Post by ronruble on Sept 1, 2013 11:38:52 GMT -5
Cheap log siding (cheap but a lot of work)
Recycling old saw boards and using them to make my house look like an old log cabin. I found a pile of rough saw boards about 1” thick by 10” wide; all very dark/gray weathered and some with bad areas in the wood.
Cleaning:
Washed off the dirt and used wire brush on areas with stuff stuck or growing on them. To remove the gray/dark weather surface I used water with 20% bleach with cup of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent (2 gal bucket) on the boards for 30 minutes and then washed clean with water. The laundry detergent acts as a wetting agent and you will end up with more evenly cleaned boards. After the boards were dry, I Chernobyl sprayed the wood to kill anything living in it.
I am using two coats of clear gloss Helmsman spar urethane (Minwax) for finishing the boards. It is expensive but last 10 to 15 years. Ref note: Some of the old wood turns very dark while others are light. I found that after 3 or 4 months the colors even out and look good.
Covered the old outside of the house with plastic; added 3/8” plywood strips that are painted with gray dock paint that are 2 inches wider than saw board spacing will be. Cut and fit the saw boards; 2 coats of spar urethane; nailed boards in place and it looks like a log cabin (from a distance). I got 3/4 of the house done but I need to find more wood to finish the one side remaining.
I have also cleaned (no bleach) barn wood and 1920’s bead board that will be used on some interior walls later. Recycled wood is cheap but it just takes a lot more labor to use it.
_
Recycling old saw boards and using them to make my house look like an old log cabin. I found a pile of rough saw boards about 1” thick by 10” wide; all very dark/gray weathered and some with bad areas in the wood.
Cleaning:
Washed off the dirt and used wire brush on areas with stuff stuck or growing on them. To remove the gray/dark weather surface I used water with 20% bleach with cup of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent (2 gal bucket) on the boards for 30 minutes and then washed clean with water. The laundry detergent acts as a wetting agent and you will end up with more evenly cleaned boards. After the boards were dry, I Chernobyl sprayed the wood to kill anything living in it.
I am using two coats of clear gloss Helmsman spar urethane (Minwax) for finishing the boards. It is expensive but last 10 to 15 years. Ref note: Some of the old wood turns very dark while others are light. I found that after 3 or 4 months the colors even out and look good.
Covered the old outside of the house with plastic; added 3/8” plywood strips that are painted with gray dock paint that are 2 inches wider than saw board spacing will be. Cut and fit the saw boards; 2 coats of spar urethane; nailed boards in place and it looks like a log cabin (from a distance). I got 3/4 of the house done but I need to find more wood to finish the one side remaining.
I have also cleaned (no bleach) barn wood and 1920’s bead board that will be used on some interior walls later. Recycled wood is cheap but it just takes a lot more labor to use it.
_