INTERIOR WOOD
We are planning to apply your product to the interior wood of our new log home which consists of an open beam ceiling of fir and pine roof decking. We had to remove the lumber markings on the smooth fir beams by sanding. Unfortunately, sanding left light-colored spots where the lumber markings were originally. Someone has suggested using linseed oil to get the light areas darker to match the rest of the natural fir wood. What do you think of this treatment?

Any other ideas? Finally, if the linseed oil is the way to go, can I then apply the original intended coats of Log Boss™ clear formula over this oil?

Linseed oil by itself can cause many problems, including becoming a food source for fungi (spora) which is dark in color. The solution is to use Log Boss™ clear formula mixed with a choice of Log Boss™ tinted formula. Apply extra tinted product in lighter areas in order to obtain a uniform appearance.

Since you are inside and cannot use the preferable (powerwashing) method of preparation, simply add extra product (applications) with a rag to the lighter areas to blend in the ultimate finished tone. By using added quantities of tinted formula you will be able to enhance the natural beauty of the wood without creating an artificial stained appearance which darkens with age.


LOG HOMES: NEW LOGS
My family is about to build our dream home in Alaska. I'm planning on cutting the logs this summer, and beginning construction soon afterwards. I want this home to last for my children's children, and not contain toxic materials.

The best gift you can give yourself and your log home is to pre-dip the logs as soon as they are cut and the bark is removed. You will need to build a dip tank, and then simply submerge the logs in Log Boss™ until they are saturated. You can also lay your logs out on saw horses, allowing air to freely flow around each log, and then spray on a flood coat of Log Boss™ with an airless sprayer or garden sprayer. Be careful to wipe off all excess product with a water soaked towel to prevent surface filming. This seals in the natural ingredients of the tree, greatly reduces checking and will give you the most complete and long lasting protection for your logs. If this is not possible then within a few days of removing the bark and while the logs are protected from the weather and sun apply several coats of Log Boss™ with sprayer or hand towels. Never leave logs which have just been peeled unprotected and exposed to the sun and outside environment. After these applications of Log Boss™, be careful to follow all instructions. If white spots appear on the surface it is the result of oxygenation due to water still contained within the logs and will disappear as the water evaporates. Also, be careful not to create a surface film by carefully wiping the logs with a damp towel to remove excess Log Boss™.


LOG HOMES: CHINKING
Do you have any product specifically for staining the chinking on our log home?

Log Boss™ is designed to protect your interior and exterior wood, and will also help stain and protect the chinking. Log Boss™ also allows the chinking to expand and contract without cracking, and will stabilize the chinking.


LOGS: CRACKING
The logs we were planning to use for our log home have been stored outside over the winter, and I've noticed some are beginning to crack slightly. Is there anything we can do to save these logs?

Log Boss™ will not only prevent the cracking from going any further, it can also be used to make the cracks less visible by stabilizing the logs with our natural resins and oils. First you must remove all dirt, pollution, and stains from the logs by powerwashing and/or cleaning with a strong cleaning agent. Totally saturate the logs by pre-dipping them and also pouring Log Boss™ directly into the cracks. By applying multiple coats we have had cases where the checking (cracking) process has been reversed due to the resins contained in Log Boss™ filling the empty cells of the dry logs.


LOG HOME: NATURAL COLOR
We have just purchased our first log home and are very excited about keeping it the natural color. Is your Log Boss™ a clear product? Also how long will it last?

Log Boss™ comes in a clear formula but should only be used as your last application or to dilute tinted formulas. Log Boss™ clear formula contains all the natural resins and oils, but is lacking pigments which are scientifically designed for U.V. protection. Consumers often dwell on the misconception that a clear product will provide a natural appearance. To obtain the best looking log home you should request that your log home manufacturer pre-dip each log prior to shipment and protect them with a special covering during shipment to your construction site. Can you imagine your new car being sent from the manufacturer without being painted and having your dealer simply tell you that we have it shipped that way so that the raw metal will cure properly. If this is not possible make sure all the logs are clean of any stains, residue or shipping marks prior to application of Log Boss™.

