No Painting Log Homes
We’re just going to come right out and say it – DON’T paint your log home. If you have a new log home or have just purchased one “new to you,” you might be tempted to hire a paint crew to come out and freshen things up by painting log homes exterior a new color. Fight the temptation and contact ProLog’s log home experts first.
Paint experts are not log home experts. The experienced log home experts at ProLog Restorations know how to evaluate everything from the location, position, age and building materials of your home to determine the right type of treatment that’s best for your log home.
Logs have unique structural and material characteristics that make the application and long-term effects of paint very different from traditional structures.
The short reason why paint is a bad idea? Log homes need to breathe. Paint seals the logs in a way that traps moisture inside, and moisture is the enemy of a healthy log home. Moisture inside the logs will cause them to deteriorate and rot from the inside out. Then you’re facing complicated and costly repairs as log home professionals must be brought in to cut out the rot, replace it, then treat it.
When a traditional house painting crew finishes and drives away into the sunset, you may feel pretty good about how great your home looks. But wait a few weeks. Traditional house paint on logs starts showing wear-and-tear within months, even weeks. Peeling, flaking and cracking paint not only looks bad, but it makes repairs impossible without extensive (and costly) blasting and staining to properly prepare the wood.
To see video of a log home that was painted – and the damage it caused – click HERE to watch our CEO, Jon, address the question: “Should I paint my log cabin?”
Traditional painting companies may suggest using an epoxy to seal the areas that are rotting, but again,ProLog Restorations does NOT recommend doing this for a log structure. It’s sort of like a dentist deciding to remove part of a cavity and then sealing the tooth to prevent the spread of anything left. Rot doesn’t just go away. The damage is still there, still growing, and it will find a way to cause even more devastating effects. Just as epoxy-sealed wood rot will for your log home.
If you are considering painting log homes versus staining log homes or cabin, please take a few moments to give your log home experts at ProLog Restorations a call at 877-477-6564 for a free consultation about what the best move is for the health, beauty and longevity of your home. ProLog Restorations has specialized in log home staining, repairs and restoration for over 25 years and have the knowledge, equipment and experience to help you make sure your home stays healthy and looks great!
