I’m looking for a couple log home pros to ask a few questions. I may have just bought one in Montana and will need some advice on where to buy maintenance supplies such as appropriate cleaners, caulking and chinking for exteriors. Thanks.

John

Don't know how log homes fare or are built in northern climates but down here you couldn't give me one.

You might as well put out the the welcome sign for bats, flying squirrels, carpenter bees and woodpeckers.

Congrats , John, on your purchase. Can't go wrong here in MT. Enjoy your land, to the full.

Very true. I see it a lot.

I cant find my contacts, but CLR is the go to cleaner, Penetrete is the go to mold and insect preventer, sans carpenter ants. I believe Sikkens is still one of the best stains.

Perma-Chink works pretty well and is very long lasting in this climate.

PM wy. wolfer on here.

Schroeder’s Log Home Supply is an option. And x2 on Permachink

From his freqent use of the C-word, I'm guessing Boco likely thinks the Perma Chink headquarters is in china not Tennessee.

Keith

You guys are the best. I’ll take pictures soon. It needs work for sure but we are up to it. Except during trapping season. Then the misses is on her own. Lol.

Build mine four years ago , and bought all my chink from shroeders log home supply, i used Log Jam , happy so far.

Pogo on the site built his from scratch. Built all his cabinets as well.Believe they were made of hickory harvested off his land. He is on facebook as well.

Had chicken fried rice from the chinky tonight.

Congrats

The critter issues I see, aside from simple bird nesting, almost always revolve around the roof and gable end closure.

Metal roofs being the worst and doubly so if the roof system is the sandwich style of tongue and groove ceiling/rafter/insulation/decking. A standard stick or truss attic is much more secure.

Often there are gaps at soffit returns, top of gable walls particularly with round log construction at the freize board. Metal roofs often have openings under the ridge cap or at the eaves under the metal ribs.

Screen with 1/4" hardware cloth or stuff gaps with copper wool then caulk in place.

Carpenter bees need an annual surface spray with one of the pyrethroids just ahead of the active season for them.

Woodpeckers are easily deterred with flasher holographic tape fluttering in a breeze.

Get all your chinking and staining and treating done then... cover the entire thing in painted steel sidind! Not kidding, log homes are somewhat of a joke around my area. Termites, wood peckers, bees, squirrels it goes on and on. Not to mention your home will forever be a different color on every side. I always dreamed of one until I saw the reality of them around here. Now I'd prefer a home with zero wood.

They rot fast so get a coat of something on it if don’t have anything.

He will be in a different climate then you.
Repairing a bad log is easy a chinked home.
Bat will be a issue, but can be fixed.