It's
Time to Do a Little Spring Cleaning
By Tony Huddleston
With winter being almost over, and
spring almost on us, it’s time to get out of the house and see what
the ravages of winter have bestowed on your home, and do a little spring
cleaning.
Depending where you live, winter can be
a very unfriendly companion for your home. For instance if your home is
located in areas prone to large amounts of snowfall, the snow can lay
against the logs on your home for weeks. As the snow begins to melt
during the day and re-freeze at night, the melted snow causes water to
run into the season checks and small areas that rainfall normally
doesn’t get into. The moisture inside the check can work its way into
the wood substrate beneath the finish and allow the wood to become very
wet.
Once the freezing process starts again,
the trapped water will expand as it freezes beneath the finish and can,
in some instances "pop" the finish off at the edges of the
check. The wood then is unprotected and can start to suffer damage from
ultraviolet light and repeated moisture.
Season checks that face upward and
allow water to enter can not only lead to exterior finish problems, but
they can also serve as a channel for the water to possibly work its way
to the interior of the home. Water carried into the interior not only
brings in unwanted moisture, but it also brings along with it unsightly
tannin stains or "water stains" that will be visible and
unsightly. These stains can be very difficult to remove, especially if
the interior of the home is finished with a stain or sealer. Water
stains on unfinished wood can normally be removed with a light scrubbing
with Oxalic acid mixed with a mild non-ammonia type cleaner. If the wood
is covered with a stain or sealer, it may be necessary to remove the
finish, clean and re-finish the affected area.
The season checks that catch water on
the exterior should be filled to prevent any further water entry with
Check Mate or Energy Seal sealant. If the edges of the check are
unprotected, they should be cleaned, lightly sanded and touched up to
restore the protection.
Check the log ends for any evidence of
darkening that would indicate the presence of water "wicking"
into the grain of the end. Prolonged moisture problems lead to more
severe problems if allowed to continue. To help prevent this problem, it
may be necessary to lightly sand the log ends to remove any finish that
may be left, and to remove any surface deterioration that may have
occurred.
Some time should be allowed to promote
drying of moisture that may be within the log ends, as you do not want
to trap the moisture within. The ends should then be treated with Shell
-Guard wood preservative to stop rot and decay fungi that may be present
in the wood, allow dry time and re-stain.
Once the stain is dry, apply Log End
Seal to help prevent any further water infiltration. Log End Seal is
made from two Acrylic polymers that remain flexible to absorb log
movement from seasonal changes, and provides a clear acrylic barrier to
help prevent water entry into the log ends. For more information or to
obtain any of these supplies, call your nearest Perma-Chink Systems
office.
Caulking and chinking should be checked
for integrity and adhesion at the interface of the sealant and the wood
substrate. If the seal has broken between the wood and the sealant, it
may provide a route for unwanted water entry and heat loss. With
sealants there are normally two modes of failure, adhesive and cohesive.
Adhesive failure occurs whenever the bond between the wood and the
sealant is lost, and the sealant no longer is bonded to the wood or
other substrate. With today’s quality high performance sealants,
adhesive failure is almost a thing of the past on a properly applied
sealant.
Most adhesive failures are due to
improper application over excessive oil, dirt, or unsound surfaces. They
can also happen whenever the incorrect type of sealant is applied. If
adhesive failure is apparent, the faulty seal must be corrected by
removing the product, properly cleaning the substrate, and
re-application following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Cohesive failure can be observed by
evidence of tearing of the sealant, while adhesion is still sound. There
are a number of reasons for cohesive failures, but most are the result
of an improper application of one sort or another. Thin sealant
applications are probably the most common, as it may be difficult to
determine the depth a sealant is applied, and while the joint may appear
to be sealed, there is not enough mass of material to absorb movement
that may occur.
Three-sided adhesion of a sealant is
also responsible for a great number of cohesive failures as well. In
order for a sealant to work properly, it must not be applied in such a
manner that does not allow for movement.
Good sealant applications dictate the
use of a "bond breaker" that allows the sealant to pull away
or "float" at the back side of the applied joint. This allows
for movement of the substrate that can take advantage of the elongation
built into quality sealants. In some cases, it may be impossible to use
a bond breaker or backer rod beneath the sealant, as the situation may
not allow it to be feasible. In that case, thickness or mass of the
sealant will have to suffice for the application.
In the event of extreme movement, even
the best of sealants may experience cohesive failure and require
maintenance. Call and request a copy of our "Log Home Sealant
Applicator Guide" for a practical explanation of sealant joint
design and installation.
