how do you stain an interior log home

Can You stain a log house?

Staining your logs will protect them from the rotting process. Some people like to use a log home stain that changes the wood's color. Weatherall makes a UV Guard Wood Finish that comes in a dozen colors. If you prefer the natural color of your interior log walls, use Log Guard Interior Clear.

How do I prepare my logs before staining?

To make the stain last longer and keep your home protected from the elements, there is some prep work to do before you begin staining. It’s important to clean your logs before you stain to remove old stains and chemicals. You can clean your logs by corn blasting, sanding, power washing or using chemical strippers.

What kind of stain do you use for log walls?

Some people like to use a log home stain that changes the wood's color. Weatherall makes a UV Guard Wood Finish that comes in a dozen colors. If you prefer the natural color of your interior log walls, use Log Guard Interior Clear. Two to three coats will protect your wood and prevent it from yellowing.

How do you stain wood logs with latex stain?

Pour an interior latex log stain into the garden sprayer and begin spraying the interior logs. Once again, work in a 4-foot-by-4-foot area and backbrush the stain into the wood. Test the stain on the wood.

Can you stain the inside of a log home?

Sjoerd Bos, vice president of the Sansin Corporation, says staining interior logs is quite similar to staining their exterior counterparts—in other words, spraying on stain with a low-pressure or airless sprayer, then back-brushing the logs to smooth and level the finish.

How do you stain an interior log cabin?

4 Steps to Refinishing Your Log Home:Step 1: Inspect Your Home for Necessary Repairs. Water damage or rot. ... Step 2: Clean the Logs. You will want to clean the logs of dust and stains, but avoid using chlorine bleach. ... Step 3: Stain and Finish the Logs. ... Step 4: Seal the Logs.

Do you have to stain inside log cabin logs?

A log cabin should be stained every four to seven years. The time between each staining of the log cabin is going to vary depending on where your log cabin is located. If you are in an area where your cabin gets a lot of exposure to rain, wind, hail, and even sun, then you will need to stain the home more often.

How do you finish an interior log wall?

On interior walls and ceilings, apply 3 coats of Crystal Urethane and 3 coats on wood floors. Lightly sand between the second and third coat to achieve a smooth finish. Do not add color or tint to Crystal Urethane, only to Log and Siding Formula (see below).

What kind of stain do you use on a log cabin?

The best exterior stain for log homes are oil or water-based products that saturate wood pores to prevent water penetration. They typically contain a drying oil or resin in a transparent or semitransparent stain.

How much does it cost to stain a log cabin?

Stain will come in right around $1600. Now the national average to apply log home stain in the nation currently sits around $1.30 a sq ft, so with labor costs you are coming in around $3,900.

What is best stain for log home?

Best Log Home and Cabin StainBest Overall Log home Cabin – Outlast Q8 Log Oil.Best Log Home Stain and Sealer – Timber Oil Deep Penetrating Stain.Best Wood Stain for Log Cabin – Sashco Capture Capture Log Stain, Chestnut.Best Interior/ Exterior Log Finish – Sashco Capture Log Stain, Autumn Aspen.More items...•

Should I treat the inside of my log cabin?

Do I need to treat the interior of my Log Cabin with Preservative? It is not necessary but if a preservative is required or desired, use a biocide free preserver such as Osmo Wood Protector (4006). The inside of log cabins can be treated the same as the inside of a property, with interior floor oils or floor varnishes.

What is the life expectancy of a log home?

Log cabins have a long and illustrious history of longevity. They usually last twenty, thirty to even fifty years, if they are kept in good condition. They are even seen to stand for a century if they are located in a place that does not face extreme weather conditions and is properly maintained.

How do you clean interior logs before staining?

Simply sponge on Murphy Oil Soap, scrub and wipe the log cabin wall down. No rinsing required. On the other hand, soap and water might be enough to get the job done. A spray bottle makes application even neater.

How do you clean logs before staining?

How Do I Prepare My House For Staining?First, clean the wood thoroughly by using water to remove any dirt or mill glaze. ... After wetting the entire surface, use a solution of 2 oz. ... Next, let the TSP bleach/water solution sit on the wood for approximately 10-15 minutes, depending upon the severity of the discoloration.More items...

Should I treat the inside of my log cabin?

