The process for restoring your home is a 5 step process:
Step 1: The most important and most overlooked step is wood surface preparation. Proper wood surface preparation includes blasting the exterior of the home using a ground up walnut media, or using a chemical stripper to remove the failed finish on decks and roofs. Walnut blasting uses a ground walnut media with the consistency of fine light sand, but much lighter in weight. The walnut media blasting technique is a log home restoration industry standard and provides the client with an environmentally safe and effective means of removing failed finishes from the wood surface. Walnut blasting also removes fungus, dirt and wood discoloration in order to bring back the original look and feel of the wood. Upon completion of blasting, the entire surface area of the blasted wood is hand sanded using an orbital sander and 60 or 80 grit paper. This step is the most difficult and time consuming in the process!
Step 2: Protect the windows and doors from overspray. Mask and tape all the windows and doors to minimize overspray of preservative and stain. For decks and roofs, protect plants and vulnerable surfaces with plastic tarps.
Step 3: Preserve the wood. A 10% solution of a boron derived wood preservative called “borate” is applied using an airless sprayer. Borates have been used successfully for decades in New Zealand, and England as an anti-fungal (rot), insecticide and mildecide. This preservative has a powder consistency and is dissolved in water, then applied using an airless sprayer. The borate provides great protection and is a must for preserving your wood for many years!
Step 4: Apply the correct finish! This is also a very important step. There are many products on the market and the finish decision can be very confusing and disconcerting. Fidalgo Restoration recommends an oil base penetrating finish such as Sikkens Cetol SRD, not a “film-base” non-penetrating finish. In fact, the owner of Fidalgo Restoration used Sikkens Cetol SRD on his home and it is still in great shape after 7+ years! Please read the articles written by log home restoration expert “Jim Renfroe”. www.eWoodCare.com
Step 5: Log home maintenance and cedar home maintenance is necessary to prevent complete restoration in the future. A yearly maintenance plan is an absolute must to preserve your exterior finish. You will not have to restore the wood again….if, you maintain your finish. Please contact Fidalgo Restoration for a maintenance schedule and plan for your exterior finish, decks and roof.