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Log home interior maintenance guide.

Log home interior maintenance guide.

Log home interior maintenance guide.

Log homes require a special kind of care and while they can be more work, they are completely worth it. When many people think of log cabin maintenance, they tend to think of the exterior and forget about the interior. Maintaining your interior properly can add to the life and overall life of your log home. In this guide we will cover how to maintain the interior of your log home and how to clean it. 

Interior maintenance will vary depending on the type of log home interior that you have.

Log homes have different options for the interior walls. You can have shaped, peeled, flat, or finished interior walls. If you have finished interior walls, then your interior maintenance will be like a regular house. Flat interior walls are much easier to clean and maintain and clean. Peeled interior walls are the most difficult to clean and maintain. 

How to maintain and care for your log home’s interior.

Stain and finish your interior logs.

The most important step in maintaining your log cabin’s interior is to make sure that it is stained. Sanding and staining your log home’s interior logs will help prevent UV damage, moisture, and other damages. The best stains to use on your interior are water based acrylic stains like Capture Log Stain and Cascade. These stains will also make it easier for you to clean and dust. You can also use a clear polyurethane coat for areas that may be exposed to humidity. In order to stain your interior start by sanding your logs with a power sander. After you have sanded clean logs using a log cleaner thoroughly to remove dust and debris. Then let the interior logs dry to the recommended moisture content before staining. Then you can go ahead and apply the stain as recommended. Once stained, you should not have to stain for a long time.

Install windows with UV protection.

The sun can cause damage to your log home’s interior. Typical UV damage will cause a type of bleach effect on logs. Most stains will protect against the sunlight, but it is still a good idea to do more. If you can, install windows with a UV protections layer. If windows are not an option, then try to use windowblinds and make sure that your stain is not due to be redone. 

Keep your interior heated.

Many people have log homes as vacation homes and will turn the heat off when they are not there. The problem is that wood moves and temperature plays a big role. Turning the heat off or even letting your cabin get too hot can damage the interior. The goal is to keep the cabin at a temperature that will promote a healthy humidity for the logs. This will help minimize movement, damage to logs, gaps, cracks, and even pests. 

Ventilate your log home properly.

Proper ventilation is a great way to protect your log home’s interior. Bathrooms can hold moisture and too much humidity if not ventilated properly. Kitchens can cause grease and smoke to build up on walls. Too much ventilation may bring in extra dust and even humidity from outside. 

Clean your log home’s interior.

Keeping your cabin’s interior walls clean can help add to the life of them and the stain. Cabins also tend to collect dust, especially if they are a shaped or peeled interior. This dust can be bothersome to people with allergies. There are really two ways to clean your log home’s interior; you can do a basic cleaning or a deep cleaning depending on how dirty they are.

How to clean your log home’s interior walls:

The majority of the time you’ll only have to do a basic cleaning. Work your way from top to bottom using a mop, broom, or soft brush to remove cobwebs and dust. If you are doing a basic cleaning, then you will be able to use a soft cleaner. In most cases you will want to avoid bleach. If you are doing a deep clean, then you may want to use distilled white vinegar or a cleaner like TSP. Be sure to check your stain and the cleaner to make sure that the cleaner that you use will not damage your logs or stain.

That’s it Cabin Dreamers! What problems do you have with the interior of your log home? Let us know in the comments!

3 thoughts on “Log home interior maintenance guide.

  1. Rhonda says:

    We recently purchased a log cabin with hand hewn logs. Any thoughts on cleaning the interior logs as well as chinking? The texture is very rough. Also, what products would you suggest for cleaning the logs as well as chinking

  2. Cabin Dreamers says:

    Thank you for your inquiry! I would be happy to help you with your log cabin with hand hewn logs. We carry a product called CPR Log Brightener and cleaner that works extremely well with the logs. Note: CPR is not recommended for use on Redwood, Douglas Firs or others high tanning woods. CPR may occasionally darken these woods- please test first.

    We also carry a product for chinking called Log Jam chinking that goes in between the logs and comes in 8 colors and it looks just like regular mortar and cures like mortar.

    I would be happy to walk you through this process!

    If there is anything else I can do for your please do not hesitate to give us call or email me at info@iwoodc.com and I would be happy to help you! Kelly

  3. Jill Whitehead says:

    I have an old pan abode cabin. Some walls are exposed others have been dry walled over. The interior logs are looking dry and need some maintenance. What would you suggest.

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