Staining and Sealing

Staining

If you read nothing else on this page, please read the following:

• Every log home needs to be stained.
• All stains are not created equal.
• All stains are not meant to be used on log homes.
• Never use house paint on a log home.

At High Country Restoration, we only recommend the highest quality log home stains available on the market. If you're going to the expense of restoring or re-staining you log home, don't waste your money on an inferior stain that won't protect your home and your investment. If it's a new log home, you want to make the best decision to protect those new logs right from the start.

There's also the question of what type of stain to apply – oil based, water based or water based latex and which type works best for the climate and UV conditions affecting your home. We take all of those factors into account before we recommend which stain bests matches the needs of your home. Then it's just a matter of choosing a color.

The staining process is different depending on surface conditions of the logs.

If we are staining a fully-blasted (stripped) home, we'll use low pressure sprayers to insure even coverage and to move the stain into all the nooks and crannies that are exposed during the blasting process. As we apply the stain with the sprayers, we back brush the stain by hand to remove any excess stain and prevent any drips or runs from occurring. The results of this process are far superior to just brushing or spraying the stain and gives the finish the optimal characteristics of beauty and endurance.

If we are re-staining, we softly wash the logs, make sure we have removed any peeling or damaged stain, repair any surface defects, let the logs dry, then apply the stain using brushes.

Any stain application on a moist surface will lead to stain failure and cause damage to the logs. So we are very careful to make sure that we have dry conditions before we proceed. Remember, dry logs are healthy logs.

We'll talk about this in more detail in the maintenance section, but an annual soft washing and inspection of the logs will make a huge difference in how long the beauty and endurance of the new stain will last. Just click here to go to our Maintenance Services page to schedule a cleaning and touch up.