To Seal or Not to Seal? Crack Sealant

In this month’s “Here to Help!”, we’re sharing our best caulking secrets.

To seal or not to seal? That is the question!

There are many opinions about sealing up small checks in wood. However, there is one thing that’s not up for debate: It’s important to flood checks of any size with stain – period. So then, which checks should be sealed after staining? The answer is anything 1/4″ wide or wider should be sealed, especially if they’re upward-facing.

Here’s why: checks of that size can take on enough water to cause localized regions of very high moisture content. This is bad because it can lead to several things including the following:

If the moisture can’t escape, it can lead to mold, mildew and rot (as seen in the photo above…eek!)
If the moisture escapes through any coating put on the wood, it can cause peeling.
If the moisture stays in the wood and gets frozen, it expands and causes more severe checking.

So, now you know when to seal a check, but with what sealant? Sashco’s log home sealants are a great place to start. Conceal^® is lightly textured to match wood grain and comes in colors that closely match the most popular stain colors, including the brand new Weathered Gray. Log Builder^® is a traditional smooth sealant available in three colors that closely match wood.