Swedish Cope
Log Home / Cabin Construction Guide

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR LOG HOME OR CABIN:

• CLEANING THE LOGS: During construction your logs will get dirty and will sun fade. There are many ways to clean the logs before caulking or sealing them. Most stain and/or caulk manufactures have recommended methods for cleaning the logs in order to best accept their products. Be sure to prepare the logs to their specifications. Here is a list of some of the most popular methods of cleaning logs:

  • PRESSURE WASHING: One popular method of cleaning logs is pressure wasing. When pressure washing, be careful not to get too close to the logs with the nozzle. Getting too close will cause the logs to get a fuzzy texture. Pressure washing does a good job of cleaning dust and dirt but is not very effective on sun faded logs or logs that have dirt that has penetrated the wood fibers.

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  • CHEMICAL CLEANERS: There are some chemical solutions available that are designed to help clean wood. Two of the best methods we have found are a Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) bleach solution or CPR Log Cleaner and Brightener.

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  • SOL BRITE-E: Another chemical method to clean logs is Sol Brite-E. Sol Brite-E is intended for spot cleaning application. It is an acid-based solution that may be used to clean up metal stains or rusting that can occur on your logs as a result of coming in contact with metal at any time during manufacturing or construction. These stains are generally black in color and are easily removed by spraying the Sol Brite-E solution directly on the stain.

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  • OSBORN BRUSH: An osborn brush works well to clean up dust, dirt and sun fading. It takes more time than most other cleaning methods, but it requires minimal clean up. An Osborn Brush works best with a varial speed grinder. A typical log home requires 1-4 brushes.

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  • CORN COB BLASTING: This is a highly effective method of blasting dirt and sun fading from the surface of logs. This method requires a corn cob blaster as well as a 175-185 CFM air compressor. Ground up corn cob is the media that is used when corn blasting. An alternative to corn blasting is sand blasting. Corn cob blasting is less abrasive to the logs than sand. Blast media tends to leave rough texture on the surface of the logs. An Osborn Brush may be used to smooth this texture.

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