The Biggest Misconception

Finishing The Logs

MOST, not all... log home builders do not know how to finish big wood fibre properly (posts, beams, round logs). Give them a chain saw and expect production. Give them a sheet of 180 grit sand paper and watch them sweat. Expect them to rub it on a log for 10 seconds, look totally frustrated and reach for the angle grinder and smile. They like fast results. Yes, logs can look like a piece of furniture but not with an angle grinder spinning 10,000 RPM. There are tricks and reasons why we hire a professional finisher.

Generally speaking, builders that include finishing as part of their job description (the two day finish) know little or nothing about quality staining and clear coating the log home interior and exteriors. To date I believe a mass amount of builders do not realize how good log homes can really look and feel ... or, don't tell the client how much a quality finish would increase the costs of the log home. I believe this is why I am seeing so many poorly finished log homes. I spend weeks sanding and finishing logs. Regardless of what it says on the label, quality paint and a smooth finish need time to cure before you apply the next coat. There is only one way to finish wood and it takes time.
In general the average person that picks up a paint brush misses all the important steps that count (sanding, cleaning the entire house, air blasting dust out of checks and joinery, buffing, coating, buffing coating etc etc etc.) to preserve wood and make wood appear deep and natural looking. Hand crafted logs or beams can be very rustic and smooth. Once you see the difference you will never accept less.

• Logs should not look dry and thirsty looking when finished.
• Logs should not be rough to touch and never have saw dust mixed into the finish or visible inside cracks of logs.
• All the logs including the ridge beams sould be smooth.

Every log home I have seen to date has been rough and patching looking to say the least. In my opinion most builders do not make good painters or finishers. Finishing is a different world. Most really good finishers do not like the rough work. We like wood to be at a certain level before we take it to the next level. Good finishers tend to drive builders crazy with perfection. Builders consistently spend little time with detail where the pro finishers consistently spend a lot of time with detail. Once you know who you are you usually stick to what you do best and don't profess to say you are both. In the end, both the the contractors quality and home owner win.

Saw Dust & More Dust Years Later:

I listen to a home owner say they would never have another log home because of all the dust. I know with proper procedures a log home's dust can be minimized significantly in the building process and further more in the finishing stages (when the staining and clear coating is being prepared). If a log home is dusty once the owner has moved in this is because it was never built clean and was never finished clean. The endless years of saw dust falling out of the scarves and laterals can ABSOLUTELY be prevented! All logs can be full of character (draw knife, natural cat face, knots, etc.) and still feel smooth and look beautiful like expensive wood furniture. All wood finishing is the same. We sand and clean before we finish and when done properly all wood should be stunning. It is paramount to use fans that help pull the dust outside when cleaning and spraying the coats on. If we follow a pattern we get pro results. We don't use high pressure airless production systems that create so much airborne dust so it falls right back down on the wet finish!
When building a log home mass amount of saw dust build up in the laterals, in the checks of the logs and in the T&G of flooring and ceilings. When it's all finished dust should not be hiding and fall out when you slam the door or the wind blows. Log Homes can be clean.

• Rough logs hold airborne dust like fly paper, cleaning them is very annoying.
• Well sanded, buffed logs hold much less dust and make cleaning so much easier.

Builders and Painters

The largest investment we usually ever make is buying a house. We pay thousands of dollars to paint a car and expect to only pay hundreds to paint a house. What is wrong with this picture folks?
Because we can all hold a paint brush or pull a spray trigger does not mean we can actually finish and protect what we are painting or protective coating. We build a $200.000 home yet most think we will DIY (do-it-ourselves) painting or get some school kids to do the dirty work! Over and over I see people buy cheap products from the local hardware store (cans of coloured water and fillers) then look for the cheapest person to slap it on their huge investment. Painting is all about proper preparation, not how cheap and fast you can get it done. The final coat is the easy part here. It is however, impossible to do things professionally if the prep work lacks all the basic steps prior to the final coat.

I have built log homes and conclude professional log finishing is every bit as detailed and labour intensive and log home building. Proper wood finishing can take as long or more... to finish the wood as it does to "BUILD" the log shell! Most log builders finish their homes in a few days and wouldn't think the painting is worth more than a few days work. This is totally unacceptable and impossible. The biggest rip-off to the home buyer and to the home it self is the two day stain job. Most builders don't know how nice their homes can look until they see professional european finishing work. If you let the builder finish your home, expect rough and flaky finishing and the home owner saying they love a log home but hate how dirty they are.