Do I need to treat the interior of my Log Cabin with Preservative? It is not necessary but if a preservative is required or desired, use a biocide free preserver such as Osmo Wood Protector (4006). The inside of log cabins can be treated the same as the inside of a property, with interior floor oils or floor varnishes.

Can you use solid stain on a log cabin?

All of them penetrate the surface of the log and also provide a protective film on the surface. A good finish should contain a maximum amount of solids, some mildew inhibitor, and Ultraviolet blockers. There are basically two types of finishes we recommend – semitransparent and solid body stains.

Can you change the color of a log cabin?

See What Your Log Home Would Look Like With Different Colors Of Stains, Chinking, Decks & Trim. Weatherall has a fun -- and FREE -- program you can download to see what your log home would look like with different color schemes. Yep, change the stain color on the logs, the deck, the trim work.

How often do you stain a log cabin?

every 3 to 7 yearsAs a general rule, you will need to stain your log home every 3 to 7 years, depending on the elements. Elemental factors include exposure to rain, sunlight, hail, wind, climate, and more.

What is the best stain for logs?

Choose Your Stain. First, you need to choose between an oil-based or a water-based stain for your logs. We recommend a water-based stain for a few reasons: Water-based stains are typically more durable. There is minimal odor with water-based stain. Clean-up is easy — all you need is soap and water.

How to make a log stain last longer?

It’s important to clean your logs before you stain to remove old stains and chemicals.

What is the best way to clean wood logs?

Clean-up is easy — all you need is soap and water. Oil-based stains tend to be easier to apply, but water-based stains have more benefits. Plus, oil-based stains tend to crack as your wood logs expand and contract with the seasons. 2.

What to use to prevent mold and termites?

You should also apply fungicide and pesticide boosters, which prevent damage from mold, termites and other pests.

Can you stain in the rain?

Now, you need to check the weather. You can’t apply stain application in the rain or freezing weather.

Can you color chink on logs?

You also won’t be coloring the chinking on chink-style log homes. Regardless of the method you use, make sure the logs are saturated with as much stain as they’ll take, and brush or back-brush any runs and overlap marks. Make sure your hard work is worth it with a high-quality, water-based log home stain >.

What color is a log cabin stain?

Just 10 years ago, your choice of log home stains might as well have been brown, brown or brown. But contemporary manufacturers now offer a wide array of colors, from ocean blue to forest green — even pumpkin orange. These hues are still inspired by Mother Nature. She just kicked them up a notch. And your log cabin stain choices don't end there.

Why Do Log Cabins Need to Be Stained?

If the romance of logs is enough for you, you may want to keep your home looking as natural as possible. But consider using some color, no matter how subtle. Naked log walls may look great, but they're more porous (and harder to clean) than logs with a glossy finish — especially in kitchens and bathrooms. For a happy medium, apply a clear topcoat. But remember: that palette isn't necessarily permanent. "The more transparent the stain, the more likely the end result can change," says Deb Bassett, Marketing Director of Sashco Inc. in Brighton, Colorado. "The aging process — and exposure to the elements — can shift a log's color to become little more yellow or gray." If that's a little too natural for you, consider a pigment that's close to your ideal natural wood finish. As a bonus, using a colored stain can increase UV protection, so log walls with pigmented color usually need less maintenance.

How long do you need to keep logs stained?

The range can be anywhere from three years (for a heavily exposed outdoor wall) to 15+ years for an indoor wall that isn't exposed to direct sunlight. For a quick guesstimate, compare your most weather-beaten wall to your least-exposed wall.

Can you use oil based formula on log homes?

However, a manufacturer may still recommend an oil-based formula for restaining an old log home if you don't know what formula was originally used.

Can you use colored stain on logs?

As a bonus, using a colored stain can increase UV protection, so log walls with pigmented color usually need less maintenance.

Can you use one color on a log home?

(Just think of the "painted ladies" of Victorian architecture.) Or maybe you want to go lighter, darker or just completely different with porch rails, shutters or decks. There's no rule that says you can only use one color on your log home's exterior.

Can you change the color of a stained log wall?

All of our experts recommend going with hues you can live with for years to come. Changing colors on a stained log wall is not nearly as easy as repainting drywall or reapplying wallpaper.

How do I stain a log cabin?

