Log Home + Thompson Water Seal

[Temp97]

Ne Log home with 3 coats of stain/sealer on it. I'm thinking of adding a coat of thompson water sealer. Parts of the house are looking darker with what looks like mold. I've power washed these portions and it comes right off but I'm thinking I need a bit more protection. Any advice, anybody used something different? Also, carpenter Bee's are my new worst enemy

Thanks

 

[mjarrels]

A few years ago, consumer report put thompson water seal at the bottom of the list.

mark

 

[Slacker]

Carpenter bee's are one of the few types of critters that, if given the chance, I would jihad upon! I hate those **** bees!

One fact about the carpenter bees is the young return to the place they were born to make a new hole. Its a vicious cycle that can be broken only by killing all the adults and young. Do a google search for a powder that works well, but the name escapes me now. Its designed to be dusted on in the spring. It sticks to the bees, not killing immediatly so they bring it with them into the holes. Good stuff according to the reports. The eggs will lie dormant for several months
but will have food and shelter for when they hatch. If you
treat the holes with Drione, they will die when they try
to exit the nest. This treatment will stop the cycle since
the emerging young will try to use the very hole they were
born in when they go to nest.

Go here for info on kiling the lil' bas-tards!
carpenter bee control, CARPENTER BEE CONTROL, Carpenter bee control, Carpenterbees, carpenterbees, carpenterbee treatment, carpenter bees wood bees, carpenterbee control

 

[KentT]

IMO, don't waste the time and money... you need something designed specifically for log and timber homes.

Those either come with or can be mixed with special fungicides, insect repellants, some with borate to reduce rot/decay, etc.

Do you know what type of stain and topcoat is on it now?

 

[VABlue]

Carpenter bees... Stinkin' rotten pieces of $%#&...

I greatly reduced their number in the deck at my old house by filling the holes with WD40, then capping them with steel wool and wood putty. They bore the holes with tight corners so you can't get insecticide into the inner living quarters where the kids are raised. The WD40 fumes go everywhere, though, and seemed to do the trick. You'll never get rid of them completely, but keep on top of 'em and it should be manageable.

 

[deere_x475guy]

Temp97, my wife and I live in a log home we had built 3 years ago. We did the sealing ourselfs and used a Sikkens product. We used a darker pigment stain in hopes it would fight off the UV rays a bit longer. Seems to be working so far but this is only the 2nd season for it. The draw back to having a darker finish from what I can tell is the heat from the sun seems to draw the sap out of the logs in the South and West sides. No big deal you can wipe it off.

As far as the carpenter bee issue goes I called an extermiator when they first showed up and he advised me not to waste my money on paying him to take care of the problem. He advised to spray the hole with wasp killer then stuff steel wool into the hole followed up by caulking. This is the 2nd season and it looks like it has worked. No new holes and when the adult bees returned they tried to get back into the holes but either died from trying to chew the caulk or gave up. We keep a can of the wasp killer around thst shoots 20' and I will knock any of them I see down with this spary. A week ago I had 3 that kept coming around the porch and I hit them with the spray and haven' seen anymore since.

I would recommend finding out what was first put on the log home and follow up with mainitenace coats that they recommend. I don't believe you can mix coats of different stain products and have it bind successfully.

Good luck.

 

[Coyote]

Another vote for Sikkens products, more expensive but worth it. Thompson wins the marketing game, but loses in the real world!

 

[WayneB]

Another vote for Sikkens products, more expensive but worth it. Thompson wins the marketing game, but loses in the real world!

I agree with using Sikkens! It is not cheap, about $50 a gallon around here, but it works! (bottom Line) Take a close look at any Thompson product and you will find that there is wax added to the blend. I once put it on a deck and two years later you would feel the wax on your feet after walking across the deck bare foot.

We did the outside of our summer home (camp) with sikkens 1-2-3 and the inside wood walls with Sikkens with a UV preventer. This year we did the decks with Sikkens Deck.

Check it out at
Sikkens: Simply Beautiful Woodcare Products For Your Wood Home

 

[elad]

Coyote has that right. You would be well off to not use Thompson as
a sealer for your log home. I put Sikkens on mine 8 years ago, and still
in good shape. Carpenter Bee problem is never ending.
elad

 

[McRancher]

Wood Iron is also a good product. Sounds like it's about the same price as the Sikkens that is mentioned above. Our house is in pretty good shape (about 25 years old), so I just pick a side each summer and touch up anyhwere it's needed.