Lifeline™ Ultra-7 is the most durable exterior wood stain that Perma-Chink Systems has ever developed. After multiple exposure tests in harsh-weather areas across the country (think snow country, the sunny southeast and extreme mountain locations), Lifeline Ultra-7 stands out as THE top-of-the-line, long-lasting wood finish. The secret behind its durability is Lifeline Ultra-7’s state-of-the-art resin that creates a tough, yet flexible and breathable finish on your home’s logs. Perhaps more importantly than Ultra-7's strength is the resin, which ensures that the finish is continuous, providing protection from holes and gaps that might otherwise develop with lower-quality finishes. In addition, Ultra-7 has unsurpassed adhesion to wood.

One or Two Coat Log Stains? Warranty and Color Choices to Consider for Your Log Home Stain.

It does happen occasionally. A customer will call and asks, “Which wood stain should I choose?” We’re glad you called because we’re here to help.

The first question we need answered is the stain for outside or inside? Perma-Chink Systems offers both exterior and interior stains. We'll start with exterior first, so those that are interested in interior finishes, jump down the page.

Are you looking for a film-forming finish or something more like an oil-based stain? Our newest addition Log & Timber Defense is like penetrating oil-based finishes, but forms a lattice-like coating to protect the logs and offers excellent protection. If you're looking for film-forming finishes, our Lifeline family has multiple options that have you covered.

The next question is do you want a log stain that is one-coat or two-coat application? For one coat applications, then Lifeline Ultra-7 is your best option. Available in nine colors, Ultra-7 is the premier finish for log and timber homes. Lifeline Ultra-2, Lifeline Exterior, and Lifeline Accents all benefit from a two-coat application. Additionally, Lifeline Advance topcoat will ensure your stain lasts the test of time.

Colors have the ability to evoke emotions and change our attitudes. They can inspire and motivate us to try something new and bold. They can alter our moods and appetites; even make a room feel small and cramped, or large and spacious.

If you plan to redecorate a few rooms this year, the right color choices can make all the difference in the feeling you’re trying to achieve. Better yet, it’s one of the simplest and most affordable decor changes you can make. Not sure which colors to choose? Here is one of the best color palette for home interiors, according to the Pantone Color Institute:

Homeowners ask this question a lot, to make sure the home looks like how they imagine. The answer to this question depends mainly on which sealant is used and how you want your home to look.

Sealant Choice

If you’re using Perma-Chink chinking, we recommend staining your home first with a Lifeline stain of your choice, then seal the log gaps with Perma-Chink, and finish with Lifeline Advance Topcoat. The application of Advance will make the home easier to clean (recommended two times per year with Log Wash).

Perma-Chink was designed to eliminate the undesirable results often obtained by using older less successful methods of wood slabs, mud, and cement types of chinking, as basically they did not work well over the long haul. So it became a constant worry or job to re-chink or repair the failing products. Most of the products used did not have any degree of flexibility or they did not adhere to wood that well. The results were cracking cement caused by the stress of the logs shifting or shrinking. The resulting failure often allowed separation between the chinking and the log surface allowing water intrusion, and possibly early wood decay.

So as for a particular type of home, yes Perma-Chink is designed for any home that incorporates a specific joint design where it could be employed. For example; the large timber square logs that use a dovetail system as seen throughout the Eastern United States, as well as the large handcrafted round logs from the Western part of the United States. These homes were designed to be chinked from the start.

All of our stains and sealants are water-based, and while they are still wet, most clean up quite easily with just soap and water. That’s usually the best method to use for cleaning our wet, uncured products off of windows, gutters, downspouts, and other smooth surfaces, but there are occasions when other clean-up techniques should be used to remove some of our textured sealants from wood surfaces.

When talking about wood stains one question that is frequently put to our customer service representatives is "Is a topcoat really necessary?” Actually a more accurate question would be, “Is a topcoat worth the extra cost and effort to apply?"

Rather than giving a simple answer we will discuss the benefits of topcoats and let you decide after you read this.