The Pros That Always Show Up: Restoring the Villari Log Home
When it comes to restoring a log home, the difference between simply doing the work and truly specializing in it comes down to preparation, quality products, and a commitment to doing things the right way.
For Derek Prince, owner of Pro Property Services in Waynesville, North Carolina, log home restoration became a natural specialty. We talked with Derek about how he got started, what keeps him passionate about the work, and the recent project that brought everything together for his company.
Finding a Specialty in Log Homes
Derek built Pro Property Services as a premium exterior contracting company in Western North Carolina. With Waynesville, Canton, and the surrounding mountains full of log homes, specializing in their care became a natural fit.
“Most log homes had never been maintained properly.”
Derek kept walking up to beautiful cabins with failed finishes and soft logs and realized that almost nobody in the area specialized in doing the work the right way with proper prep, quality products, and a real system behind it. He saw an opportunity to change that.
What keeps him passionate about the work today is the transformation.
“Nothing in exterior work is more dramatic than taking a weathered cabin down to bare wood and bringing it back to life with a finish built to last.”
That commitment is reflected in Pro Property Services’ brand promise: “The Pros That Always Show Up.” And according to Derek, log home owners appreciate that more than anyone. “Most of them have been burned by contractors before.”
The Villari Log Home: A Project That Changed Everything
The Villari project (the home featured in these photos) is the largest log home Pro Property Services has ever restored. With massive logs, the project became the job where everything came together for the company.
The team had just completed Sashco Zero Failures, and this was the project where they applied everything they had learned, with zero shortcuts.
They took the home down to clean, sound wood, then built the finish with Capture Log Stain in Hazelnut and topped it with Cascade Clear Coat Matte. With logs of that size and the mountain weather they would be exposed to, Derek wanted a system with the most elasticity and breathability they could put on them.
“There’s no room for guesswork on a home like that.”
Watching his crews execute the full process from start to finish and seeing the final result was a defining moment for Derek. “It was the moment I knew we’d gone from a company that does log homes to a company that truly specializes in them.”
The Most Important Lesson for Log Home Owners
If Derek could share one lesson with every log home owner, it would be simple. Maintenance costs a fraction of restoration. “The most expensive words in log home ownership are ‘we’ll deal with it next year.’”
Once a finish fails, water gets in. At that point, the homeowner may be paying for blasting, wood repair, and sometimes even log replacement.
But there’s another important part of that lesson. Prep and products matter more than price.
“A cheap finish over bad prep fails in two years.” That philosophy is at the heart of the Zero Failures approach. According to Derek, finishes don’t fail randomly; they fail because a step got skipped.
“We don’t skip steps, because when we put our name on a cabin, it needs to still look right when we drive past it five years later.”
About Pro Property Services
Pro Property Services is a premium exterior contracting company serving Waynesville, Canton, and Western North Carolina. Services include log home restoration, composite decking, siding, painting, and roofing. Derek Prince, Owner — Pro Property Services | Waynesville, Canton & Western North Carolina. Learn more at propropertyserviceswnc.com.
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About Sashco Log Home Products
When it comes to protecting and beautifying your log home, Sashco isn’t just another stain on the market — it’s the high-performance choice for serious log lovers. With industry-leading products like Capture, Cascade, and Transformation, Sashco combines cutting-edge technology and rugged durability to keep your logs looking stunning and standing strong year after year. Whether you’re chasing that perfect finish or just want to avoid the heartbreak of costly repairs, Sashco’s got your back. Because your log home deserves more than “good enough,” it deserves Sashco. Made for logs. Made to last. Made to make your neighbors jealous.
