Prepping Log Cabins for Recoating – A Complete Guide

  Log cabins last many years and have a rustic beauty to them.  Like any surface though they must properly protected so that over time the wood doesn’t wear and so they maintain their unique appearance.  Due to constant exposure to rain, sun light, and other natural weather log cabin paint often can need to be reapplied at certain intervals.  One key component of repainting a log cabin is properly preparing the surface so that the new coating that will be applied will adhere to the surface well and the old coating system will be removed allowing the new coating to provide maximum protection. This article will cover a fast and efficient way to prepare a log cabin for recoating.

The solution to quickly and effectively prepare a log cabin for a new coating

  One of the fastest and most efficient ways to prepare a log cabin’s surface for recoating is to use a sandblast pot.  Other options that are sometimes used include Chemical Strippers or sanding.  In general you only need a chemical stripper or blast preparation if there is an existing coating on the wood that will prevent the new coating from providing proper protection. If you use a chemical stripper it is usually a two step process of applying the stripper and washing it off plus allowing the surface to dry so you can apply the new coating.  With a blast pot you can remove the old coating off by blasting and then wash off the surface allowing you to be ready for recoating in a pretty short time.

Tips for using a blast pot on a log cabin

Since wood is a relatively soft surface, you want to use lower pressure when blasting.  Additionally you should use blast media that is not hard like corn cob or crushed glass.  The mesh size should be relatively small as the fine mesh will be softer on the surface of the log cabin but will still remove any existing coating.  You should start with the pressure settings being as low as possible and slowly increase them until you notice coating being removed but no impact is occurring to the wood surface you will most likely be under 80 PSI depending on the underlying wood.  After you have finished blasting the surface you will need to remove any residual blast media that is left on the surface.  You can use a basic hose or if you use a pressure washer just ensure you keep pressure low.  The benefit to using the blast media rather than a chemical stripper is that corn cob is not harmful environmentally compared to chemical strippers.  Additionally blasting can often remove coating that is adhering to the surface stubbornly.   Ultimately proper preparation of your log cabin is critical to help you achieve great results on recoating a log cabin.  There are a variety of options from sanding, to chemical stripping, to blasting to help remove existing coatings on the log cabin.  Blasting can be a fast and efficient way to prep the log cabin.  By considering the tips in this article you will be more likely to have good results preparing a log cabin for recoating by blasting.  If needed we offer blast pots by Clemco.