Perma-Chink Systems, Inc
Log & Timber Home Care Experts
Shell-Guard™ Concentrate, Shell-Guard RTU, and Armor-Guard™ are all used as solutions that contain water. Since time and cold temperatures affect each of these products somewhat differently, we’ll address each product individually.
Many people are under the impression that the winter months are hard on their logs and finishes. To some extent that’s true. In cold climates where the exterior log surfaces may be covered with ice and snow for several months can be damaging if the logs aren’t properly finished. But even then, the most damaging effects of weather on wood and coatings actually occur during the hot summer months.
One component of sunlight is ultraviolet light, commonly referred to as UV light, or UV rays. UV light is responsible for most damage to exposed wood because it changes or destroys the wood’s lignin, a component of wood that hardens and strengthens the cell walls. In more scientific terms, this process is called photo-oxidation.
Many people do not understand how film-forming stains work and how they adhere to wood. Much of this misunderstanding relates directly to the term “stain.” In the past, staining wood meant that the wood fibers themselves became impregnated with color and that the color penetrated into the top layer of wood. Even today most oil-based stains work in this manner. Once stained, if the surface is rubbed or scratched, the color of the stain still remains since the solvents carry the colorants into the top layer of wood which make the fibers beneath the surface the color of the stain.
Just as clear coats are vital to the performance of today’s automotive finishes, our LIFELINE Advance™ Topcoats are an integral part of all exterior finish systems. Not only do they extend the life of the color coats, but they do much more to protect your log home.
Some of the most challenging discolorations on wood are water stains. They can run the range from light brown to jet black, and can appear on both interior and exterior surfaces. How do water stains form? All wood contains a number of components that are grouped under the category of “water-soluble extractives.” In other words, they can dissolve in water and as the water within the wood evaporates, they can be carried along to the surface.
UV Boost™ is a concentrated water-based, liquid stain additive that contains a hindered amine light stabilizer specifically designed for wood protection.
Some regions of the country such as the southeast, southwest, and higher altitude areas are subject to high intensity sunlight. Over time, the ultraviolet light in sunlight photo-oxidizes the lignin component of wood. When added to the first coat of any of our Lifeline™ water-based stains, UV Boost interacts with the lignin thus slowing the photo-oxidative rate that results in wood darkening and eventually wood graying beneath the stain.
Have you ever seen the exterior of a home that has turned black? Almost without fail it’s the result of using a stain that contained linseed oil. Linseed oil is a yellowish oil derived from the dried seeds of flax plants, which is the reason it is also called flax seed oil.
Some of the most vulnerable areas of a log home are the corner log ends. This is because the cross section end grain is exposed and the ends often stick out beyond the walls, allowing sunlight, wind, rain, snow, and ice to wear away the stain and expose bare wood. Logs can safely absorb large quantities of water before reaching moisture content levels that will be inviting for decay fungi.
The exposed end grain acts like small straws sucking water into the log, giving rot and decay an opportunity to start eating away the wood. In addition, wood cracks and checks are prone to start at the ends. If left unprotected long enough, log or log corner replacement may eventually be required.
Being aware of the susceptibility of log ends to weathering, rot and decay, we developed Log End Seal™, a clear polymer finish that prevents water from penetrating into log ends and provides a layer of protection against log end damage. Although it is a sealer, Log End Seal is designed to allow moisture already in the wood to slowly escape. This helps reduce those large checks that often form on log ends.
To prevent excessive moisture absorption, Perma-Chink Systems developed Log End Seal, a product unique and specially formulated to protect log ends. Although Log End Seal is a fairly simple and easy product to use, there are some tips that can help you avoid problems especially in the fall when cooler temperatures slow down the curing process.
The basic steps of applying Log End Seal:
- Sand log ends with 60-grit sanding disc or paper
- Apply Lifeline finish
- Apply Log End Seal
- Apply Advance Topcoat
Let’s take a more detailed look at the individual application steps.
Step 1: Sand log ends with a sanding disc or sandpaper (60-grit). Log End Seal requires application in one (1) thin coat. In order to attain a thin coat, the log ends need to be sanded fairly smooth. If the ends are not smooth, the rough surface texture will prevent a thin coat application. This will result in thicker film, and will take longer to cure.
Step 2: Apply the Lifeline finish on the sanded ends, ensuring complete coverage. Allow time for the finish to dry before applying Log End Seal.
Step 3: Apply one thin coat of Log End Seal to the log ends, after the Lifeline finish has dried. Log End Seal white until it is fully cured, and if it gets wet during the curing process, the white color can last for several weeks. If Log End Seal is applied in a thick coat and gets wet, it may take several weeks or months for it to become completely clear and transparent. This is the most frequent cause of complaint from our customers. Eventually it will cure and become clear, but in the meantime, the log ends on your home will have a white haze.
Tip: Choosing the right application tool can help prevent applying too thick a film. Rather than using a standard paintbrush, a paint pad or sponge brush works best. Since Log End Seal is thick and viscous, some people prefer to apply Log End Seal with a wide-blade trowel. Any of these tools will work as long as the Log End Seal is applied in a thin coat.
Step 4: Finally, apply a single coat of Lifeline Advance™ to help protect the Log End Seal surface to remain clean and dry.
Coverage Rate: When applied correctly, one gallon of Log End Seal goes a long way. One gallon covers 30 to 40 square feet, which equates to 100 eight-inch diameter log ends, or 180 six-inch diameter log ends.
One of the best tools an applicator or homeowner can have in their possession is a moisture meter. In addition to finding trouble spots due to water infiltration, it can also help determine if the surface of logs are dry enough to seal or finish.
Every summer we receive calls about small flying insects making holes in the exterior surfaces of logs. They are usually described as tiny flies, bees or flying ants, but in fact these insects are small parasitic wasps that are about the size of a fruit fly or large gnat. There are literally hundreds of parasitic wasp species and some of them specialize in parasitizing beetle larvae including wood boring beetles. They can be seen going in and out of existing beetle emergence holes looking for live beetle larvae to lay their eggs on.