How to Paint Your Log Cabin

Painting your log cabin is the single most important step to ensuring it stands the test of time.

‘Simple’, you may say and you’d be right – but only when you know how.

Painting a timber cabin is a different process to coating hard wall but when you stick carefully to the rules the results will ensure your cabin lasts a lifetime.

At Beaver Log Cabins we live by the motto: ‘Protect your cabin the first time and it’ll last a lifetime’.

From choosing the right paint for the job to sealing the cabin properly, adequately preparing the timber surfaces and applying base and top coats, it’s important to get it right from the very beginning.

We’ve put together a step by step guide to help you through the process.

What paint to use for your log cabin?

We recommend Sikkens Rubbol Primer Plus and Sikkens Satura Plus paint.

The exterior paint you use on your log cabin is crucial to the protection and life-span of the timber. Never use a cheap paint and always ensure that the appropriate paint for the job is used.

For base coat we recommend only Sikkens Rubbol Primer Plus.

For top coat we recommend only Sikkens Satura Plus.

Never, ever thin the paint before application to your log cabin. Mixing the paint with other agents will contaminate the paint leaving your timber exposed to risk.

This is a rubberised paint with very high elasticity which allows for the natural expansion and contraction of timber. Using the recommended paint and applying it in the right way will provide vital protection for the log cabin. When it’s done with the wrong paint or even with the right paint applied with poor practice then the results can be disastrous for your timber.

We’ve seen log cabins with up to 50% moisture content in the timber due to poor paint application and contamination of paint with thinning agents. The damage caused by such high levels of moisture content in timber cabins can be impossible to reverse. We would advise the re-application of paint to your cabin every two years to ensure it lasts a lifetime. Protect your cabin the first time and it’ll last a lifetime.

Preparation

Firstly, we recommend spraying a clear wood preservative onto the cabin, then you must knot the cabin with knotting sealer. Brush on with a small brush to all imperfections and holes. Apply second coat to larger knots
Prime the Unit evenly. Make sure all bare timber is covered.
Fill any noticeable cracks, screw holes, knots and T&G end grains with raw plug plastic wood filler.
Sand all fillers when dry. Sand wood joints make sure all sanding is complete before caulking. Sand any defects on logs such as pitting, shakes and roughly planned timber. Brush / dust down the full cabin.
Caulk every T&G joints on logs. Caulk takes 2 hours to dry in good conditions. We recommended 24 hours in bad conditions.
Inspect cabin for any newly visible cracks, holes and imperfections and refill.
Seal all windows and doors.
Apply a second coat of primer. Drying times vary.
Apply Top coat. (24 hour drying)

Sand cabin lightly with fine sand paper. Recommend 180 grit sand paper

After ensuring all surfaces are smooth, clean and dry apply finish coat
We recommended your cabin has at least 4 coats of paint.

Where people make mistakes:

• Watering down paint to make it easier to apply.
• Applying paint too thin.
• Applying paint too soon between coats.
• Using internal calk and fillers outside.
• Not sealing all windows +doors correctly before painting.
• Not painting into rubber seals on windows and doors.
• Painting on damp/ wet surfaces.
• Painting onto dusty surfaces.
• Painting if under 5degrees.

Helpful tip:

Brush on all base coat to ensure no naked timber is shown. For top and finish coat rolling can be used provided adequate paint is applied and that all end grains groves of log, and corners are cut in by brush firstly.