The first step when staining your log home is to clean your logs. Dirt and other debris on logs will prevent the stain from adhering to the wood. You want to bring the logs down to a clean and bare state using a pressure washer with minimum psi of 3,000. If you are switching to a new stain, that is not compatible with the previous layer; then use a corn cob blaster to get to the bare wood. You can use an orbital finish sander to remove mill glaze and get to a clean layer of wood. Once you have cleared the tough debris, you will then want to wash your cabin one more time to get rid of any particles left. (Always wear a mask to protect from inhaling particles.) While preparing the places you do want to stain, you will also want to mask of any places that you don’t want to stain. Us tape or plastic to cover doors, windows, and other places where you don’t want to stain.

What to do before staining a log?

Before you apply the first coat it is important to cut out any bad chinking or caulked areas. You will want the first layer of stain to cover the wood BEFORE you replace the chinking/caulk. This will help seal and protect the logs. While applying the first coat, use a brush to get in all checks and cracks.

How many coats of oil based stain?

Read the instructions of your stain before using. By now you have probably chosen your stain. Most oil stains require two coats, while water-based stains like Capture Log Stain & Cascade require three. If you need help choose here is a great comparison of each type of stain Oil Based Stain vs Water Based.

How to avoid color variations when staining?

To avoid visible differences, you will want to finish entire walls at a time. Another trick to avoiding color variations is; if you have different batch numbers on pails of stain, blend them together. We call this “boxing” in the industry. In general we will use half of a pail and then fill it back up with the next pail.

Can you stain over water based stain?

If staining over stain, make sure that the new stain is compatible. Often if you switch from oil to water based stain you will have to use a cob blaster to get down to the bare wood.

The Stain Game

You know that staining the exterior of your log home is a job better left to the pros, but what about the inside, where potential problems like insects and rot are no longer an issue? We spoke with experts at both the Weatherall Company and Sansin Corporation, both of which backed interior-log staining as an excellent DIY project.

Avoid Interior Obstacles

Sjoerd Bos, vice president of the Sansin Corporation, says staining interior logs is quite similar to staining their exterior counterparts—in other words, spraying on stain with a low-pressure or airless sprayer, then back-brushing the logs to smooth and level the finish. But working inside presents a few additional obstacles.

Ace the Texture Test

If you have handcrafted logs, you could be in for an extra challenge when it comes to staining. But in some instances, says Sjoerd, these surfaces can actually be advantageous, as you don’t need to sand them like you might sand planed logs prior to applying stain.

Coordinate Colors

When it comes to your home’s exterior, you might feel comfortable going with a bold or dark stain, but our experts caution against applying the same philosophy to the interior. “Our most popular colors for interior log stain are in the light brown to golden brown family,” says Shawn.

Master Moisture

Stain shouldn’t be applied until the logs have dried properly—and the amount of time it takes for logs to reach the proper moisture content for staining varies quite a bit. That’s why our experts recommend investing in a moisture meter, a device that measures the precise moisture content of wood, if you plan on doing your own staining.

What is the best stain for a log cabin?

Logevity is another great stain and it is a stabilizer as well. For protection against mold and mildew and water intrusion Logevity is one of the best log cabin stains available. This log cabin stain and stabilizer also protects the wood from degradation because it has metallic UV inhibitors, zinc borates with water repellents right in the formula. This will protect your future finishes from cracking, or chipping and peeling. This great product also extends color and protects against the elements. This part one of the system also bonds with the sealant to protect and work together staining and sealing the perfect finish. Logevity is an oil based finish and it is based on rejuvenating wood. The coverage is about 300-400 square feet per gallon based on the porosity of the wood.

How deep do oil based stains penetrate?

Shallow penetrating stains are most commonly your more traditional oil based stains. Penetration is normally 1-4 cells deep into the structure of the wood depending on several variables. If optimum penetration is not achieved then a film is deposited on the surface that can peel overtime. If applied properly these stains perform well with good water repellent and UV surface protection. Shallow penetrating stains often have have a sheen or glossy appearance.

How many square feet per gallon of wood for first coat?

With stains coverage depends on the porosity of the wood so these are estimates on coverage. For the first coat you will get 150-250 square feet per gallon and for the second coat it will be 250-350 square foot per gallon. Capture is a water based stain so it is easily cleaned up with water.

What is UV Guard stain?

