Log Home Restoration Minnesota

Professional Log Cabin Restoration in Minnesota

  • Media blasting services for log cabin restoration
  • Environmentally friendly restoration techniques
  • Always on time and on budget

Log homes are a classic American house style, especially around the lakes across northern Minnesota. Lake cabins from Brainerd to the Boundary Waters invite us to enjoy cozy winter trips and relaxing summer breaks. That is until your log home starts looking grimey.

When you notice your cabin changing colors and starting to look run down, it’s time to call on the professionals who can use media blasting to bring your home back to life. With over a decade of experience using eco-friendly restoration techniques, Clean ‘N Seal returns your log cabin to its original glory without harming your home’s exteriors or the environment.

Log Home Repair Services

The CNS team provides you with multiple stages of restoration care for your log home since not all log cabins need the same treatment all the time. When our experts come to assess your home, we’ll help you find the right restoration service that brings your cabin back to life!

Chinking/Caulking

Chinking and caulking are essential practices for maintaining the integrity and efficiency of log homes. The decision between using caulk or chink depends on the size of the gaps between log courses. For gaps ¾ of an inch or smaller, caulking is recommended. However, for larger gaps, chinking is the appropriate choice. These materials are specially formulated to accommodate the natural movements of log homes, ensuring a tight seal that enhances the home's energy efficiency.

Properly applied chinking and caulking prevent heat loss and cool air escape, sealing the home from external elements. This not only makes the log home more comfortable but also protects it against log rot, a common issue arising from gaps around windows, doors, and log courses

For effective maintenance, certain checks that allow wind, water, or pests inside must be filled, especially those near windows, doors, or corners. Regular inspections in spring and fall are recommended to address any needed repairs.

Power Washing

Over time, your home’s logs can become discolored from the elements. With so much exposure to sun, rain, snow, and ice, the logs can fade and accumulate dirt. Our pressure-washing process removes any dirt, grime, or stains that may have collected on your logs, restoring their natural color and beauty.

Media Blasting

Our media blasting services take it up a notch by using a high-pressure tool to propel a media, like corn blasting, walnut shell blasting, recycled glass blasting, to remove any old stains, finishes, dirt, and debris that may have accumulated on your logs.

With the right equipment and our experienced professionals, this method easily strips stains, sealers, old wood, and mold or mildew from your logs without damaging them. This process essentially gives you a fresh start for restaining and enhancing your log home.

Staining

Stains not only enhance the natural appearance and beauty of your logs and timber, but they also protect them from harmful UV rays, moisture, and other environmental factors. Especially after media blasting your logs, you’ll want to reapply a stain that heightens your logs' durability and resistance to weather elements.

Regular Maintenance Plans

Once your restoration is complete, our experts will outline a customized maintenance plan just for your home. This plan will make caring for your log home easy and headache-free in the future and help you maintain the lasting beauty you expect from your home.

When Should You Restore Your Log Home?

Log homes sometimes need a little more care than your average siding home, which just needs a good professional house washing every now and again. For log homes, you should do a visual inspection of your logs twice a year, usually in the fall and spring, to check for rotting wood, places where water is collecting, and areas that need caulking and/or chinking.

Then turn to the pros for a complete and thorough inspection and restoration of your log home when you notice any of these signs.

Mold & Mildew

One of the most common problems log homeowners face is mold, mildew, and dark spots. These issues can arise due to moisture buildup, which is an early sign of decay of your logs. Remove these unsightly spots quickly to prevent further damage.

Rotting Logs

If mold or mildew goes too far, your logs will start to decay or rot. This is a sure sign your log home needs extra care. Logs closest to the ground are usually more susceptible to rot. You’ll either need to repair or replace them depending on the extent of the damage.

Dirty Logs

Bird droppings, dirt, and surface contaminants will slowly degrade your stain, which leads to moisture seeping in and rotting your logs. If you notice these pollutants, it’s time for a professional power wash.

Micro Checks & Cracks

Tiny cracks in your logs allow moisture to infiltrate, leading to stain failure and even rot. But don’t fear. New micro checks can be filled with stain or a clear coat. Cracks a quarter inch wide or larger should be sealed.

Loss of Sheen

When first applied, most clear coats have a satin sheen while still in good shape. Over time, that clear coat or stain erodes due to weathering. Check your home in the sunlight or take a flashlight to it. If the sheen looks uneven, it’s time for maintenance.

Color Shifts in Your Stain

If your stain looks darker or lighter than it initially did, this is a sign of UV damage. You’ll want a recoat sooner rather than later to restore the aesthetic appeal and protection of your logs.

Ready to Apply New Stain

Before you start staining your logs, you should remove old stains and clean your wood. New coats of stain last longer and adhere better to the logs once thoroughly prepped with a good power washing or media blast. Call on our professionals for a picture-perfect restoration.

Types of Media for Log Cabin Restoration

It’s important to contact media blasting specialists for log cabin restoration because not just any media should be used. Wood is a generally softer material, so high pressures or hard media only cause more damage.

Crushed walnut shells and corn cob have traditionally been used on log homes because they effectively remove stains without harming the wood and create a clean surface for restaining. However, as biodegradable materials, these options can get stuck in cracks and checks and will rot if they are not removed properly.

We recommend and use recycled glass media as a great alternative to corn cob and walnut shells because it safely restores the wood to its original state and is safer than the biodegradable options.

Recycled glass strikes a good balance between being environmentally friendly while also getting down to sound wood. Because this media works so well, we don’t use harsh chemicals that can harm you, your logs, or the surrounding environment. Our techniques use only natural and recyclable materials.

Restore Your Log Home With Clean ‘N Seal

Whether you’re in Brainerd, the Twin Cities, or you have a cabin up north, get it lake season ready with a thorough inspection and media blasting restoration! And when you need concrete cleaning and paver restoring services, let us take your exterior surfaces from grimey to gorgeous.

Call Clean ‘N Seal today at 952.393.9588 in the Twin Cities, 218.232.3863 in the Brainerd area, or connect with us online for your free estimate!

 

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