Chlorine Bleach is Bad
Bleach is a strong, caustic chemical that not only destroys some of the lignin in the wood but also raises the level of PH on the wood surface. It often causes the surface of the logs to deteriorate slightly, giving them a fuzzy appearance.
Some researchers claim that bleach causes wood fibers to become less porous, inhibiting the penetration of stains or finishes. A high level of PH on the wood interferes with the curing process of most finishes, which can result in early stain failures.
before...
and after
Preparation & Cleaning
Prior to a maintenance stain, the
logs will be washed with
a cleaning agent to remove any
dirt, mold and mildew. If
the house is sealed then this washing
process will be easy - however if
not, care is taken to not force
any unnecessary water into any cracks.
Once the wood is dry we can determine whether the cleaner was enough to remove all the weathering or if the logs will need to be sanded down further to bring them back to sound wood.
Cleaning Agent
Percarbonate is our choice of the
cleaners. It forms an oxygen bleach,
as opposed to chlorine bleach.
This is a very safe and aggressive
cleaner that loosens dirt, soot
and mold so it can be removed by
first scrubbing with a medium-bristle
brush and then rinsing with a pressure
washer. It dramatically brightens
grayed or weathered wood.
Old Stain /Gray Wood Removal
In the event that you have an older
log home, or have failed to
keep a regular maintenance schedule,
you may be looking at some logs that
have grayed badly or been stained
by water and dirt or been burnt by
the sun. These can look like new again.
We can also use these same techniques
to remove a stain colour you're not
happy with:
There are three options:
- sanding/grinding
- cob blasting
- chemical stripping
There are pros and cons to each method
which can be categorized as cost,
time, noise and environmental impact.
We consider the effects these
processes have on our crew,
your neighbors and the environment,
which is why we recommend
the sanding or cob blasting method.
Cob Blasting
Literally ground up corn cob husks.
There are other medias to use as
opposed to cob in the blasting technique
such as sand and glass. Sand is
very aggressive and very hard on
the wood because it attacks the
fibers. Glass beads or crushed glass
can be used, however I prefer the
most enviromentally safe choice
which is cob. There is no nutrient value
left in it so it is not an attractant
for insects and it can just be used as
mulch in your gardern.
Chemical Stripping
Chemical stripping is costly and
not our first choice due to its negative
enviromental impact. Basically it
requires use of a caustic chemical
that is applied onto the wood, left
to break down the stain/discolored
wood and then completely rinsed
off. This must be followed by adding
an acidic chemical to
bring the wood back into the correct
ph range.
