The first step was cleaning the home. Seventy eight bags of New Age crushed glass blasting media were used to remove all the old finishes from the logs and deck. Next we sanded the logs down using random orbital sanders with 60 grit and then an Osbourne Brush. Special attention was paid to the logs ends, smoothing them out and chamfering the edges. We also smoothed out all the deck top railings, posts and hand rails to ensure a nice feel when touched.

 

Porcupines had climbed all the log corners and chewed some pretty large areas. Some spots could be sanded out, others were repaired using M-Balm and E-Wood. After sanding the E-Wood smooth I brushed a light coating of Energy Seal over the repaired area so that when stained it blended right in.

 

We soaked the bare logs with thirty gallons of ShellGuard RTU then sealed all the log courses, corners and intersections with six pails of Energy Seal “Adobe”. The house was then washed with Log Wash and allowed to dry.

First coat of finish required fifteen gallons of Prelude, a clear primer/sealer with UV inhibitors. Two coats of Lifeline Ultra2 “Bronze” were next, requiring twenty three gallons. The last coat was nine gallons of Lifeline Advance Gloss. All finishes were sprayed on using a Graco Tradeworks 170 with a 313 tip and back brushed with a StainMaster brush.

 

Window trim and fascia were painted with Sherwin Williams Super Trim Paint in a rich, deep, pine tree green. This extra step did require a lot of time and effort but really set off the details of the home and complimented the color of the logs.

 

Deck and railing were coated with twenty five gallons of “Hickory” Deck Defense.

 

The project took one man, six weeks, 317 hours to complete. When I started the project in late July I did not have a firm deadline nor did I know of the family reunion occurring on Labor Day Weekend. I really had to hustle to finish, putting the final touches on the deck just in time. It was worth the effort, as the owners and his extended family love their better then new home.

 

Brian O’Shea

Log Home Restoration

Wellsboro, PA