Subject: log home cracks
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999

I have a 12 year old cedar log home that has a number of cracks on the south side of the and east sides of the house. Some have been filled by the previous owner but others have not.

What product would you recommend? It would seem most of these cracks should be filled with some type of injection method but the equipment you list on the web page is not large enough for the number and size cracks I have to deal with.

PS
I find your web page is the only one that has any useful information dealing with the common problems associated with log homes.

Thank you for your help

Thanks for your favorable review of our web page. Our interest is in helping the log home owner preserve his home in the best way possible. We understand that epoxy products are expensive, although they do represent the only permanent solution to rot and wood protection that we know of. Of course we want you to use our products, but as efficiently as possible.

To protect the cracks, eliminate any fungi or destructive bacteria, and form a base for any kind of filler, we recommend a good soaking treatment with the CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer). The pre-winter weather is probably dry now so it is the best time of the year to apply the CPES. It will penetrate deeply into the cracks, basically going wherever water can go.

You're right that the application equipment we sell is too small for what you plan to do. CPES can be sprayed with either automotive spray equipment (hoses and valves are able to withstand the powerful solvents used in CPES) or any air-type sprayers (venturi-type) where the product is picked up from a pot or separate container. You have Xylene on hand to clear the unit during/after use as the epoxy starts to set. Xylene is completely compatible with CPES to it's a simple blow-through with Xylene and then back to the CPES. Alternately, some log home owners use large turkey-basters to suck the CPES out of a pot and squirt into the cracks.

Filling the cracks after the CPES treatment is kind of your choice. The CPES alone will give good protection for many years. Filling with a mixture of our Layup & Laminating Resin and sawdust makes the crack protection permanent, and possibly improves the appearance of the log. But the L&L Resin is expensive, and of course the filling process is a tedious job on a large area.

Come back if you have additional questions.

Doc