# Log Home Maintenance



## WMUAngler (Oct 18, 2007)

Does anyone know of a company or contractor that does corn-cob blasting and resealing of log siding in the Grand Rapids area? I'm having no luck finding one, and I'd like to get a quote. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.


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## WMUAngler (Oct 18, 2007)

Alright, maybe I need to open this up a bit.  Does anyone know of a company or contractor that does corn-cob blasting and resealing of log siding within 2 hours of the Grand Rapids area?


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

I only found one person 5 years back. I cannot remember the name or the location, but after talking with him I wouldn't have hired him at any cost. I ended up pressure washing the home and staining. I did hire this out last time, I'm doing it myself next time. 

If I was looking for corn cob blasting I would call the log home companies, any of 'em and ask. It was difficult to get any info 5 years ago on any process. 

Good luck


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

I used these guys last year and would use them again.

http://www.midwestloghomeservices.com/

They do work all over the country but are based in southen michigan.


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## WMUAngler (Oct 18, 2007)

Awesome, thanks guys. 

During all of my calling around, I found one contractor that is buying a corn cob blaster now that he realizes NO ONE in the area has one. I might try him out on the deck, but definitely not having his first project be the log home. I'll try to get a quote from Midwest Log Home Services. Thanks again!


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

Unless it's an old home and has a lot of buildup, it might not need to be blasted. I just power washed and restained my cabin last fall and it 
looks like new again. That whole process will be $$$$$$$. FWIW.

The guys doing that work seem to come and go.


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## WMUAngler (Oct 18, 2007)

bucko12pt said:


> Unless it's an old home and has a lot of buildup, it might not need to be blasted. I just power washed and restained my cabin last fall and it
> looks like new again. That whole process will be $$$$$$$. FWIW.
> 
> The guys doing that work seem to come and go.


I'm hoping that it does only need to be power washed and stained, but I'm looking for estimates on the cost of the corn blasting so I know the potential maintenance cost of this place. I'll most likely hire that Midwest Log Home Services to do an inspection before I have anything done. A friend of mine had their log cabin blasted, stained and sealed for $1200, but this place is a lot bigger. $3500 would be ok, $10,000 would be out of my price range.


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

I had my home stripped, osborn brushed (sanded with an angle grinder), 2 coats of 30 year stain and an energy seal applied (caulk around every seam in the logs, windows & doors). It was $$,$$$ bucks. So, it ain't cheap but it was worth it in the end.


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## Gina Fox (Nov 4, 2007)

WMUAngler said:


> Does anyone know of a company or contractor that does corn-cob blasting and resealing of log siding in the Grand Rapids area? I'm having no luck finding one, and I'd like to get a quote. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.


 
Google log home refurbishing or get a Log Home Living magazine ( I have a million of them) 
Anyone can do blasting but you want someone who knows how to refinish them.
I found this just googleing log chinking Michigan

Log home repair/restoration in Michigan


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

WMUAngler said:


> I'm hoping that it does only need to be power washed and stained, but I'm looking for estimates on the cost of the corn blasting so I know the potential maintenance cost of this place. I'll most likely hire that Midwest Log Home Services to do an inspection before I have anything done. A friend of mine had their log cabin blasted, stained and sealed for $1200, but this place is a lot bigger. $3500 would be ok, $10,000 would be out of my price range.


Something does'nt sound right with the $ 1200 price. Good stain alone, is $ 350 or more for 5 gallons. 

Unless a band of gypsies did it, or it's a real small cabin. 

My guess for sand blasting and restaining most any reasonable sized home would be $ 4 - 5K or more, for a reputable contractor.


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## spice64 (Dec 1, 2004)

I've done alot of log homes and to powerwash and stain a typical log home starts at around $2000.00 If You would like some numbers P.M. Me.


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## Gina Fox (Nov 4, 2007)

bucko12pt said:


> Something does'nt sound right with the $ 1200 price. Good stain alone, is $ 350 or more for 5 gallons.
> 
> Unless a band of gypsies did it, or it's a real small cabin.
> 
> My guess for sand blasting and restaining most any reasonable sized home would be $ 4 - 5K or more, for a reputable contractor.


I agree! Our stain was $400 bucks for a 5 gallon bucket...I did learn HOW to stain and clear coat very quickly! 

And in case you are thinking to ask, NO, I am not for hire 

Depending on the size of your cabin...and your ambition...you can do it yourself, I would hire out the blasting though, but you must stain and seal quickly...we had to put 2 coats of stain and 2 of clear coat. Most of our logs were pre stained on the ground and then put up. 

It was a HUGE job, one I grew sick of quickly, however it saved us some bucks at a time that we were shelling it out hand over fist. 

