- FORMERLY NORTH AMERICAN LOG HOME RESTORATION -

Paint & Stain Removal


At North American Log Home Restoration we generally use three different processes to remove various stains and paints off of the many various wood and log sided homes. Our preferred method is corn blasting which is used 80-90% of the time. Corn blasting is a dry process which allows faster restoration in which staining can be done immediately. Corn blasting is also less abrasive than sand and reduces prep time since it is non abrasive to windows. The best part of all, corn blasting is 100% environment friendly and will not harm plants, animals or contaminate any bodies of water that may be in close proximity to the job site.

We have come across various stains that have been used on many wood sided homes that have caused considerable damage to the wood surface at hand. For one, these products are advertised as stains, but to be truthful, they are not. A good stain should penetrate the wood and allow the wood to breathe, not seal the wood. A good stain should not peel or darken, for if it does you may have to restore the home again. Restoring your home is a process that should only be done once in your lifetime. Some of these so called stains can be sticky in nature to the touch or is peeling. These products may contain a resin that actually seals the wood and DOES NOT ALLOW THE WOOD TO BREATHE. If peeling occurs it allows water to get trapped behind the “stain” and will cause severe log rot or mold.

To prepare the surface for blasting we use of a biodegradable chemical and power wash to remove any sticky stains that could cause the corn blasting to adhere to the surface and possibly cause gouging of the wood surface.

Another process we use is grinding. This is usually necessary on round logs when the incorrect choice of stain has caused the log surface to retain water. Blasting cannot be used in this instance because it may gouge the softer, wet log surface. A chemical wash is also useless in this scenario.

We at North American log home restoration strive to attain the best possible surface preparation to allow the maximum stain penetration. We are also very aware of the appearance of our work and we strive to provide a cosmetically pleasing restoration.

It so very important to hire a contractor that is well versed in all the key aspects of wood restoration. Although the stain removal part of restoration can be the toughest part of the project, you are really only half way there. It is what you put back on the bare surface (ie. stain) that can make or break the proper restoration.