Log Keepers

 

As the warmer season draws to a close, we are often frantic to wrap up unfinished summer projects. Sometimes the end of the season may leave us with raw, untreated logs or siding left unstained or unsealed for one reason or another. If the wood has been prepped and cleaned, perhaps even a borate preservative applied, but there’s no time to choose or apply stain before the good weather runs out, a log keeper might be a good option. There are a few choices available on the market with their various advantages, but generally these clear or lightly tinted primers can protect your wood while buying some extra time to get the final finish on. Most can be applied to higher moisture content wood and will help to reduce water absorption, graying from UV damage, and mold or mildew growth. Below are a few options that we carry for a first step in protecting your logs while they wait to be finished.

Colorfast

Prevents mold and yellowing due to UV damage on new wood as it moves from the mill to the job site and throughout construction. Contains both mildewcide and algaecide to help preserve the wood until it’s time to stain. Or, life happened and you need to wait for a few weeks between prep and staining? No problem.

Before staining, Colorfast evens out wood porosity, creating a smoother surface for stain application and preventing over-absorption and a too-dark color. After staining, the lignin stabilizers prevent the wood underneath from getting sunburned, leaving the stain or clear coat applied on top looking the same year after year.

 

Organiclear™ TM-5 First Treat wood coating is used to protect newly debarked (green) logs and timber during processing, storage, and delivery. TM-5 First Treat protects against Mold, Mildew, and Fungus and three way protection from Rain, Fading, and Weather. (Optimal protection is afforded against discoloration from UV rays.) The special one-coat water based formulation penetrates deep into the interior of green wood. TM-5 First Treat is a concentrate that can be diluted with two parts water, or 1:1 for high moisture woods such as Norway Pine or Aspen. TM-5 First Treat is designed for dipping, though spraying works well. If you choose to dilute at 2:1, it may require monitoring logs for additional coatings. 

 

Sansin Foundation is a penetrating base coat that offers up to 6 months of complete wood protection against weathering and UV during construction. Even better, it dramatically enhances top coat performance without extensive preparation – simply wash and apply the appropriate product over Foundation as directed. Foundation is perfect for both interior and exterior wood surfaces like timbers, logs and lumber. It penetrates naturally, carrying solids deep into the wood where they form a monolithic bond with the wood tissue. This increases dimensional stability, reducing checks and wood movement. In addition to protecting against harmful UV radiation, it enhances the natural moisture resistance of wood surfaces without causing adhesion issues for subsequent top coat applications. Classic Foundation & SDF Foundation formulas are available in Ready to Use formulations that are milky when wet and dry clear.

Sansin Timber-Tec is a concentrated, penetrating wood protection system, offering an effective guard against weathering while providing active UV protection. Timber-Tec contains a proprietary mix of ingredients that protects against sapstain (or bluestain), mold, mildew, and fungi. Suggested for use on logs, timbers, and wood joinery products. Sansin Timber-Tec is intended as a priming application for logs 24-48 hours after being drawknifed and should be applied to clean logs that are not in ground contact. Sansin Timber-Tec can not be applied over previously finished or stained wood. Timber-Tec is available in two transparent formulas:

• M-30 provides the natural light color of fresh pine. 

• C-20 is a clear concentrate that provides a light honey color to the wood once it has dried. 

Sansin Timber-Tec contains solids that penetrate well, creating dimensional stability and water repellency and greatly minimizes cracks and checking. Sansin Timber-Tec provides active U.V. protection keeping wood pure during the construction phase. Note: If applied by spraying, it must be back brushed for proper application. Timber-Tec must also be power washed off of the logs before applying finish. *On some surfaces it will not be easily removed with powerwashing and may require a chemical stripper like Log-Gevity Citrus Strip or sanding.