Our Services
To bring a log home to a state of solid protection from UV damage, moisture from humidity or rain, insects, and rot, it is necessary to properly assess the wood.
At Earth Embassy we ensure the wood of your home is thoroughly inspected to then bring you suggestions on refinishing, preserving, protection through staining, and if needed, repair.
Sanding (Refinishing / Restoration)
Homes that have been left to age and weather without maintenance usually experience a darkening of the logs and peeling of any stain that may have been applied.
Before a new stain can be applied to an aged surface, it is necessary to bring the logs and wood back to a fresh finish. We use sanding pads to remove all old stain then oscillating brushes to remove burrs and 'feathering' of the wood before applying stain.
Depending on the project, a borate-based wood preservative can also be applied before the final stain colour is applied, and then the surface is finished with one or two topcoats.
Preservation
Borate-based log preservative is used to treat the wood from the outside. It penetrates the logs before application of the final stain.
Borate rods are used around wet areas prone to rot or areas where there has been rot and a repair was needed. In the presence of water, the rods release the preservative into the wood, protecting it from continued rot.
These rods are installed directly into the logs by drilling them in and then sealing the entrance with a weather seal.
Staining
Stains come in many colours and options between oil-based and water-based. We will give recommendations on what we think is best for your individual log home keeping in mind the environment it is located in and seasonal application timing.
Sealing
Some log homes are scribe fit, meaning the logs are cut and stacked to fit together with little to no space between the logs and notches. These type of homes are well sealed.
Other log homes are either not as well scribed or are built with 'chinking' or weather-sealant taking up the spaces between the logs.
We use an expanding and contracting weather seal/ caulking product to chink or seal the log walls. Backer rods are first used to fill the spaces before applying the product. If the gaps on the home are wider than 2.5cm, backer foam can be used first before sealing it with the chinking.
Repair
Sometimes logs are left for too long in poor conditions or left without proper scheduled maintenance. Improper cover by eaves, balconies, porches, etc. can negatively effect logs in a short period of time.
When a log absorbs too much water for prolonged periods of times it begins to soften and rot. This condition can also make the logs susceptible to, and a friendly environment for, wood-boring bugs.
Sun exposure without proper topcoat maintenance can lead to the logs developing a burnt or darkened look. Combined with the exposure to moisture, this can accelerate rot.
In these cases, assessment and repair is usually necessary to prevent further rot and to direct the home-owner toward adjustments of the home environment to keep the repaired logs and surrounding logs protected.
Maintenance (cleaning and topcoat application)
Most log homes on the coastal and island regions require a triennial (every 3 years) wash and topcoat of stain if the original stain has not degraded - so it is performed usually after a refinishing has been completed.
If a log home is top-coated every 2-4 years, the protective nature of the stain and previous topcoats will bolster its ability to resist rot, UV damage, and blistering.
Regular maintenance is recommended after a refinishing to keep your log home in peak condition for decades to come.