If you live around trees, and many people do, you probably have carpenter ants around your home. Carpenter ants are typically large ants, although the size of the workers can vary in a single colony. Finding a few carpenter ants in your home each week is not necessarily a sign that you have an infestation. Foraging ants roam far and wide looking for food and an occasional ant trapped in a sink or bathtub is quite common. If there are trees close to your home, ants can fall or be blown off the trees onto your roof. They may end up trapped within your home during their journey back to their nest.

Although we emphasize the importance of cleaning the surface prior to the application of our finishes, there are some types of surface contaminates that can be very difficult or even impossible to remove with just a light washing. The leading cause of dark discolorations appearing under any transparent finish like Lifeline™ is the presence of minute metal particles imbedded in the surface of the wood.

Sure Shine™ Gloss or Satin is a water-based, urethane-acrylic, interior clear finish for application on both horizontal and vertical surfaces; however, the application of a urethane-acrylic finishes is a bit different than those based on acrylic latex polymers. For example, our pigmented Lifeline™ stains and Advance and Acrylic Topcoats should be thoroughly mixed and brushed out as far as they will go. This may include vigorous back-brushing. However, this technique does not work when applying Sure Shine and its proper application is a bit different than any of our other finish systems.

Much of our technical literature and many of our articles refer to pH as it relates to its impact on bare wood and finished surfaces. Everyone should have a basic understanding of what pH means and how it is measured.

Although most people use brushes to apply our finish removers they can be applied with airless sprayers as long as you know what to do. Here is some information that will guide you in using airless spray equipment to apply both S-100™ and StripIt®.

July is National Log Home Month. During the month of July, log home manufacturers will honor America’s log home heritage by hosting home tours, log raising demonstrations, log home building seminars and more. There are many different sizes and styles of log home construction to suit any homeowner's vision.

Here we present the TOP Log Home Manufacturers in the USA and invite you to visit their websites and see what they have to offer. Each manufacturer is outstanding in quality of craftsmanship, and this is not a ranked list.

Deck handrails present a real challenge to film forming finishes, especially if they are new. Here’s why. Round log handrails are typically fabricated using green wood. Once in place and begin to dry, handrails shrink, crack, and develop fissures to relieve the stress due to shrinkage. There is no way to prevent this from occurring. If a finish is applied before these fissures open up, and once they do open, they provide a path for water to soak into the rail behind the finish. When the sun comes out and the rail heats up, the water turns into water vapor which may exert enough pressure to actually push the finish right off the wood. In winter months, the water in the wood will freeze and expand and that, too, can pop the finish off the surface.

For the past 30-plus years, the most accepted and effective method for preventing infestations of wood destroying insects and decay fungi in log homes has been by impregnating the wood with a solution containing the element boron. Boron salts are referred to as borates, and the most commonly used borate utilized for this purpose is disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT), the active ingredient found in our wood preservative products.

Why Perma-Chink Sealants Are the Best Choice for Your Log Home

Sealants play an essential role in our daily lives, from the windshield of your car to the bathtub, and even your windows. They keep water out, prevent air leaks, and ensure your home stays comfortable and protected. But not all sealants are created equal, and when it comes to log homes, the right sealant can make all the difference.

We are proud to announce our new supply of the widest range of dispensing tools in the industry from Albion Engineering Company. Albion is a high quality alternative to the tools typically found in hardware stores and do-it-yourself outlets. Professional tools, built to last.

1. The Albion Bulk Loading Caulking Gun is our most popular tool for applying Perma-Chink or Energy Seal. It is built to meet the demands of serious professionals, utilizing rugged, heavy-duty all steel drives and lightweight aluminum barrels to reliably dispense a wide range of materials.