Newly built log houses are usually stained and sealed as soon as “drying” is complete or shortly thereafter. There is nothing wrong with that, right? Well, here are some things to consider before applying a beautiful natural wood finish to your new log home.

First, newly built houses are often built with “green logs.” Green logs are logs that have been cut and still have a high moisture content. Many log manufacturers “oven dry” their logs, which eliminates this problem, but many do not. Green or wet logs as they dry will shrink, causing marks or cracks to appear, as well as twisting and warping. The biggest problem with this is that it causes the windows and doors to malfunction, the gaskets to separate, and the butt joints to separate creating air and water leaks as well as a way for insects to enter the house.

The logs are also very likely to have been recently ground or molded. The milling process creates a “mill glaze”, a thin waxy film that can prevent penetrating stains from being absorbed into the wood. What this means to the homeowner is that if the sealer doesn’t soak through the logs properly, it won’t last. Add to this the fact that the wood grain of new logs, or any wood for that matter, is very tight and also prevents the sealant from penetrating properly. All of this will prevent the sealant from penetrating properly and will lead to premature failure of the finish. Often this is unavoidable due to manufacturer’s building requirements or sometimes bank loan requirements.

That’s the bad new. The good news is that proper registry cleaning will eliminate two of the problems. Time is the only way to solve the problem of wet “green” logs.

To prepare a newly built log house for sealing, we generally use a 12% chlorine / TSP solution. The chlorine will kill and remove any mold and mildew while the TSP removes dirt, construction debris and opens the pores in the wood. The solution is applied with a sprayer starting from the bottom and working upwards. Always start at the bottom. If you start at the top and work your way down, you will end up with streaks in the records that are difficult to remove and create unnecessary work.

Once applied, the solution is allowed to stand for a predetermined period of time. A light mist is applied to areas that are beginning to dry out to keep the solution moist and working. If it dries on wood, you will have unwanted problems that could and should be avoided. It is required to work in small sections at a time.

Once the residence time is reached, a pressure washer is used to remove mold, grinding varnish, and dirt. It is worth mentioning that the pressure washer is used more for water volume than for water pressure. A pressure washer in inexperienced hands can cause irreversible damage to logs. Less than 1000 psi … preferably 500 to 600 is ideal. To give a comparison, the typical car wash is around 1500.

Once the logs have been cleaned and rinsed, the job is NOT done. I emphasize not because the next step is as important as cleaning, but because most of the time, it is overlooked or simply ignored for financial reasons.

That step is to neutralize the wood. Chlorine, strippers, and other types of cleaners, even dishwashing liquid, are caustic materials and raise pH levels in wood. This is evidenced when the wood darkens after applying the chemical. If caustic chemicals remain on the wood, it can and will react with the newly applied finish, resulting in poor performance and premature finish failure.

A good example is if you’ve ever stained your hands with bleach or even dish detergent and found them very slippery and difficult to rinse, the same goes for logs. No amount of water will remove all of the caustic chemical from the wood. Therefore, it must be neutralized. Once neutralized, it still needs to be rinsed very well to make sure the pH balance returns to normal. The best way to find out is to test the water for runoff with pH test strips like those found at a pool supply store. If a neutral runoff reading is obtained, you will have successfully removed all caustic chemicals from the wood.

However, the neutralization process is not difficult, it takes more time, but the benefits far outweigh the associated costs. Plus, if it will make the finish last longer, it’s definitely worth it.

Ideally, in a newly built log house, it is best to wait a few months to allow the logs to dry out completely and weather a bit. Then, with proper cleaning, the logs are ready to accept a quality sealer. Preparing the logs and applying a finish in this way will ensure optimal sealant performance and keep your new log home looking beautiful for many years to come.