Maintaining Your Log Sided Zook Cabin

Now that you have the pre-built log cabin you have wanted for so long, here are some simple log home maintenance and cleaning tips we have found that will preserve the look of your cabin for years to come. Log home maintenance is very important, but keep in mind that this information can be helpful to you no matter what structure you have. Whether you own a pre-built log cabin or are looking into a kit, you will need to know about log cabin care in order to get the most out of your investment. We want to give you 6 easy steps to exterior log home maintenance. 

6 Easy Steps to Maintaining Your Cabin’s Exterior

As part of your log house maintenance, and to preserve the natural beauty of your home, you need to re-stain the exterior periodically. Fresh stain shall be applied approximately every 5 years. The stain that was factory-applied to your home is Haley Paint’s Wilderness Ultra Log Stain 701 (since 2019). Our standard color is Butternut; however, re-staining with this same color will significantly darken the color of your home so we highly recommend re-staining with Natural, which is a lighter tone. Test the color on a small patch in an inconspicuous location.

Step 1: Remove Fixtures

Remove all fixtures from the log home, like our Mountaineer Deluxe, that will get in the way of cleaning the log siding. Typically, this consists of shutters and mailboxes. We do not recommend removing electrical items, as working around exposed wires can be dangerous. If you want to go the extra mile, you might consider shutting of the power to the exterior of the home.

Step 2: Find and Fill Checks and Butt Joints In Your Log Home Siding

As you prepare to reseal your home, you will need to make sure to fill in any checks or butt joints. Without these spaces being correctly filled in, your logs will be prone to deterioration, and in the worst-case scenario, it will cause your log to rot. Let’s look at how you can fill these to create the best environment for your log cabin.

1.) Gather Your Supplies

To correct the checks, you will need a backer rod,  Frog Tape, color-matched caulk, a caulk gun, and a razor blade (tape measure optional). We recommend Sashco Big Stretch Caulk. Once you have these supplies, we can get started.

2.) Mark Of Checks In Your Siding

Go around your home and mark off each check, a split that is 1/8th inch or greater, with a piece of frog tape. If the Split is less than ⅛”, you do not need to mark this off as a check to be filled. These checks are too small to hold anything (backer rod or caulk) and we would recommend that you use a brush to really fill in this space with sealer, but more on that later. 

3.) Fill In the Checks with Backer Rod

Once you have identified the checks in the siding, find the check you want to start with and get out your backer rod. Take the backer rod and measure from one end of the check to the other, and, using the razor blade, cut off our backer rod at the end of the check. Using the razor blade to push in the backer rod into the Check. You may need to do this multiple times depending on how wide or deep the check is. 

The goal of this is to bring it close to flush with the siding. You do not want it to be flush, as you will be going over the area with caulk.

Repeat this process until all of the Checks have been filled with backer rod. Doing this kind of project by yourself is relatively easy when doing it on a one-story cabin like our Musketeer Cabin. However, if you have one of our two-story cabins, like our Glacier Cabin, it may be a bit more challenging to manage independently, and you may need to use a scissor lift or extension ladder.

4.) Frog Tape Along the Edge of The Checks

Once all of your checks have been filled in with the backer rod, use your frog tape to tape along the edge and end of the check. Repeat this process for all of the checks that you have filled out with the backer rod. By doing this, you are giving yourself a clean edge from where the caulk has been applied so that there is no excess caulk on the log siding, as the caulk will not hold stain as the log siding will. 

5.) Caulk Your Checks

Once you have completed steps 1-4, you can now caulk your checks using the big stretch caulk and caulk gun. After you apply the caulk, smother over the caulk with your finger. Once you have done this, remove the tape so it does not become stuck under the caulk as it dries.

This same process can be used when fixing spaces in between log ends, known as butt joints.

Step 3: Repair Damaged Chinking in You Log Home Siding

Chinking Repair on a log-sided home is not something you may need to do as you would in a traditional log home. However, some people enjoy the look that having chinking in place may offer. You would need a Permachink and a sizeable caulking gun to do this. To complete the chinking, start with a loaded chinking gun start from the left-hand side and go halfway through the length of the log. Once you get to the halfway point, switch directions and go from the right-hand side to the left-hand side until you meet in the middle.  

Once you complete this, get a 1-inch damp sponge brush and gently run the length of the entire area that you have chinked so that you can have a smooth and even look. 

Once you have given your home 3 days to dry after you finish the caulking and chining process, you may proceed to step 3.

Step 4: Washing Your Log Home

After all the prep work of getting your log home ready for its washing maintenance, you can finally get to the point where you can wash your home. There are two ways that you can wash your log home: pressure washing and soft washing.  Both of these practices involve using a pressure washer, but they are slightly different, so let’s dive into that a bit more.  

Pressure Washing 

Pressure washing machines use a motor to force water out of a small hole at the end of a wand which in turn allows you to blast away dirt and grime from a distance of only a few inches. However, when used to maintain the siding on your log home, it is easy for those surfaces to become chipped, dented, or splintered due to too much pressure. For this reason, we say that it is best not to pressure wash your home. 

