Nationwide Log Home Restoration

Spring is here (when it wants to stay warm) and now is the time to look at your log home. You need to ask yourself a few questions based on some basic observations. 

First you need to look at your log or wood home and see how dirty it is. A quick rinse with the garden hose or pressure washer can remove accumulated surface contaminants. If your going to have your log home maintained this summer there is no need to rinse the home but, if you have just had your log home maintained or are going to next year it would be a good plan to rinse.

Second, you need to look at your landscaping and cut back or remove any shrubs, plants, or trees that are within 2-3 feet of the walls on your home. Checking for proper drainage of your guttere and cleaning them is also a good idea.

As always due diligence goes a long ways when it comes to owning a log home. Now is the time to plan for restoration work, log replacement and maintenance on your log or wood home. Please give us a call or email in regards to scheduling any work needed on your log or wood home or if you have questions please get a hold of us as we love giving out free advice. With over 26 years in the business we just might know a thing or two about your log or wood home.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and wish everybody safe travels. And as always we appreciate the sacrifices our service men/women have made and are currently making. Without their sacrifices we wouldn't have the great country we currently live in.

Restoring Log Homes is our Business

* For pictures of our past projects please visit our Log Home Projects Gallery

"We protect America's great antiques - past, present and future."

Experience, Expertise and Craftsmanship
We have been around since the log home market really started to take off. If you are considering having your cabin finished or restored please feel free to contact us either by email or over the phone to schedule an appointment. With over 29 years combined experience, in some of the harshest conditions found around the Great Lakes region, you can’t go wrong with IWR’s expertise and precise craftsmanship to ensure you get the most out of your investment.

Environmentally Friendly Log Home Restoration
IWR Co. uses environmentally friendly log home restoration techniques. We do not use harsh chemical strippers and are switching to using only environmentally friendly finishes. These chemicals can be very harmful or toxic to humans and our environment.

Our Log Home Restoration process involves four steps: preparation, preservation, staining, and sealing.

We have developed a process that will achieve the best results for your log home.

The Ozzy
Mike Denman, owner of IWR Co. fine tuned the procedures used over the past 20 years and developed his own unique system called the Ozzy. The ozzy helps to hand sand your log home to produce a smooth log finish and remove existing log home stain. By not using chemical strippers or media blasting (this should only be used as a last option, please read below) the longevity of your logs will be more secure. Ozzying leaves the surface of your logs smooth to the touch and is easier to clean up compared to media blasting or chemical stripping.

Dangers of Media Blasting

Disclaimer on Media Blasting
While most log home restoration companies use media blasting as their method of choice for fast finish removal this should be the last option you take when having work done on you log structure. The only time media blasting should be considered is when there is so much coat build-up that sanding or chemical stripping would be inefficient. If this is not true of your structure then you should thoroughly think about media blasting as a choice of finish removal. Keep reading to learn why.

Media blasting has the potential to do catastrophic harm to the integrity of the logs on your log home. Blasting off a log home stain leaves the surface of the log home rough and also forms pits in the surface exposing different layers of the log and raising the grain of the logs.

Imagine using bb’s to remove that beautiful finish from your vehicle. What was once a smooth and beautiful finish is now dull and is full of tiny dents!

If the media used in the blasting is not properly cleaned out of any voids (checks) in your log home it has the potential to actually speed up the decay process in areas of your log home that do not receive much sunlight. This happens because corn cob is the media of choice used in media blasting. Corn cob is organic matter and organic matter absorbs and retains moisture making any corn cob that is left behind a breeding ground for moisture, mold, and mildew, a log homes worst enemy. Media blasting can also blow dust into your log home due to the high pressure used in blasting and you will also need to spend  more money on product due to needing an after  blast primer which helps reduce blotchiness of the log home stain. With our process you are ensured there is not any blotchiness of the stain and we dont need to use an after blast primer.