There’s a Doctor in the House: Hear the “Weird” Story of The Log Doctor.

Today, we’re proud to introduce you to the Log Doctor, Rudy Mendiola, Chief of Staff at The Log Doctor  in Silverthorne, CO, he and his crew of 20 work all over the Colorado mountains restoring and caring for log homes. We had a phone chat to learn more about his business.

How did you get started in log home finishing?

Well, that’s a weird story. I was brought on to manage a ranch with 7 log buildings up in Summit County. I took over from a contractor who did a poor job and had a lot to learn. I met Skip (former owner of Log Home Maintenance and Supply in Denver) and he invited me to attend Zero Failures.

After attending and learning more about how to care for those buildings on the ranch, my bosses at the ranch thought it’d be a great idea to start a whole log home restoration company. They provided a lot of great business insight and helped me set up my website. They even came up with the company name – The Log Doctor! I remember thinking to myself,

“I’m just a cowboy. What am I doing starting a business?”

Our first job was redoing the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center. From there, business took off. Over the last several years, I’ve grown to have 20 guys on my crew and an assistant. I never thought I’d have an assistant, but getting one was one of the best decisions I ever made. (Sashco side note: an assistant to answer phone calls = winning more jobs.)

What’s your favorite part of owning your business?

I like people. I like talking to people and interacting with people. I love going to a home that’s totally falling apart and making it look brand new and seeing the homeowners’ faces. It’s so satisfying. Being from a smaller community, I can go a lot of places and people know me and my company’s reputation. It’s very satisfying that people are pleased with our work and share our name with others.

Speaking of people and reputation, let me tell you about my guys. I have the most outstanding crew. I always tell people, “Without my guys, I’m just another guy.” They are the key to our great reputation. I couldn’t do this without them.

What do you hate the most about log home finishing?

The process is so involved and so long. I wish I could do more homes, but the process makes it hard to do that and do things right. And I do things by the book. I will walk away from a job that someone wants to try and do on the cheap. It’s not worth my reputation. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right – the full job, all the way. There’s no halfway with me

What does the future look like? What’s your biggest obstacle to growing?

Good question. I’m trying to grow, but I have so much going on right now, it’s kind of hard. I do a lot. I still manage the ranch buildings. I do team roping on the weekends. So really, I’m my own biggest obstacle to growth. 

What are the most helpful Sashco tools you regularly use?

In short, the people. I love that we’re close enough that you can come visit a job or I can visit you. I love that I can call up Scott, my Territory Manager, and that he calls me back right away, even on vacation. The relationships I have with the people at Sashco are so important to my success. (Sashco side note: Awwww. That makes us feel very good.) Oh – and I also like the stain discs that show how Capture® stain stretches.

Rudy, we’re humbled to call you a loyal customer and we’re glad you’re in our own backyard.

Pro Tip: Ideally, we prefer the split because it is easy to fix. That’s also why it’s always best to also use round backer rod behind the chinking or sealant. The round shape places the weakness (thinnest spot) in the middle of the joint. When chinking loses adhesion at the edges, fixing it means tearing out that whole section, cleaning the sides of the joint and re-chinking. Still doable, but a lot more work.

 

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Contact Rudy Today
970-409-8444
[email protected]
thelogdoc.com