There’s no better time than spring to talk about the birds and the bees. Mostly, the bees. This time of year, carpenter bees begin to wreak havoc on log homes! Our very own log home expert and Southeast Territory Manager Extraordinaire Paul Peebles shares tried and true tips for nipping carpenter bees in the bud!
Termite trouble, rot, and water damage. Call us crazy, but we’re betting this troublesome trio probably wasn’t part of the vision when you imagined your dream log home. Good news! Protecting your log home dream is possible. Check out this month’s “Here to help!” article for tips on how to save money, protect your home, and prevent big-time headaches!
Are the slower winter months getting you down? In this month’s Experts Corner, our very own log home expert and Southeast Territory Manager, Paul Peebles, introduces you to thermography, a service ideal to offer during those leaner winter months.
Working outside as a professional log home contractor has many rewards. There are also drawbacks. The most obvious problem is those certain times you just cannot work due to the weather. Sure, many of you guys out west use tents and tarps and heaters to finish up jobs. Costs, access to the job site, and other factors make using such equipment just impractical for most projects.
These ten tips will help you hire employees that are keepers.
For any business owner, reaching the point of business growth that results in a need to hire employees is an exciting and exhilarating time, yet also terrifying and risky. Finding just the right people to help grow your business is an arduous task. What’s more, once you find them, you want to keep them! In today’s “Up in Your Business,” check out our top tips to take care of your tribe, increase employee retention and satisfaction, and reduce the headache of constant employee turnover. (more…)
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.”
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.
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