If possible, apply Log Boss™ by submerging each log in dip tank on the construction site or applying product with a towel much the same way you would wash a car. Remember, all Log Boss™ tinted formulas can be intermixed to obtain the natural tone you wish for your log home. On your first couple of coats, it is important to use the tinted formulas as opposed to clear to obtain the added benefit of long term UV protection that the pigments provide. However, as you apply Log Boss™ tinted formulas you can gradually dilute the product with the clear formula to control the amount of color. It is a misconception that a clear product will provide a more natural finished appearance. Log Boss™ and all other Weather Bos™ products are carefully engineered and designed to provide maximum protection while also giving you the natural finish you are looking for. The pigments in Log Boss™ are carefully chosen using a computer spectrograph to match the natural color of your logs, and the secret is to allow total penetration of Log Boss™ into the logs to enhance the natural beauty you want. The scientific purpose for pigment or color is UV protection, and, as a side benefit you receive a natural or custom colored finish.

In order to prevent any surface film build up, like a varnish look when applying Log Boss™ to the smooth surface of logs, simply use a water soaked towel to wipe off excess product prior to the next application. You can easily control this condition by occasionally touching the surface with your bare hand to check for a sticky or hot surface. If this occurs, it means that the carries are evaporating too quickly and will cause the resins to dry on the surface rather then penetrating the logs. Remember, the worst thing you can do is not properly prepare the logs, or to try and conserve or reduce the quantity of Log Boss™ you used. By using generous quantities of Log Boss™ without creating a surface film your log home will last forever. To retain a new appearance requires ongoing maintenance program much the same as washing and waxing your car. In the meantime your level of protection will not be reduced.

COLOR: MATCHING TWO WOODS
I have a log home, built of lodgepole pine, with newer windows frames which are cut from a different type of pine log. I have applied several applications of Log Boss™ formula 5 on the log home and the windows, but cannot make the colors match. One has a yellowish tint, the other's more orange-brown. I've tried diluting the formula 5 with the clear formula and applying several coats, but the wood color is still not matching. Is there any way of making these two types of wood blend together?

My first question to you is: Did you powerwash your log home before applying Log Boss™? And how did you apply product? After discussing your problem with you on the phone we learned you had applied several coats with a brush on your log home which happens to be the least desirable method of applying Log Boss™. In addition, we learned that your log home manufacturer had not pretreated the logs prior to shipment or construction of your home. You also said that after the log home was constructed you attempted to prepare the surface of the logs with a 1200 psi power washer. Unfortunately, this size of powerwasher is a play thing for cleaning cars, but will never prepare a wood surface properly especially milled logs.

In your situation it will be necessary to power wash the entire surface which was not prepared properly with a minimum 3000 psi powerwasher. Since it appears you already have a buildup of resins and pigments on the surface, you will probably need to spend a lot of extra effort with the powerwasher to remove all possible surface film, previously existing dirt, blemishes and residual marks from the shipment of the logs. The colors are not matching because the logs are dirty, and the pigments in the Log Boss™ formulas you were using have built up on the surface, since they have not penetrated the surface of the logs. The pigments are not able to do what they were designed for, which is to provide long term UV protection while enhancing the natural tones of the logs, by penetrating the surface. Log homes are unique in that the surface often has a mill finish rather than a cut surface, which makes it even more difficult for product to soak in since the pores of the wood are not as open to accept product as a cut surface would be. To make matters worse, you are working on a vertical or back tapered surface, similar to if you were to attempt to finish the underside of your deck. This is why it is so critical to powerwash with at least 3000 psi, to thoroughly clean the surface and open the pores of the wood to allow penetration of Log Boss™. Remember that you can also intermix all of the Log Boss™ formula to achieve the finished color you desire.

