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What should we finish the exterior of the log cabin with

Started by Stan P, August 23, 2007, 12:07:12 PM

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Stan P

Hello Everyone

  I hope you have all been enjoying the summer.
  The cabin is all but complete.  Imagine, it only took about 5 times longer than we expected.  Thank you for all the great advice.

  What should be protect the exterior with.  We asked 2 different log home builders and got different answers.  Ideally, as this is a hunting camp, we will protect the wood but not have too shiny or visible a finish.

  I promise pictures when we are done and I can fiigure this *DanG machine out.

thanks

Stan

breederman

  I use clear CWF on mine, just spray it on with a garden sprayer and wipe up the drips.
Together we got this !

Loghead

My choice would be Permachink ! its well worth the money, after taking 5 times more on the shack dont put a finish on that you will have to keep redoing and redoing and redoing.
lovin anything handcrafted with logs!!

HARLEYRIDER

this is a chink free cabin......handcrafted........thats why it took 5 times longer :D I didn't know (until now) that permachink makes log finishes......a bit pricey.
We're looking into woodguard. There's little direct sunlight, and big overhangs.  Tried a Sikkens Cetol natural oak sample, but dont like the color......which is too bad.....the hardware store is blowing it out for 10 bucks a gallon (for Cetol 1 and Cetol 23 nat oak).  Any opinions welcome.
Greenwoods Timberworks

logwalker

The Cetol is the best I have used. Is it too orange for you ? What is your wood specie. Joe
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

glenn molenaar

Woodguard is ok but takes quite a while to dry. Don't use on doors or any surface you will be touching. On the walls catching direct sun and weather it will tend to fade rather quick. That Cetol is a super buy maybe they could tint it? As mentioned the Perma Chink is very good but pricy. Glenn

TW

As I understand it it is important to not seal the surface with a too tight layer of something. Logs do crack and water will get in through the cracks and if the surface is too tight the water will stay in the log and cause rot instead of drying out in a natural way.

Norwegians have used pine tar on log walls since medieval times,  and in Sweden and Finland and some parts of Norway people traditionally use red paint of the type called "faluröd". Neither finish gives a too tight membrane.

Nowadays it is popular to use one or another kind of varnish on log walls, but it needs to be scraped down very often and it keeps the logs too moist. Sad that people value looks more than durability and good technical properties.

Don P

You can google Falun Red for the red finish TW describes. LandArk makes a pine resin based finish. I agree on film forming finishes like most paints and many clear coatings, they can make a composting bag for the logs. I pretty much consider Sikkens to be a film forming finish after seeing several failures. We used to do a fair amount of work for a company that pushed CWF, it was one thing we got a number of calls about, but some folks swear by it. I've yet to see a finish that has all the magic I want, and lasts forever  :D.

Welcome to the forum Glenn,
dr.

Stan P

thank you.  that's great advice.  TW do those old cabins painted with Falurod last a long time? Penetrating oils seem to make a lot of sense since the logs are still (even after 15 months) somewhat green.  Other than taking a long time to dry, does anyone have any other issues with woodguard?  the wood is probably 25% hemlock, the rest white pine. 

pappy

Stan,
We've been using CWF for a number of years with pretty good results on walls.. I don't think there is anything made that'll last for decks more than a couple years...

When it's time for another coat I just hit it with the pressure washer wait till it dries out then spray it on ( I use a HVLP sprayer) and back brush it doing what the label on the can says,  two coats "wet on wet" ... 

When using CWF they recommend waiting a year after building before appling... The way it worked out for us was the logs were harvested and milled top and bottom the first year,, then put in place the next and the CWF was applied on the third.... In doing it this way it gave time for the resins to dry out of the log , it opened up the pores for the material to be absorbed.. The label does say to wait a year before applying  ... This guy does read directions once in awhile  ;)

Our cabin has good overhangs with very little direct sunlight... Still looks like the day we applied it.  8) two years ago...

We got really lucky in buying the CWF,,  local lumber yard had it for $127 for a 5 gal pail... A friend of ours found it at Mardens ( discount place in Maine) for $25 a pail... The reason was the cans were missed labeled ,,, label said " Clear" but the material was "Cedar" tone instead,,, I'm glad it was "cedar" ,, a little darked but very rich looking...  It's has more UV protectants cause it's a darker color...

PS... On air dried rough sawed lumber I'll apply it right away...

 
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

HARLEYRIDER

maybe we should just use the clear CWF for now....which is inexpensive and readily available. The shiplap  is getting a coat of New Wood Defender...made by Flood (CWF).    And in a year or two, when the CWF starts to fade, we can use a better quality penetrating oil type of finish (good stuff).  we'll mix up some more borate solution, and spray that on first, and let dry.

any other ideas?
Greenwoods Timberworks

TW

Quote from: Stan P on August 26, 2007, 10:32:18 AM
TW do those old cabins painted with Falurod last a long time?


Usually not more than 150-200 years. Sometimes as little as 70 years in very exposed places.
An aquintance is currently shifting out weatherboards which are from the middle of the 18th century. They have always been painted with falurött all the time from the beginning and lasted until now, except the eastern wall where they may last one or two more generations. This is not a very typical case because the boards were of remarkably good quality from the beginning.
There are several excamples in this village of 100 years old red painted log walls with no serious damage yet.
The paint in itself does not last very long. After 5-10 years it already looks ugly. It is easy to repaint as there is no need for scraping, one just scrub over the wall with a stiff brush or a wirebrush and then paint.

This kind of paint is made from water and iron sulphate and red pigment and rye flour, usually with a little linseed oil added, which makes the paint better.
The red pigment protects from most of the ultraviolet rays of sun and the iron suphate is slightly fungusrepellant. The linseed oil is not enough to give a proper protection from moisture though. This paint does not protect the wall from weathering. It just slows down the weathering a little.

I would be a little cautious of using this paint in areas with different climate, because it may behave different there. I just gave it as a good excample of a paint that does not create a too tight membrane.

In Norway there are medieval log housed with tarred walls still standing without serious damage. One of the most remarkable excamples is in fact not in Norway but on the Faroe Islands in the middle of the North Atlantic where the weatrher is even harder on wood. "Stokkastóvan" in Kirkjubøur is likely built in the 15th century and the log walls are still sound. The walls have been kept tarred as long as anybody knows.


pappy

HARLEYRIDER...

CWF is water based so I don't think it would be wise to paint an oil base product over it later...  I believe you can paint water base over oil base but not vise versa   :P Ya should probably stay with one or the other??

Quote
TW do those old cabins painted with Falurod last a long time?

Usually not more than 150-200 years.

Wow!! Falurod sounds like the stuff!!! Is it available in the US ???

A Google search of "Falurod" gave me either links to photography or links in Swedish  >:(
"And if we live, we shall go again, for the enchantment which falls upon those who have gone into the woodland is never broken."

"Down the Allagash."  by; Henry Withee

Don P

Google Falun Red Pappy

Flood made another product called Seasonite that I used a few times to get a cabin through the first year, it seemed to work well and also seemed to reduce checking. On one job we had some log siding that had been seasonited and some that hadn't, the batch with finish had dried better. That was very limited experience over a pretty short time though.

Stan P

thanks for the good advice Pappy.   CW, thanks for the history lesson.  It's amazing that a log structure from the 15th century is still standing.  We will most likely go with something with penetrating oils to protect it and still let it breathe.   I dont need 500 years, but 70, will be more than enough. 

thanks

Stan

Stan P

why couldn't we use pine tar?  From some of the reading I have done, it lasts a heck of a long time. 

Mad Professor


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