Your log cabin is an investment that should last for many years, but you’ll need to make sure that you look after it. It isn’t so much a matter of whether you should paint your log cabin, it’s more a question of how to paint your log cabin!
Painting has a dual effect. First, it changes the appearance of your cabin, helping you to personalise it and make it look just the way you want it to. Second, it protects the wood from damage by external factors that include the weather and any small mishaps you may have while using your cabin.
You can paint your log cabin on both the outside and the inside, and modern paint is designed to protect and enhance the existing surfaces.
How to Paint your Log Cabin – Choosing Your Paint
If you’ve ever taken on a painting project before, you’ll know there are many different types of paint available. This doesn’t mean there are multiple colours – of course, there are hundreds – but rather the properties that the paint possesses.
From a cursory glance at any paint section in a local store, you’ll see there are different finishes including matt, gloss, eggshell, and silk. Some are designed to be easy to clean, and others have a shine that lasts. This is just scratching the surface!
Some paints are designed for interior use, some for exterior, some for use in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens, some for wood, some for wallpaper…the list goes on. When you need to know how to paint your log cabin, you must first consider the surface that you will be painting.
If your log cabin has not been painted before, you will need to prepare the surface to be painted. The use of a special type of paint known as a primer will be the first step, as this allows subsequent layers of paint to be applied easily.
Without using a primer, any paint you apply may go on unevenly and appear to be a different shade in different areas. This is due to the wood not being a uniform colour in every area, and the fact that it will tend to absorb the paint as it is applied, but not in an even manner.
Primers also protect the wood better than just paint alone, so it is sensible to use one. You’ll find that primers commonly come in oil-based and water-based forms, and oil-based primer and paint is the most popular choice for painting exterior wood.
How to Paint Your Log Cabin Exterior
Once your primer layer is applied, you can begin to paint the next layer in a colour of your choosing. Water-based paints may cover more smoothly, but whatever paint you use you may find you need several coats to get the desired cover.
Finishing off the exterior with gloss paint can help to protect the exterior for longer, although satin paint is also a common choice. Both provide greater protection than a flat matt finish.
How to Paint Your Log Cabin Interior
Painting your log cabin interior is just as simple as painting the exterior – begin with the primer and apply coats of paint until you are happy with the finish.
However, certain types of paint can be used inside to make the job easier and the result last longer. The aforementioned bathroom and kitchen paints will serve their purpose in the appropriate areas due to their resistance to moisture, while gloss is commonly used on areas of trim such as skirting and windowsills.
While many people choose to use laminate flooring inside their cabins, floor paint is also an option. Floor paint is very hardwearing but may take some time to dry – and you certainly shouldn’t walk on them before this!
Why it is Important to Paint Your Log Cabin
Log cabins from Loghouse are built using sustainable Scandinavian pine and all the timber we use is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This means our cabins have a low environmental impact while providing us with a great material to work with.
Scandinavian pine is known for its strength and durability which makes it ideal for creating a log cabin with. However, it is still a natural product that is susceptible to damage, wear and tear over time. The exterior of any building will be susceptible to damage from weather conditions including rain and sunshine, and creating a layer of protection through paint keeps this damage to a minimum.
Your log cabin will certainly last for several years without painting but learning how to paint your log cabin will allow you to enjoy the benefits provided by your log cabin for a much longer period of time. Plus, you get to choose exactly how your finished cabin will look!
Painting the interior of your log cabin will again protect the walls from damage caused by spills, leaks, or other accidents, but also allows you to create an interior space you want to spend time in. Just as decorating your home gives you the opportunity to stamp your personality on each room, painting the interior of your log cabin is just the same.
Knowing How to Paint Your Log Cabin Saves Money
All log cabins constructed by Loghouse are provided with a 10-year structural guarantee and we take extra measures to ensure the quality of each cabin. This includes using extra sealant to protect the cabin and incorporating damp-proof membranes in the build process.
While this will do a lot to extend the life of the cabin, painting your cabin will make it last even longer. You don’t need to repaint every year, so the short amount of time you spend painting the cabin will be an investment in your future.
With the protection that painting adds to your Loghouse Log Cabin, you’ll avoid having to pay for any small repairs that could have been easily avoided, and you’ll keep your cabin safe for years to come.