IMPORTANCE OF PROPERLY STAINING AND SEALING YOUR LOG HOME

As you drive through the hills and fields surrounding Wenatchee, Washington, you’re sure to notice the variety of log homes throughout the area. Each home is unique, some with deep rich colors, others with bright hues and textures. However, you might be surprised to see some that also look a little dull or run down. Why is it that they differ so much? One trait that usually stands out is how well the homes have been maintained over the years. Chances are, those beautiful homes that look so bright and well-kept have been properly maintained, including regular coats of wood stain and sealed.

Why Stain and Sealing Wood Is Important

Staining and sealing the logs of a wood home better preserves the wood’s integrity and appearance. Regularly maintaining through staining and sealing sealing the wood will increase the longevity, which helps the log to look better over time and allow the home to age beautifully. Maintenance on all homes is essential to ensure the home continues to be effective and attractive, and this is no different with log homes. Regularly staining and sealing your wood home has several benefits:

Renew The Wood's Beauty

When you stain and seal your log home, you renew the overall look and color of the wood, which is probably one of the main reasons you wanted a log home in the first place! The beauty of the color and texture of the wood is unmatched in any other building material. Logs that sit in the sun, are beaten with rain or get dirty, this will dull the color and it will lose its vibrant appearance. New stains will help enhance the natural beauty of the wood, refreshing the color, and seals it.

Prevent Wood Damage

Staining and sealing a log home prevents the wood from cracking and peeling. Here in Wenatchee, temperatures can fluctuate from warm to cold and back again quickly, especially during our fall and spring seasons. This temperature change can cause wood to crack or peel. Regularly staining and sealing a log home will better protect the wood and minimize cracking and peeling.

Avoid Water Absorption

As we’ve mentioned before, water can be a wood home’s biggest enemy. When water gets into the pores of wood or in the cracks between logs, it can cause the wood to warp, crack or break. Staining wood helps fill these pores, making it harder for the water to get in, and sealing the logs creates a barrier to prevent water from getting to the wood at all.

Difference Between Stain And Seal

What is wood stain and wood seal? Both products are designed to protect the wood of your log home, deck or siding from debris, water, sunlight and other damage. However, both of these wood coatings  can be used in different scenarios for different results.

Wood Stain

A wood stain penetrates the pores of the wood, often to change or enhance the natural color of the wood. Stains give wood protection against the Sun's UV rays, and it has water-repelling qualities. Stain can be trickier to apply than a sealer, as you generally leave the stain on the wood for a set amount of time and wipe off any excess. Stains tend to run a little more expensive than sealers as well, but can often last longer.

Wood Sealer

A sealer is a transparent coat that is applied to the outside surface of the wood, like a protective barrier. The primary function of a sealer is to repel water, and sealers are generally easy to apply. However, they are less effective against UV rays, so colors may fade faster if only a sealer is used.

How Often Should I Stain And Seal

As a homeowner, there are probably many items on your regular maintenance to-do list; some need to be done monthly, bi-annually, or annually or every several years. While annual and semi-annual maintenance on log homes is recommended, generally, you will only need to restain and reseal your log home every couple years. However, the exact timing of staining and sealing will depend on many factors, including type of stain and sealer used, the color, the location of the home, light and pollutant exposure levels and more. For instance, lighter stains on log homes will generally need to be re-stained more often, while darker stain colors may last longer and require less maintenance over time. The team at Lovitt’s Coating can help answer questions about how often you may need to stain and seal your home when you use our products, as well as give advice about other factors that affect your log home.

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