When you are working with many other stain or paint products, which normally are surface film products, it is okay to use a brush, because the stain or paint lays on the surface. This is why many paints require primers to keep the paint from soaking in and to acquire a uniform finish. Log Boss™ literally penetrates into the pores of the wood, monolithically bonding with the cells of the wood. It helps protect your log home from the inside out, bringing out the natural beauty and not simply creating a thin surface layer. Therefore, it is crucial to allow adequate product to soak into the wood. A brush is the least preferable method of application. The most effective method for applying Log Boss™ is a garden sprayer or airless sprayer, which allows you to flood the surface with product. To correct your problem simply apply multiple light coats of blended color to attain the matching tone you like. In other words, on areas of the logs where there is already a lot of color, use mostly clear formula, and where the logs are faded or lighter is color use more of the tinted formula.


CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY
We would like to use your product on the interior of our log home. My wife is very sensitive to most chemicals. Would your product be a safe choice to use?

Under most conditions there should be no problem. However, history proves that any product, even water, may create a negative reaction to some people. The ingredients contained in Log Boss™ as well as the odor are very similar to those found in a lumber mill environment where logs are freshly cut. We would recommend applying several light coats of Log Boss™ to a sample board and then exposing it to your wife ( while it is wet and then again when completely dry). If all is well then proceed with several light coats to the interior and be sure and have her come in contact with the product and/or interior area only when it is safe according to your earlier test. We do not know of an instance where anyone has had a negative reaction during or after applications of Log Boss™, but there is always a first time. In order to help the drying process, apply product with low room temperature and then after last application raise the temperature as high as possible with a fan to circulate the air and help evaporate the carries in Log Boss™. Once dry, the resins and other ingredients in Log Boss™ will not evaporate or emit any fumes into the air. Also, the log walls will be able to breathe since Log Boss™ is designed to permit the natural process of expansion and contraction of the wood due to changing climatic conditions.


LOG HOME: WHICH TO PURCHASE
We are currently looking at several log home manufacturers, but have not decided on which log home to purchase. Are there any tips you can provide in order to help in choosing the best style of log home to buy?

Obviously there are many log home manufacturers to choose from and the decision of which log home to buy is ultimately yours to make. Regardless of your choice of log home the secret is to properly protect the logs as quickly as possible. The ultimate is to have them predipped with Log Boss™ at point of manufacturing or prior to the assembly and construction of your home.


CREOSOTE REPLACEMENT
I am the Natural Resources Program Manager, Public Works Department of Diego Garcia. I have read some articles on your Weather-Bos™ products which I found quite remarkable. As of today, Diego Garcia is looking for a creosote substitute which will be used for preventive maintenance on wood electric poles. Because your product is environmentally safe and non pollutive, Log Boss™ may be a substitute if found to meet our standard requirements. My concern on the use of creosote is the shallowness of our fresh water lenses located just 4 feet below the coralline ground. Furthermore, Diego Garcia has an Annual Average Rainfall of 100 inches (254 cm). We treat our poles once every six months with creosote. Does this frequency apply also with Log Boss™? And what is the rate of application per gallon? Best also if you could provide us the standard application procedures and an MSDS. I also have a question as to whether Log Boss™ could be an effective preventive maintenance on creosote-treated wood poles. Please help.

Thanks for your email. We have the complete solution for your problem...Log Boss™ as you know is environmentally safe, and will provide long term protection. If you generously apply a minimum of three heavy applications the wood poles will not need reapplication for at least five years, and then only for aesthetic purposes. If you pre-dip the logs prior to use by immersing them in a tank and allowing product to slowly penetrate they will provide many years of full service with no harmful effects to the environment, water, or applicator.

In addition, by applying Log Boss™ to existing poles which have already been treated with creosote, the Log Boss™ will encapsulate the creosote. This will prevent future leaching of the creosote into the surrounding air, water, or earth. Also there is no danger to applicator or surrounding environment during application as exists when using other preservatives which contain dangerous ingredients.

The benefits and performance of Weather Bos™ products far exceeds their dangerous counterparts while the cost is very competitive. The rate of coverage depends on several conditions, i.e.: porosity of the wood, moisture content, etc. The average net coverage after three complete soaking application is 30-50 square feet per gallon (.74-1.23 square meters per litre).