old. You need to be doing an inspection of the exterior of your home at least once a year concentrating on the stain. I have found through the years of working on log homes that when the stain starts to fail other maintenance issues usual follow. Since this is the log home stain section I will tell you some of the major things to look for concerning stain deterioration. Usually the first signs of deterioration will start to show up on the sides of your home that receive the most sun light. These would normally be the south and west sides on most homes. Signs to look for to determine if the stain has started to fail vary from home to home. These would be discoloration, peeling, blotchy wood color and darker stain under the over hangs and porches. The north side of your home and areas that have shrubs to close to the home can also be problem areas. The reason is that the logs don't get much if any sun shining on them to dry them out after a rain. This can cause mold and mildew to start growing under and on top of the stain causing it to lift off of the log. Take a good look at the top of the logs on the sides of your home that take the most sun. The top of the log is where the stain will usually start to fail first. This holds true for both oil based and water based stains. The reason the stain will fail here first is because it takes the most direct sun light. During the summer the sun is high in the sky and is shining down on the tops of the logs. If you will notice the stain on the under side of the logs is probably still it good shape because it is being shaded from the sun. You may also see this same pattern on the gable ends of your home. Alot of log homes will have a dark stain line under the eves on the gable ends. The dark area is where the logs are being protected from the sun light by the over hang. The logs below this dark area will usually have stain that is failing. Another key factor to the stain on top of the logs being in worse shape is that the top of a log acts like a shelf. Dust from the nearby road, farm fields or the pollen floating through the air settles on top of the logs. The heat from the direct sun light will bake the dust and pollen into the stain causing it to fail. A light power washing in the spring and then again in the fall to remove the dust from the logs will help the stain last longer. I strongly recommend doing this!! If you own an existing log home and the stain isn't in to bad of shape you could try the following. In a small out of the way area lightly power wash off any dust and dirt. Stain the area to see how it is going to look, does the stain look blotchy or is there an even finish. If the area passes your test then I would say that you are good to go with staining the rest of your home. When going this route you should always use the same brand and type of log home stain if possible. You should always apply an oil based stain only over another oil stain and the same goes for water based stains. If you don't know what brand of log home stain is on your home but you know what type it is, oil or water based, you should do a compatibility test. If the new stain that you are applying lays down in a nice even coat then it is probably compatible. If it spider webs and moves all over then it is not compatible. On many of the log homes that I have worked on the exterior stain was beyond the point of saving. When this happens the home owners are looking at having the old stain removed before a new stain can be applied. There are several methods that are used for this procedure. I cover them in the Corn Cob Blasting section. There are basically two types of log home stains for use on log homes and other exterior wood structures. There are OIL BASED and WATER BASED stains to choose from. From the stand point of view which one has more longevity, I would say through my experience they are about even. For more information on the OIL BASED or WATER BASED stains just click on the one you want below or fill out the Information Contact Form at the bottom of this page.
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