| Finishing the Exterior Trim and Stain |
| Before staining the exterior we caulked all the windows and anywhere that might allow the weather to get behind anything and cause problems. In this shot one of the dormer windows is being caulked. We not only caulked the inside trim (where it meets the window) but also the outside of the trim (where it meets the siding in this case). |
| Any area that might allow the weather in was protected. Even where the soffit and walls come together. |
| The "Boss" began staining in the back of the house while I started with the dormers in front. |
| It took the two of us about 3 days to get the second floor exterior and master bath wall on the first floor completely stained. This was done first because our monsoon season will be starting almost any day and we needed to get those areas that were exposed to the weather done first. WeatherGuard Stain needs to dry for at least 36 hours before being subject to rain so it was basically a race against time, but luck was on our side and the rains held off till we were done with these sections. |
| Before the logs could be stained we needed to bleach them back to their original color. The sun will yellow the wood surface and if it isn't bleached it will effect the finished stain color. This is the exterior kitchen wall and as you can see the logs are a bit on the orange side. |
| Bleaching the logs back to their original color is pretty easy. All it takes is a garden sprayer and a 50/50 mix of bleach and water. It acts almost immediately and within a couple minutes all that's needed is to hose the wall off with water. The next morning the wall will be nice and white again. |
| Here's the same wall the next morning ready for stain. |
| Here's an earlier picture (taken when we were stacking logs) that shows the Kerf cut. If you forget this cut it's not the end of the world but it will require a bit of chiseling and time when finish trim work is done. |
| That's it for now. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. The big jobs are now complete and we can now start concentrating on some of the smaller detail work. We will take a couple weeks off but when we return it will be time for finished flooring, carpet, base boards and final trim and finish work on the stairs and railings. |
| Check back Soon |
| Exterior trim is next. Here is where those "Kerf" cuts come in handy. Way back when we were stacking the logs each one, where it met a door or window, had a cut made from top to bottom about an inch in from the outside edge. When the outside is cut (along the pencil line you see in the picture, the excess material will just fall out and there will be a ready made recessed channel for the trim material. |
| A circular saw is all that's needed to cut the trim lines around the doors and windows for the trim material. |
| If everything works out correctly this is what you wind up with. A perfect channel for the exterior trim. |
| Before trim installation..... |
| .... and after. Quite a difference. |
| While I was installing trim the "Boss" stained the walls. |
| This picture shows the difference in the raw bleached logs and the stained color. The first times the logs are stained is no time to cut corners. It took a little longer but we brushed the stain into each log until it just wouldn't accept any more stain. This assures excellent penetration and protection. Spraying it on would not have provided as much protection. |
| Specialty windows require a bit more work when it comes to trimming. Kerf cuts are not easily done so the choice is to refrain from the Kerf cuts when stacking the logs and just rely on a big hammer and chisel when the time comes. This was all chiseled out by hand but it only took about an hour. |
| Once the trim was finished I started staining the porch ceilings. Here is the finished kitchen door area. The door itself will be stained later. These are Thermatru doors and they come with their own staining kit. |
| A view from the kitchen door around towards the front door. Stain and trim complete. |
| The front door area completed, except for staining the door of course. |
| The master bedroom porch area done. |
| And finally here is the octagon window complete. Once the stain has dried, which will take a week or so, the trim will be caulked just as what was done on the second floor. |