In a few years we will need to do it again, ours will be complicated by chinking... I hope to be in a position by then (since I was too old this time and will DEFINATLY be to old next time) to hire someone to do the job.


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

May, 2005. Pressure wash, caulking all joints between logs, all of them, overhangs, everywhere. What a job. Dry one week then stain, 2 coats. Paid about $8500 and they didn't do a real good job with the stain. They did a fantastic job with the caulking. This picture is before. I can't find an after but it really looked good. West side needs another job, the south less so, the north and east are fine. I plan to do the whole home this summer, myself. But the major work is done. This home is 2000 sq ft with 2 dormers and 3 foot overhangs all around.


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

hypox said:


> .......... 2 coats of 30 year stain ..........


What brand is this 30 year stain? Is it guaranteed or warranted for 30 years? Seriously?


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## hypox (Jan 23, 2000)

Sorry, looking back at my quote it was the solid stain they did the facia, soffits and posts with that was guaranteed for 25 years not 30. That was Behr Preminum Solid Stain.

I'm not sure how long the other stuff they used was guaranteed for but that was Weatherall UV Guard II.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

You guys just gave me further reason to have the exterior of my place (when I build it someday) done completely with pole barn steel.


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## WMUAngler (Oct 18, 2007)

Thanks Hypox.

I've been talking to these guys http://www.midwestloghomeservices.com/ and they seem to do an amazing job and have been awesome about answering all my questions. Boy are they expensive though.


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## bucko12pt (Dec 9, 2004)

Steve said:


> You guys just gave me further reason to have the exterior of my place (when I build it someday) done completely with pole barn steel.


That's no fun Steve. 

You do'nt want to be climbing around on ladders and staining when you're 80? 

I did logs because I always wanted a log cabin. The other guys around me have done vinyl and they are mostly maintenance free, but they look like houses not cabins.

From fresh wood, I only got one coat on the first time and it lasted me 
6 years. I did two coats, with three on the south and west sides last fall and I think it should last close to 10 years this time. I plan to do a maintenance coat if I need to in between. 

My cabin is small, so I can easily do it in a day, after washing, with a couple helpers.

Some day I may have to pay someone, but think it's worth it to have 
the log look.


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

Steve said:


> You guys just gave me further reason to have the exterior of my place (when I build it someday) done completely with pole barn steel.


I always wanted a log home. My plans were to build my own. Buy property with enough red pine, cut 'em down, do the scribing etc. Never found the right land. Did buy 80 acres in the Huron Mountains. Didn't have the timber for a log home. Had 2 quotes or rough estimates for a shell. We would finish it. $100,000 to get a livable enclosed cabin, foundation etc. My definition of livable is probably different than yours. I wanted the Scandinavian hand scribed home, not a milled kit. i wanted full log walls, not face paneling. I wanted it open, like timber frame. We didn't put it on the 80. In fact we sold that and bought 95 down the road. Another story. 
After realizing I wasn't going to have a $100,000 cabin at this time I delayed my dream. Well, 6 months later on a beautiful February day, sunny, cool, a nice winter break. Looking thru the pen houses for the day we came across a log home on 3 acres. What the hell. Let's go see it. The alternative was cleaning the basement. We went, when we drove in the I knew I was going to buy it. We did, the next night. 17 days later we had the keys. I did have to clean the basement in the old house after all.

It has exterior maintenance but the interior is relatively maintenance free. The outside walls are logs. The inside walls and ceiling are T&G pine, the floors are hardwood and some are pine. Some stone flooring. The chimney, going thru the middle of the living area is real stone. The free standing stove heats the place. There are log beams running thru the living area, above is a loft, a sitting & reading loft. Once in a while we wash the walls and the ceiling. You can't see any streaks from washing like you can with sheet rock. There is little painting (bathrooms have sheet rock) We love it, we love the wood, everywhere. It's very tight, very warm, very cool in the summer, very quiet. I wouldn't trade it for any vinyl sided ticky tacky row house anywhere anytime. I owned 'em, I don't want to again. Nothing wrong with them, but this wonderful. I know when we retire and move we will probably not have another log home. But we will enjoy it while we have it. It's worth every bit of time we put in.

This is what we come home to every night, 3 dogs included, another this spring. I'll stain the place every 5 years or so. Not much different than painting the inside.


We have added a paver patio and landscaping around the patio










Entry or foyer











Into the dining area/kitchen











Living room, these curtains are gone. The couch is a Cabelas Moose print with 12 guage brass as the tacks on the face cloth










One of the neighbors :evil:


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## Gina Fox (Nov 4, 2007)

Amen!


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