Wood Cleaning and Thoughts on Power Washing your Log Home

If your log home seemed to collect dirt and grime over the winter, power washing may be a good idea and an affordable solution to free your logs of its “winter coat”. There are varying opinions on whether power washing (also called pressure washing) is a good idea. We offer that if your logs are solid, free from log rot, you are only introducing water to the top fibers of the wood. You should also consider the age of the logs, number of stain/preservation coats, log gaps, and any softer woods used for upper and lower Fascia boards.

Power washing can be perfectly safe for your log home so long as the home is sound, the cleaning products have been tested, and you use the right cleaning technique. Always keep the washing wand moving, especially at higher psi settings, and use a wide fan setting. Holding the stream in the same place for too long or standing too close could damage the wood. Even moving too slowly can cause fan lines or visible marks. For your own protection, be sure to wear protective goggles and spray at an angle.You want to keep the stream from coming back toward your face while keeping your eyes protected just in case.

For cleaner recommendations that will not harm your log home stain and sealer, usually the manufacturer of your stain will have a cleaning solution that will not harm the finish. Also, with any big undertaking, it is smart to test any cleaning solution on a small area for any unexpected adverse effects.

Our friends at Perma-Chink Systems have the following to say regarding log cleaning solutions, “Over the past years we have discovered many things about cleaning wood. First and foremost is that chlorine bleach should never be used to clean your wood. In addition to its potential for damaging wood fibers, its use and misuse contributes to a few problems including the loss of film adhesion, discolorations due to tannin extraction and the formation of iron tannates, streaks, blotches and premature failures of the finish system”

Perma-Chink offers a few products that are safe to use to clean your log home:

Log Wash™ – A general purpose low pH cleaner concentrate for removing dirt, grime, pollen and surface mold and mildew from bare wood surfaces and existing finishes. Log Wash™ will also remove some types of brown stains and lighten the color of bare wood. Log Wash™ is not effective for removing grayed, oxidized wood fibers. Whenever bare wood surfaces are left exposed to the elements for more than seven days, the surfaces should be cleaned with a solution of Log Wash™ before the first coat of finish is applied.

Wood ReNew™ – A concentrated powder that is dissolved in water and applied to bare wood. When used with a pressure washer it will remove gray, oxidized surface wood as well as dirt, pollen, mold, and mildew. Although Wood ReNew™ usually lightens the color, it can occasionally darken the wood
depending on the wood species and the types of chemicals previously applied. Wood ReNew™ is the product of choice for removing mill glaze from new wood surfaces.

Although pressure washing usually offers the best balance between affordability and effectiveness, it is not the best cleaning method for every situation. For instance, you should be mindful of any gaps between your home’s logs. If water can get through the gaps, you will need to either fill them or find an alternative. Also, as previously mentioned take note of your home’s age and the condition of its wood. Newer logs will be harder and will thus be able to withstand higher psi, whereas decades of sun exposure may make older logs easier to damage.
When in doubt, first check with a log home professional, such as a builder or restoration expert. If you are not hiring them to do the job, at the very least you can get some expert tips on how to do it safely and effectively yourself.

Happy Spring Cleaning from your friends at 888 Log Guys!