In addition to building a quality home, you want to build a beautiful home, which is why your choice of wood finishes is so important. The most desirable finish allows the wood grain to emerge so the color complements the wood rather than covering it.
Many of Honest Abe’s customers are protected by the high-quality products offered by Perma-Chink Systems.
“A high performance finish gives long-lasting color retention through the use of a balanced formulation of transparent iron oxides and long lasting mildew inhibitors,” explained Sean Gahan, a Senior Chemist with Perma-Chink. “By applying a clear topcoat, you also have the opportunity to create a gloss or satin finish and greatly extend the life of the stain system.”
Gahan pointed out that with a high-quality product comes high performance and longevity.
“The most important duty of your home’s finish is to shield your logs from the elements, including UV rays and water,” he said. “While UV inhibitors are included in some high-quality stains, your finish should also repel rain but be permeable to water vapor to allow trapped moisture in your logs to evaporate, and the Perma-Chink Systems products do just that.”
Gahan said for topcoats and base stain, Perma-Chink’s Lifeline™ provides options that “breathe,” allowing moisture within the logs to evaporate while reducing checking.
“Clear topcoats boost protection against UV rays and add water repellency, while making your exterior walls easier to clean,” he said. “The smooth surface of a high-quality clear coat repels dirt and dust, making cleaning a breeze.”
According to Gahan, a high performance stain will typically last 5 to 8 years while low quality stain will expose your home to the elements in two years or less. High-quality finishes make the job go faster, cover larger square footage and require less maintenance over the years.
A high-quality stain should be formulated to meet and exceed emission standards established by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as well as all state and local restrictions. Finishes should also be free of formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.
“Over the past few years almost all new innovations in coating technology have been in low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) water-based systems,” Gahan said. “This new technology has allowed the development of high quality products like Lifeline™ Ultra stains and Advance™ topcoats that not only look great but meet the most stringent environmental requirements in every state.”
