Borate wood treatments are a big deal. In this month’s Experts Corner, our favorite Southeast Territory Manager, Paul Peebles, breaks down the 411 on borates.
This month we’re talking about building a nice butt. Nope, not that kind of butt. We mean butt-joints! Our very own log home expert, Paul Peebles is sharing some of his very best tips from the field to help you build a better butt-joint.
By Paul Peebles, Southeast Territory Manager (and log home owner who knows a thing or two about butt-joints)
We need to have a talk about your butts.
No, not those butts — I mean butts in log homes, sometimes called butt-joints. These things cause a lot of trouble in the log home business because, too often, they are not designed correctly. That’s a problem because a poorly designed butt-joint can allow water and bugs into your home or behind the log siding, leading to rot and insect infestations. Yuck. After decades in the industry, I have found that close to 90% of water damage and rot are caused by leaky butt-joints. In most cases, when I have been called to a home that leaks water, I have found that it is the butt-joints that leaked — sometimes for years! The problem begins when builders butt two logs tightly together during construction. It looks tight, so it must be right, right? We all know that after a couple of years, the logs shrink, opening up those joints, and this lets in the water. Bad situation! One common indication that this has occurred is a little bit of daylight showing from inside the home. Follow these easy steps for effective butt-joint repair.
What contractor is NOT interested in winning more of the right kind of jobs? It starts with better bidding! This month’s“Up in Your Business” article by Wayne Bell, owner of Log Care, Inc. and Zero Failures Business Focus instructor extraordinaire, provides tips you can start using today to improve your proposals and gain wins.
Kurt Denman, former Product Manager for Benjamin Moore, once said, “I cannot emphasize enough how critical proper preparation is to realize a successful staining project. It’s the ultimate determinant on how long the beauty of a job lasts.”
When it comes to marketing your business, how do you feel? Is marketing like a dreaded chore, the one you put off? Is marketing something you’d love to do but find yourself thinking, “That’s the work I’ll do when I’m not staining.” Maybe you find it fascinating and understand the value of great marketing, but simply don’t know how in the world to get started? Regardless of what camp you fall into, these five proven marketing strategies will help boost your log home business.
Paul Peebles, our very own log home expert, talks about how to restore a flooded log home in this month’s Experts Corner article. Thanks to Satterwhite Log Homesfor providing the photos below from their flooding a couple of years ago.
Wayne Summons, Sashco’s Vice President of Research and Development and Technical Director, retired on July 14, 2016 after 40 years of service.
Wayne invented Sashco’s flagship product, Lexel.
Inventor Extraordinaire
While Lexel® is perhaps Wayne’s most popular invention, his passion for innovation led him to create many more products throughout his years at Sashco (and he will no doubt continue his inventing ways during retirement). Wayne had a direct hand in or heavily influenced every other product sold by Sashco. He holds numerous U.S. and foreign patents.
Walking the Walk
Wayne began his career at Sashco in 1976. Just a few years out of college, he was recruited to be Sales Manager by Les Burch, Sashco’s president and Wayne’s college roommate. Wayne eventually found a home in his favorite part of the company, Research and Development. His passion for invention and developing new, unique products was contagious. Throughout the next 40 years, he helped build a culture of continuous improvement. “Products That Work” wasn’t just a tagline to a company logo. It’s what Wayne lived and breathed.
A Persistent Learner
Wayne in the old Sashco lab
Around the building, Wayne was known for his love of vocabulary. (At times, grandiloquent. Always comme il faut.) He was a consummate learner and always shared his new-found knowledge with others. It wasn’t uncommon for Wayne to casually drop by Customer Service for an afternoon teaching session. His humble spirit was coupled with a persistence rarely found today. He was the driving force behind years of lab work finally coming to fruition in the marketplace. His work routine included years of early mornings, late nights, and weekends as he built an impressive legacy.
Wayne plans to spend a lot of time fishing and sleeping as he enters retirement. He will be missed. He left an indelible mark on Sashco that will never fade. We wish Wayne all the best as he enters the next chapter in life.
Thank you seems insufficient. We are grateful for 40 years of incredible service.
So you’re ready to stain your new log cabin, or perhaps you’re looking to completely restore one you just bought. Maybe you just need some routine maintenance done, and you’re definitely in DIFM mode. (That’s “Do It For Me.”) How do you find a good log home finishing contractor to help? Sashco partnered with Log Home Living and Cabin Living magazines to bring you…
You’ve been livin’ the log home dream, enjoying your log cabin getaway, and definitely not thinking much about maintaining your log home stain. Then, a couple years in, you notice that the Capture® and Cascade® you used to stain your log home has lost a bit of its original lustre. Besides lost lustre, what else should you look for?
No, your new caulk won’t stick to silicone caulk. Sorry to be so abrupt, but it’s the truth. You can stop reading now if you don’t want all of the details and the whys. Here at Sashco, we love the “whys,” so we’re trudging ahead.
Don’t compromise at the end of a long and arduous journey by using an inferior stain not designed for logs. Capture and Cascade deliver performance worthy of the journey that got you here.
Moves with your logs and timbers
Won't hide the wood grain
Easy clear coat maintenance with Cascade(R) exterior clear coat
Backer Materials that Seal Things Right the First Time Backer Rod, Grip Strip, and Log Gap Cap all help you create the ideal joint desing for a long-lasting, durable seal
Logs are in constant dynamic motion. That's why there's Log Builder®, the sealant made for log structures. Stretches up to 500% of original size, while still maintaining tenacious adhesion to the wood.
When other chinking pulls away, Log Jam holds its seal With Log Jam chinking, you can keep the cozy feel and rustic look of a log home without compromising comfort and performance.
Easy to Use - Hard to See Keep out weather, bugs, and moisture without seeing it. Conceal disappears into the woodwork so you don't know the wood starts and the caulk begins.
It's Music to the Eyes Symphony works in harmony with the unique character of your logs and wood to reflect an atmosphere or cozy warmth and elegance while creating and scuff-resistant and durable surface that's easy to dust.
Right Color. Right Quantity. Right Now. Never run out of stain at the jobsite again. Stock exactly what you need in your truck or trailer at the jobsite.
Easy to mix
The same color, durability, and application you've come to expect from Capture Log Stain and Transformation Log & Timber
Maintenance Made Easy Now that Capture® Log Stain is applied, it’s time for Cascade® Clear Topcoat to bring out the depth and character of your unique woodgrain while protecting it against moisture, mildew, and algae. Predictable and affordable routine maintenance with Cascade throughout the years means your home stays protected and beautiful. Easy!
Keep the Color the Color Colorfast delivers the ideal canvas for stain application and leaves behind the strong foundation necessary for long-lasting color. It’s color confidence for your log home.
Rot, weather, insects, fungi all pose a serious threat to your logs. Protect your investment—treat your logs first to make them last. Tim-bor® helps protect your home from the costly damage caused by rot and insect infestation.
Bugs don't stand a chance
Easy to mix and apply
Prevents decay fungi
Costs 5 times less than glycol-based borate products
Remove Wood Felting and Raised Grain Remove wood fuzz (called felting) after power washing or media blasting, and knock down excessive raised grain with Sashco's finish sanding tools
Clean and brighten bare logs and wood, remove surface dirt, pollen, and kill mold for maintenance, and keep your logs looking fresh with CPR Log Cleaner and Brightener