This is not fast food here. Wood finishing "log home finishing" is very detailed work. Welcome to The PAINTING Guys. 31 years experience

• cabinetry finishing
• wood walls
• railings and stairways,
• log homes interior and exterior
• post & beam or timber frame interior and exterior coating
• all commercial and residential interior wood finishing
• some antique furniture
• custom wood finishing etc

Email: info at paintingguys dot com
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Before Staining a NEW! Log Home

Staining and Finishing New Log Homes The cleaner the log home the better the wood finish looks, lasts and feels. The less saw dust in the checks (cracks) the deeper stain penetration (wood preserving). HVLP spraying is a must. HVLP systems are portable systems ideal for on-site applications such as custom cabinetry and woodwork and also in-house production finishing applications. Airless sprayers are NOT for fine finishing. We are finishing wood, not production drywall etc. Big Difference! The smoother the finish, the less dirt and mildew will attach or lay on the logs years later, less dusting for the home owner! If wood finishing is done correctly from the beginning, the general appearance and the logs will last much longer. Log home maintenance costs will be much less years later and you home will look so much better. PLAN AHEAD!! sooner or later you will have to maintain the logs. We recommend Timber Pro Coatings. World Class Eco products for new log home finishing. NOTE: Timber Pro Coatings don't have that orange "pumpkin" colour that Sikens and other stains/clear coats products have. Timber Pro Coatings look real and natural. Maintaining Timber Pro Coatings is far easier years later.

SMOOTH!

I use a slow speed polisher and special cup brush that cleans and buffs logs better than anything I have ever seen. My finishes are absolutely awesome and natural looking! I don't use angle grinders! I guarantee you will never see a finer finish. Once I finish buffing the logs I activate my industrial vacuum/fan and start air blasting the entire building driving out dust. Once the entire home is extremely clean I then begin to apply the finish coats.

Air Blasting House Logs

Cleaning House Logs NOTE: deep cleaning the log cracks and ends on this south western exposure helps stain penetration. From top to bottom these logs are soft feeling and extremely clean. Saw dust has been removed and we are ready for the staining.

Building a Log Home? Don't make this mistake.

Log work should never look like this! Over the past 25 years as a painter and wood finisher the most common question we hear is how cheap and fast can you paint? I say... "There is a lot more to painting than meets the eye. Preparing surfaces, using the proper products, temperature of applications, tools to use, and most important... CLEANING is what painting and preserving is all about". We are beautifying and protecting your investment! No matter how well it's built, bad finishing is the "final" thing we all see and what protects everything completed up to that point.

Here is a prime example a the worst finish I have ever seen on a new log building. I took this shot three months after the staining was completed. Feb. 26, 2005. This is the log work of the new Art Gallery on Hwy16 just west of Vanderhoof, BC.

WHAT DID THEY DO to this Log Gallery on Hwy16!

Image 1

It appears the general contractor had no idea how to finish (stain) the outside logs and never took the advise of any quality log home finishers or company that makes stain for Northern BC climate. They used amateurs to apply this stain and in my opinion they used the wrong product to stain the outside logs. It appears they brushed this "shoe polish looking stain" onto these logs and what a mess now. Not only does this look terrible but there is no penetration to the wood. No way will this pass the test of time. What a shame indeed.

If you want your log building to last, what protects your investment?

Proper staining and or clear coating log buildings is one of the MOST important processes and often the most over looked. People seem to think that if you can hold a brush you can put on the stain or paint on. Why spend money when you can either do-it-yourself or hire a couple a school kids to put on the paint?
There is no point in going to all the mass work of building a log home and then do-it-yourself staining. Hire a professional and your home should look more like this example below:

GOOD Finishing!

Here is a good example of what your outside logs should look like. I used Timber Pro Coatings.
Image2

Beware of Bad Interior Log Home Finishing

YIKES!!!!! This is NOT how a log home should look!

Photo's taken Feb. 25, 2005

Grinding and Cleaning Logs:

These large diameter, spruce and pine logs were sadly finished with a 6 inch angle grinder. They should have been buffed with a special cup brush, not a disc grinder! The angle grinder not only removed the beautiful hand hewn drawn knife work, but missed ALL the laterals and corners on every log in the building! The result is a very rough and dirty looking log finish. It is also a good possibility that the dark areas seen here have a fungus. This very expensive log building could have been finished so much better but wasn't. The contractors were advised but obviously felt they knew what they were doing.

Finishing Logs with Urethane:

The logs were coated with an interior water based urethane. This was a good thing however, the log contractor poorly cleaned the building after all the grinding. Air blasting, exhaust fans and vacuuming was obviously not done properly or at all resulting in very rough to touch finish. The dust was still left in between the cracks and laterals thus becoming a mush of urethane gunk. eventually is will loosen and expose dry wood. Not good at all. The applicator(s), thinking they saved money... used half the amount of clear coat needed to finish this $820,000 building. Instead of using the recommended HVLP spray system, they brushed it all on and it looks like it. Flood coating is a must to give your logs that deep professional look that lasts. Hard to believe this happened.

This is how interior logs should look before urethane is applied.

NOTE: red arrows.

I use a slow speed polishing disc and a special cup brush, hand sand tight area's and air blast the logs. Draw knife work is untouched and the laterals are clean and buffed. Notice how the rich natural grain comes out from buffing. The result is a super clean, very smooth natural looking wood finish. This is how house logs should look. We start out clean and the wood stays bright fro years.

Worried about a dusty log home?

Logs not only look awesome but buffed logs that are flood coated hold much less dust years down the road.
These two logs are prepared properly and ready for clear coating now.

Following steps are:
2 to 3 flood coats of Timber Pro Coatings interior satin urethane lightly sanded or fine buffed between coats.

Stay tuned for the profinish coat! ...

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