Log home staining that holds up on the sunny side.
Your north wall still looks fine. The south and west walls are gray and soaking up water. We wash, strip what’s failed, and stain it so it lasts.
Why one side of your cabin goes first
Sun does most of the damage. The walls that face south and west take the most UV and the most weather, and up here that includes wind and rain coming straight off the big lake.
Perma-Chink, one of the bigger log-finish makers, says film-forming and oil-based stains usually need another coat every 2 to 3 years depending on sun exposure. So it’s normal for your sunny walls to need a coat while the shady ones can wait.
Restaining the whole place when only two walls need it is money you don’t have to spend. We’ll tell you which walls actually need work.
Three ways to tell it’s time
- Spray it with water. Spritz a dry log with a spray bottle. If the water beads up, the finish is still working. If it soaks in, the finish is done.
- Look for fading. Color going pale or patchy, usually low on the south wall and around the deck, means the stain has worn through.
- Try the tape test on older finishes. Press packing tape on the log and pull it off. Perma-Chink’s rule: if half or more of the color comes off on the tape, it needs restaining and maybe stripping.
The water and tape tests come from Perma-Chink’s maintenance guide. More detail in our guide on how often to stain a log home.
How a restain goes
Walk it with you
We go around the whole place, water-test each wall and write up what needs doing. You get the price in writing before anything starts.
Wash and let it dry
Logs get cleaned of dirt, pollen and mildew, then they need to dry out before any stain goes on. In a wet week that means we wait.
Strip or sand what’s failed
Peeling or blotchy finish comes off. Stain over a failed coat just peels with it.
Stain into every check
Stain gets brushed into the cracks and end grain, not just across the face of the log. Ends and checks are where water gets in first.
Final walkthrough
You walk it with us before we call it done. That’s how Jason has run jobs since 1999.
Cedar siding and decks, too
A lot of North Shore places aren’t full log. They’re cedar siding with a big deck facing the water. Same problem, same fix: clean it, let it dry, and get a penetrating stain into the wood before it grays out.
Decks wear fastest because they get sun, snow and foot traffic. If you’re doing the siding, it’s usually worth doing the deck in the same visit.
Log homes we’ve stained
These are from Jason’s own job photos. Small and older, but real.
Questions we get
How often does a log home need to be restained?
There’s no fixed number. Perma-Chink puts film-forming and oil-based stains at about every 2 to 3 years depending on sun, and longer with their two-step stain and topcoat. Test each spring: if water soaks into the logs instead of beading, it’s time.
Do you have to restain the whole house at once?
No. The south and west walls usually wear out first. If the north and east walls still bead water, we can do just the walls that need it and match the color.
When is the best time to stain a cabin up here?
Late spring through early fall, on dry days. The logs need to be dry before stain goes on, and most products have a minimum temperature on the label. In Duluth, October lows average about 36°F, so we try to finish exterior staining by the end of September.
Do you stain new log homes?
Yes. New logs need cleaning and sometimes sanding before the first coat. Ask us when the build is close to done so we can get on the schedule.
Tell us what needs doing.
Free estimate, written price, and Jason walks the job with you before it’s done.
Or call 218-310-4214