Since interior finishes are not exposed to rain, snow, wind, and direct sunlight, long term resistance to weather is not an issue, and you have more flexibility when choosing the color and appearance of your interior wood surfaces. However, there are some parameters that need to be followed to assure you obtain the benefits of an interior finish, such as preventing odor absorption and making the walls easy to keep clean, while getting the look you desire as well.

All Lifeline™ finishes are water-based, film-forming coatings. Although we refer to our pigmented coatings as “stains,” they do not “colorize” the wood like penetrating oil-based products; they form a film on the surface of the wood, thus protecting the underlying wood from the effects of wind, water, and sunlight. Since they form a film on top of the wood, they rely on proper surface preparation to ensure good adhesion.

The following are guidelines to follow after performing a borate treatment to your log home.

Shell-Guard® RTU

Washing – Never wash down a wall within five days of application. It’s really best to wait at least seven days. In practice, there are very few occasions when a wall treated with Shell-Guard RTU needs to be washed at all. As long as the first coat of finish can be applied within seven days of application, there is no need to wash it down. If, for some reason, there is a delay in applying the first coat of finish or discolorations or white residue is present, then washing with water or Log Wash™ may be appropriate but under no circumstance should the wall be washed less than five days after the Shell-Guard RTU was applied. Too much of the active borate will be washed away.

Ever since Perma-Chink Systems introduced borate treatments to the log home industry over 20 years ago, its products have been the preferred method of protecting log homes from wood-destroying insects and decay fungi. We are still the world’s largest supplier of borate-containing preservatives for log homes, and although there are other borate-based products now available, most are based on technology developed by Perma-Chink Systems back in the late 1980s.

During the winter months it’s important to be aware of the freeze-thaw stability of Perma-Chink’s products. The reason may involve shipping conditions, or whether it is okay to store a product or products in an unheated shed. In any case, you need to be aware of the consequences of allowing any of our products to freeze.

Can Lifeline™ Interior stains be used to finish interior floors? Technically the answer to this question is yes, but we rarely recommend them unless whoever is going to be finishing the floor fully understands the characteristics of water-based, transparent stains and knows how to apply them.

Do you think your utility bills are too high for the size of your home? Is your home drafty or uncomfortable? Does water condense on the inside of your windows? Have spiders, ladybugs and other insects invaded your living areas? The first step in resolving all of these issues - and more - is an energy audit conducted by a trained professional with the proper tools and equipment. But is it worth it?

Before we get started, let’s look at the difference between shakes and shingles. In many cases the terms are used interchangeably but regional differences do exist. Nationally you will find shake roofs and shingle-sided homes as well as vice-versa. It’s more a matter of semantics than definition.

Occasionally we get a call from someone with an older log home who wants to “seal and protect” their logs but does not wish to remove the gray patina that has built up over the years.

Typically they think that some type of clear finish can be applied to their home which will keep water from penetrating into the wood and help retard wood erosion due to sun, wind, and rain. The truth is that there is no clear exterior product that will meet their expectations.

Every spring we get lots of calls about carpenter bees drilling into logs, fascia boards, eaves, decks and other unpainted wood surfaces. Carpenter bees are big, black solitary bees that look similar to bumblebees but have bare, shiny backs whereas a bumblebee's back is hairy. Unlike honey bees that reproduce in hives, carpenter bees drill into wood in order to lay their eggs. Their holes can be identified easily as they are perfectly round and about 1/4 inch in diameter.

Although carpenter bees prefer softwoods such as cedar, redwood, or cypress, they happily attack pine and most other species of wood. Even pressure treated wood is not immune from carpenter bee attack. As the bee drills into the wood, coarse sawdust may be seen coming out of the hole and piling up beneath the hole. Since it only takes a couple of hours for a carpenter bee to drill a hole a few inches deep, lots of holes can appear over a fairly short period of time.

Most carpenter bee activity occurs in early spring when male and female bees emerge after spending the winter in old nest tunnels. Once they have paired and mated, the female bee drills into a suitable site while the male stays nearby to ward off intruders. Male carpenter bees often frighten people with their aggressive behavior but since they have no stinger they are essentially harmless. Females have a stinger but only use it if molested.

Once the initial hole is drilled through the surface, the bee will make a turn and excavate a tunnel along the grain of the wood. This tunnel, which may run for several inches, becomes the cavity where the female deposits her eggs. Several eggs are laid in individual chambers separated by plugs of pollen on which the larvae feed until they emerge as adults during the summer months. In addition to making new holes, carpenter bees also enlarge old tunnels. If left unattended for several years, serious damage to a wood member may result.