Tips for painting a log house

Maintaining the surfaces of your log house regularly, keep its surfaces fresh and appealing, which ensures that your home or cottage is nice to look at. And second of all, it protects the wood from strong weather conditions.

Painting a log house may be slightly more challenging than painting other wooden façades. It can be more time-consuming to prepare the surface and ensure that the paint is applied evenly to all the nooks and crannies of the logs. But with the right tools and techniques, you can achieve results that you’ll love.

Here are the top four tips to keep in mind when painting a log house: 
 

1.    Don’t wait too long to apply treatment

A new log house should be treated as soon as possible, ideally within the next few months, especially when treated with semi-transparent paints. When logs have time to darken, their tone can become striped or uneven.

As for older log houses, they should be treated as soon as you notice mould spots on their surfaces, or when a previous surface treatment has faded, and the wooden surface starts to show. In this case, a surface will be more exposed to water and sunlight, which wears it down.

Washing your exterior wall beforehand with Homeenpoisto is a good idea. Sometimes, if the surface is in great condition, washing with Homeenpoisto alone will do the trick. But always remember to rinse the surface after washing. It’s important to treat the surface before it starts to turn multicoloured.

Applying paint evenly can be difficult in direct sunlight. The best weather for painting is when it’s cloudy, but also warm and dry.

2.    Choose the right paint for the job

Logs need to be protected against the corrosive effects of weather and mould growth on their surface. High-quality paint can do this for you, which is why it’s important to pick the right one.

The humidity variation of a log is considerably larger than a wooden panel, so choose non-firm forming paints or stains dedicated for logs. It allows your log walls to breath and surface won’t crack within a time.

Choosing a colour for your log house is a decision that might require some reflection and background work. Make sure the colour you choose is also suitable for exterior surfaces.

Semi-transparent paints (such as Tikkurila Valtti Plus Color) are a popular choice for log houses, because they highlight the natural look of wooden surfaces. Usually, it’s easier to undertake the first treatment of the logs of a new log house with semi-transparent products. 

If your logs are new and dense, the tone of the surface may not become as dark as you’d like because the colour doesn’t properly absorb into the wood. At the time of the first maintenance treatment, it’s easier to change to a new colour, when the log is then more receptive and is no longer so dense.

For opaquer surfaces, Tikkurila Vinha coats wood fibres but leaves their features visible and attractive, which maintains the natural look of your wooden structure. Here are some popular Scandinavian colour choices for opaque surfaces to get you started. 

Do you already have a colour in mind? Find the right shade from Tikkurila Wooden facades colour collection.

Painting a log house is a great way to keep it looking fresh and appealing while also protecting the wood. Choose the right log house paint and colour for the job and don’t wait too long to treat the logs. With these tips, you can achieve a stunning finish that will stand the test of time. Happy painting!