Edmunds & Company provides a full spectrum of services for log home owners. While on a restoration project in Northeastern Minnesota, we ran into Terry and Tom, the owners of Loon Lake Lodge. They built a beautiful, hand-scribed log cabin on the lake as part of the resort.
In the five years since it was built, the logs had not been stained. The logs had turned gray due to lack of finish (protection). This type of deterioration of the outer surface of logs poses some unique challenges to bring the logs back to looking good and being ready for stain.
These logs had never been stained and they had grayed. They needed cleaning.
Oxi-Clean did a good job of cleaning the logs and getting rid of the gray near the deck surface. Owners Tom and Terry stained the building themselves and we think it looks great!
The Solution
Tom and Terry wanted to maintain the natural beauty of this log building and at the same time, protect the logs from the elements. They considered blasting with crushed glass to remove the discoloration but upon further consideration and testing, we decided to use oxygen bleach.
Using oxygen bleach can bring back the beauty of a log home. In this process, the logs are first wet and then we apply the oxygen bleach solution, scrub, and finally – rinse the logs. This is done one section of the walls at a time so that the solution does not dry on the logs.
The way the bleach solution works is that it bubbles up on the surface lifting up the dead cells, which are then rinsed away with water. The specific product we use is called Oxi-Clean. Some log home suppliers market other products referred to as “wood brighteners” or “renewing” products. These are usually just an Oxi –Clean-like products re-packaged and of course, these versions are more expensive.
You can purchase Oxi-Clean in many places, including your local grocery store, and it is not expensive.
Important note: This is NOT the same as chlorine bleach, which should NOT be used to clean logs. The residue left behind from chlorine bleach can interact negatively with your finish.
Does your log home have dirty or grayed logs? Give us a call and we can see what would be the right solution for your specific situation. Call 715-373-5744 or email info@restorelogs.com.