UV Guard Log Stain. UV Guard is one of the original log home stains that has been used for years and is an acrylic wood finish for your logs. It contains UV absorbers and stabilizers which are designed to give greater protection and make the wood last longer if it is continuously exposed to harmful UV rays.

What is X-100 wood stain?

X-100 is a wood preservative that actually works to protect the wood you are working with. It has wood protecting ingredients. This stain is made so it penetrates the wood and it protects against cracking splitting and sap stains. This stain also protects against mold and mildew which is excellent. This natural seal wood preservative is also environment friendly and registered with the EPA as environment friendly. This stain can be used on any exterior wood surface. This exterior stain protects against Mother Nature’s intrusion as well such as wind, rain, snow and even ice. This is an oil based stain.

How many square feet does transformation stain cover?

This stain flexes and moves with the wood and does not peel or crack. As with all the Transformation products it is a oil and water product and covers about 150-250 square feet per gallon and the second coat is 250-350 square feet per gallon.

What is transformation log and timber?

Transformation Log and Timber is a great choice for those that are looking for a glossy appearance. The name stands true as it transforms old cabins into the beautiful wood beneath time and weathering. This stain is compatible with most stains, so if you have an existing coat of stain still present this is most likely a good option for you. Transformation Log and Timber also works well on new wood. This product covers 200 square feet for the first coat and 400 for the second coat.

Why stain interior log walls?

Stain Your Interior Log Walls to Protect Them. Untreated wood will degrade over time. If left alone, it will rot to the point where it falls apart and turns into mulch. This process helps forests stay healthy by using dead trees as food for new plants.

What is the best way to protect logs from rotting?

Staining your logs will protect them from the rotting process. Some people like to use a log home stain that changes the wood's color. Weatherall makes a UV Guard Wood Finish that comes in a dozen colors. If you prefer the natural color of your interior log walls, use Log Guard Interior Clear.

How to get rid of mold on wood?

If the stain is deep, though, consider using an orbital sander to make the job easier. If you locate any mold while sanding, you can kill it by applying vinegar with a clean brush.

Can you stain log walls?

Keeping Your Interior Log Walls Clean. Staining will protect your interior log walls, but it won't keep them clean. Over time, dust, smoke, and grime can build up on your walls. You'll need to know how to clean them properly to eliminate this problem.

Why stain a log cabin?

Staining your log cabin is more than just an aesthetic choice — it’s essential protection to make your exterior last for the lifetime of your home.

How wide should I caulk a log?

Caulk should be applied to any areas where water is absorbed — namely the top of logs — and checks more than ¼-inch wide. If you’re using a multi-coat product, wait to repair checks or cracks until the first coat is in place in order for the stain to seal the log, Kovitz recommends.

Can you paint cabin logs with chinking?

If your cabin features logs with chinking, you can cover the strips with painters tape to try to avoid staining them, but it will likely be easier to simply apply the stain or sealant as necessary and repaint the strips with chinking paint. ★ Add to Favorites. < Previous Article.

How Do I Keep My Log Cabin from Rotting?

The direct answer would be, keep it away from water. Use the best log home and cabin stains and finishes. Maintain the finish regularly to keep the water out.

How to keep water out of log home?

The direct answer would be, keep it away from water. Use the best log home and cabin stains and finishes. Maintain the finish regularly to keep the water out.

What Wood Stain Lasts the Longest?

A solid, clear, or semitransparent stains last the longest since they are the most weather resistant. Semitransparent stains have a more pronounced color appearance as they are available in dozens of colors.

What Is the best wood treatment for a log cabin?

The recommended one of the best wood treatments for a log cabin is Oil-based products. Not only does it protect it from mold, moisture, and fungus, but it gives it a great new look.

Should I Paint or Stain My Log Home?

The answer to this question is simple, stain your log home and don’t paint. Whenever you paint a log, it will not breathe after construction, causing its condition to change, making the log rot and call for a replacement for the cabin to survive time.

What is the difference between stain and finish?

The difference between the two is simple; stain color the wood while finishes secure the wood and protect it from moisture. Other than offering protection, it makes wood or logs extremely beautiful and provides a long-lasting solution. Below are reviews of some of the very best log home and cabin stains and finishes.

What is the most transparent stain?

The variety of colors assist in showing off the natural beauty of the wood and adding one favorite stain color to the touch. A clear sealant is one of the most transparent stains as it gives the least impact on the color of your wood.