Log Home Maintenance Schedule: When to Clean, Refresh and Restain
The secret to a log home finish that lasts is maintenance before the finish fails. A quick refresh coat on a finish that's still in good shape costs a fraction of stripping and starting over. Here's a simple schedule to follow, and what maintenance looks like for each log home system we sell.
Every Year
- Walk the house. Look for faded or dull areas, bare spots, and places where water stains or mildew are showing. South and west walls get the most sun and usually weather first.
- Wash the logs. Clean off dirt, pollen and mildew so the finish keeps working and you can see its real condition. A log cleaner like Sashco CPR works well.
- Check chinking and caulk. Look for gaps or cracks where Log Jam or caulk has pulled away, and fix them; see how to apply Log Jam.
- Check for carpenter bees and insects. Plug holes, and consider an insect additive in your next coat.
- Keep water away from the logs. Make sure gutters and downspouts work and sprinklers don't hit the walls.
When the Finish Loses Its Sheen
That's the signal for a maintenance coat, while the finish is still intact:
- Sikkens Cetol 23 Plus or Log & Siding: one coat of Cetol Maintenance RE, a clear, non-darkening satin coat made for use over 23 Top Coat RE and Log & Siding finishes in good condition.
- Sashco Capture: clean the logs and apply a fresh coat of Cascade clear. Sashco recommends reapplying Cascade when the surface has lost its sheen, and touching up faded areas with Capture as needed.
- Messmer's Timberflex: refresh with the matching Timberflex clear topcoat.
When the Finish Has Worn Through
If the finish is peeling, flaking or worn down to gray bare wood, a maintenance coat won't fix it. Those areas need to be cleaned or stripped, and the full system reapplied. On failing Sikkens film-forming finishes, that can mean corn blasting the logs first. That's why catching it early pays off.
Quick Reference
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every spring | Inspect, wash, check chinking, caulk and gutters |
| Finish dull, still intact | Clean and apply one maintenance coat (Maintenance RE, Cascade or Timberflex clear) |
| Gaps in chinking or caulk | Repair with Log Jam or Log Builder before the next coat |
| Peeling or bare wood | Prep and reapply the full stain system |
Choosing a finish for the first time? See our log home stain guide and how to stain a log home with the Sikkens Cetol system. Questions? Email Sales@TheStainDepot.com.