Log Home Chats Spring 2017

Spring Maintenance

It’s spring again, the birds are chirping, the grass is growing and the leaves are turning green, buzz, Oh no! Not Again. Yes it is true, every year there is a battle between log home owners and carpenter bees. Typically you will start to see signs by the end of April or the beginning of May; however by the end of the month bees are in a frenzy, this is there mating season which typically lasts around three weeks. We have heard stories of bee vs. tennis racquet, bee vs. BB gun, shot gun and 22. While to some slight degree these methods may work (depending on your aim) there is no better method then treating each individual hole. If it has been a couple of years since your home has been stained we recommend a wash to remove surface dust, dirt and pollen, and with a wash we will treat the bee holes. A wash and fresh coat of stain is recommended every three to five years. Remember you don’t want to wait until stain is peeling or turning black to apply a maintenance coat. In either of these scenarios we will treat the carpenter bee holes and help you try to keep the bees to a minimum.

If not kept in check, bees create unsightly holes and attract woodpeckers that love to eat larvae creating a mess to get to them. After treatment and repair of the bee holes specifically designed bee traps are recommended to attract the carpenter bee to pre-drilled holes. Since there is a lot of work to drill a new hole the carpenter bee will use any existing hole of the right diameter. Once in the trap you have eliminated the bee, at least one hole and the possibility of a woodpecker tearing up the wood on your home.

Maintenance Tips

Don’t forget to inspect your log home because any minor concern caught early enough will save you money in the long run, as the saying goes “a stitch in time saves nine”.

• Plants or any landscaping material should not be in contact with the wood.
• Allow 18” to 24” of air space between firewood stacks and the wood walls.
• Look for gutters and downspouts full of debris or that may have leaks.
• Are south facing walls fading?
• Is the wood on dormers and touching the roof starting to turn black?
• The appearance of (black) mold or mildew may be found especially on north walls.
• Are checks (splits) in the wood starting to get dark or black.
• Exposed horizontal beams or logs without roof coverage or caps will quickly deteriorate from water if not maintained regularly.

Although this is not an all inclusive list, taking the time to do an inspection on a regular basis will allow you to notice any slight differences in the color of stain application and wood avoiding a potential problem early.

Announcement

We are excited to announce that a service center is now available in Winchester, VA. Although our services are provided throughout the continental United States we have found an increased interest within the south central eastern states and have decided to provide more of a local presence. Ethan Kuhns has recently moved to the Winchester, VA area from central PA, and his focus will be servicing customers within the following states MD, WV, VA, TN, NC, SC.

Ethan’s history is deeply rooted in working with natures gift of wood, he has generations of forestry, lumbermen and log home manufacturing owners, and log home building industry professionals at his fingertips. He has studied Business Entrepreneurship at Penn State University, PA and proceeded to work in the log home industry focusing on assuring customer satisfaction and project management to log home customers. In his spare time Ethan, loves to spend time with his girlfriend and is an avid hunter. His years of knowledge gathered is a great asset and will allow us to continue the growth of our organization.

We are pleased that Ethan will represent Log Building Maintenance and Restoration in a more prominent way as the South-Central Service Manager.

Product Spotlight

Lifeline Ultra-2 - the two-coat application helps to ensure consistent color development on your walls. From the day that you apply it to the many years of durability that you get from it, this wood stain will distinguish your home.

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