It’s important to keep your home looking good. A clean house is a comfortable house, and a log cabin is no exception.
In fact, a log cabin needs even more maintenance than most homes due to its wooden walls.
But how do you clean the outside of your log cabin?
Don’t worry, because this handy guide has got you covered. Not only will it run you through how to clean your cabin’s exterior walls, but it will also break down what you need to prepare beforehand, and what you avoid.
Why Do You Need To Clean Your Cabin’s Walls?
So why do you even need to clean your log cabin? Like any home, a log cabin requires maintenance. And with their less durable materials and wood’s eventual decay, you need to make sure you’re taking good care of it.
The most obvious reason for cleaning your cabin is to remove any stains or build-up of dirt. This keeps your cabin looking great and good as new.
Cleaning your log cabin will also preserve the ‘health’ of the logs and prevent decay. While the logs have already been chopped, it’s still important to keep them in good condition to stop the wood from decomposing.
Dirt often harbors moisture, which is bad for wood and leads to mold and decay. Proper treatment of your walls will also keep them healthy and maintain the cabin’s integrity.
It will also get rid of anything harming the wall, such as fungus or parasites. Many fungi and insects love wood, and will thrive in the exterior walls if you don’t keep the logs clean.
Cleaning your log cabin’s exterior walls will keep your cabin looking good, while also making sure that your cabin stands the test of time.
How To Prepare?
Before you can start washing the outside of your cabin, there are a few things you need to prepare. If you aren’t properly equipped to clean your cabin, you might not do a complete job.
Not only that, but you can damage the logs if you don’t know what you’re doing.
There isn’t any intensive pre-treatment you need to do, but it’s a good idea to check which areas of your walls will need the most attention. You should also keep an eye out for any leaks or blockages in the gutters.
You might want to tackle some of the dirtier parts prior to the rest of the cabin, particularly any visible build-up of mold or mildew or any large stains.
These might need a different process to a general clean, so get these out of the way beforehand.
You should also keep the weather in mind. Rain is a great chance to check the flow of your gutters and test for leaks. It will also give a bit of a helping hand towards the cleaning process, especially when it comes to rinsing.
However, you need to make sure the logs dry properly after, so try to avoid days with particularly heavy rain if you know it’s due to last for a while.
How To Clean The Exterior Walls?
With everything ready for you to clean, it’s time to get right into it.
Cleaning the exterior of a log cabin isn’t too complicated; however, you need to do it properly to make sure you’re taking good care of the wood.
First of all, use a brush or broom to clear off any loose surface dirt and dust. Use a brush with stiff bristles, so you get everything off.
Next, you’ll need to wash down the logs with a cleaning solution. Mix up water and a wood-friendly detergent using the recommended proportions. You don’t need to use a cleaning solution specifically made for log cabins, but these do exist if you want them.
Using an appropriate detergent is important, as the wrong type can cause more harm than good. Wood-friendly cleaners won’t leave a film or residue after being rinsed off, and the wood won’t absorb any harmful chemicals.
After the wood has been cleaned, you need to rinse the wall off. Use a garden hose with a sprinkler head attached. This will give an even rinse over a larger area, without the water pressure being too high.
Make sure that you rinse the walls thoroughly to ensure everything has been removed, as even wood-friendly detergents can be damaging if left on the wall.
Now that you’ve cleaned your exterior walls, all you have to do is let them dry. Once that’s finished, you may want to add a coat of stain or weatherproofing varnish to the logs.
What Not To Do?
There are also a few things that you should avoid doing when cleaning the exterior of your log cabin, as these can be harmful to the logs.
You shouldn’t use a pressure washer to wash away the dirt – while this is definitely a quicker way of doing it, it can weaken the wood and strip away some of the outer layers.
It also completely soaks the wood which will take ages to dry. Using a power washer may be easy in the short term, it sets your log cabin up for failure in the long run.
Avoid using bleach too. The harsh chemicals will damage the wall, and it can be difficult to wash out. Bleach also leaves a film on the wood, continuing to damage it and leaving a stain of its own.
Something to note, however, is that highly diluted bleach can be used to brighten your logs and get rid of mildew. That said, you should never use bleach when washing your cabin.
So now that you know how to clean the exterior of your log cabin, you’ll be able to keep your cabin looking great while also keeping the wood healthy and secure.
A log cabin can last for decades if properly maintained, so as long as you clean it well you’ll be sure to enjoy your cabin for years to come.
While tiny homes are becoming increasingly popular, there are still many people that are unaware of the best accessories, and necessities to purchase. This is why I decided to set up Clothesline Tiny Home, to share my experiences with others.
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