Soft Washing

Soft washing your log home also uses a pressure washing machine; however, you will use it from a distance of 12 – 18 inches from the home with a cleaner. This is the method we recommend, as the cleaner does the work and prevents any damage from occurring to the log siding itself. Essentially,y all you are using the pressure washer for is to help you reach the distance of high points and mix the cleaner into the water. 

In this process, you will clean the home with the mixed soap solution, let it set in to work for about 5-10 minutes, and then rinse it clean with water only. Not only does this clean your log-sided home safely it also is much more time-efficient than if you tried to pressure wash your log-sided home.

Once you have completed this maintenance step for cleaning your home, let it rest for at least 3 days before sealing it. Without giving your home the opportunity to dry before sealing it,  your home can become waterlogged, resulting in logs that will rot.

Once you have completed these steps, it’s time to prepare to re-seal your home. 

5.) Tape Off Windows, Doors, Light Fixtures etc.

Before you prepare to stain or seal your log home, you need to tape off all the windows, doors, light fixtures, or anything else mounted to the home. By covering these fixtures, you will prevent them from becoming stained when you seal your home.  Take a look at the video above on how you can cover your windows quickly. The same process can be used for doors as well.

5.) Apply Sealer or Stain

At this point in the log home maintenance process, it is time to stain your log home. At Zook Cabins, we highly recommend that you use Hayley Paint Natural finish when restainign or sealing your home. To apply this stain, we recommend that you use a paint sprayer and a brush for back brushing. Spray the sealer in a back-and-forth motion, going by sections. When you come to a spot that has a small check in it that is too small to fill with caulk, we recommend that you use the brush to back brush in additional sealer so that the cabin logs are covered appropriately.

FAQs About Log Cabin Maintenance:

Zook Cabins Log Cabin Upkeep Helpful Hint:

We have our stain mixed locally for our own custom color. If you would like we can include the stain that you will need for the first application when your building is shipped. Many of our customers have chosen to do that rather than track down stain for themselves when the time comes.

Should you choose to go with a log cabin kit, keep in mind the first coat will not be included. You can sometimes get the manufacturer to do it for a charge and from that point on you will want to use a similar staining schedule as we recommend for our log cabin maintenance plan.

Interior

Your pre-built log cabin’s finished interior will come with a clear coat finish. This gives the wood of your interior a beautiful, bright glow, while at the same time making cleaning up very easy.

You can perform log cabin upkeep by cleaning your walls and floors with a gentle household cleaner and a wet rag. You may find that some wood floor cleaners will work very well and help your floor to maintain its original shine.

Zook Cabins Log Cabin Upkeep Helpful Hint:

Make sure that if your cabin is located in an area where the temperature drops below freezing that you either leave a small amount of heat on, or blow all of the water out of your pipes. Make sure if you are blowing out all the water that you do not forget about the hot water heater.

Here are some simple how-to’s about log cabin care for hardwood floors. This is an easy how-to with good basic information for every cabin owner.

• Sweep wood floors often with a soft, fine bristle broom.
• Vacuum once or twice a week to remove dirt and sand. Use a soft brush attachment to minimize scratching.
• Since water is a wood floor’s worst enemy, get rid of water right away! Remove wet spills ASAP with soft towels or a wet/dry vacuum, then dry thoroughly.
• Use a very dry damp mop when mopping polyurethane wood floors, since excess water can seep into seams and ruin a wood floor.
• Consider using carpet runners (with non-skid pads) over wood floors in high traffic areas.
• Vacuum area rugs and runners often so dirt doesn’t filter down through the weave and scratch the wood underneath.
• If possible, do not wear heavy shoes or high heels on hardwood floors, as some heels can cause dents.
• Never drag furniture or other objects across a wood floor. Instead, clean the floor thoroughly to remove dust and grit, then use “gliding” furniture pads underneath the piece to aid sliding it across the floor.
• Install floor mats at each entrance so you don’t track in dirt from the bottoms of shoes.
• Be sure to follow manufacturer recommendations to treat flooring scratches and dents. If an area of the finish is damaged by water, it may be difficult to fix it.
• Use furniture pads to place under table and chair legs and on the feet of dressers and armoires. They can be purchased at a local hardware store or home center.
• Some floors may require periodic waxing and buffing. Get recommendations from the manufacturer for the specific procedures for your floor.

Zook Cabins Helpful Hint:

It is important to make an effort not to track over your wood floors with dirty shoes, or boots. When the dirt, stones and sand build up in the soles they can be left around the cabin. Over time feet grind across them acting almost as sandpaper and can damage the finish on your flooring. Simply taking your shoes off at the door can increase the life and beauty of your floor!

Log House Maintenance Tips

• Use area rugs in high traffic areas.
• Always remove spills promptly. While small drips of water may not harm the floor, be sure not to let excess amounts of water sit on the floor.
• Find out cleaning and care requirements for your specific floor from the manufacturer.

Log cabin maintenance is an important part of keeping your place as beautiful as the day it was delivered. If you have any log home maintenance questions or need help tracking down stain to put on your cabin, give us a call at (610) 593-4556.

With a little TLC you can keep your cabin looking as good as it did on day 1 and continue enjoying life.