How to Clean a Log Home

While log homes are great for warmth, style and comfort, they can also require a lot of upkeep, restoration and maintenance. Unfortunately, exterior log walls can take a beating from the elements, leaving them looking dirty, dingy and faded. While log homes can't be cleaned using regular materials and cleaners, you can use a pressure washer to clean your log home to bring back the look of new wood.

Things You'll Need

• Pressure washer
• Mild detergent
• Caulking

Instructions

1. Rent a pressure washer from a tool rental store, if you don't already own one. You need one that has 1000 psi pressure at the least, remembering that the higher the pressure, the more dirt and grime you can blast from the home. Choose a higher psi for especially dirty or worn logs.

2. Change into clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty and wet. The spray from the pressure washer is bound to deflect from the house and douse you as well.

3. Fill the pressure washer and turn it on. Direct the spray at the walls and stand about five to ten feet away. You may find that you have to move closer to get a more powerful wash, so you can adjust your distance as you spray. Hold the spray over an area and spray directly until you see the dirt peel away and reveal the clean logs underneath.

4. Have a friend or family member stand inside the house and watch for leakage through the seams of the log wall. While you'll probably have some, it's usually a minimal amount and not a big deal. Have your friend mark with a pencil the places that water is seeping in. You can go in once the logs have dried and caulk those areas to seal the home.

5. Add a detergent to the water in the pressure washer if you find that plain water is not as effective. A quarter cup of a dish washing soap is effective and mild on your logs, and won't cause any discoloration.

6. Wait for the logs to dry and then add sealer or protector to the logs, if desired. While the pressure washer will not remove stain or sealer, it's a perfect time to reapply and give a fresh coat while the log home is clean.

References

• Log Home Care and Maintenance: Everything You Need to Know to Buy, Maintain, and Enjoy Your Log Home: Jim Davis, 2004