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The "New Car Smell" is Toxic: Why Low-VOC Stains Matter
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CARB compliant stain
Low VOC wood stain
Non-toxic log home finish
VOCs in paint health effects
Water borne alkyd stain
| Jim McCain
We have all been there. You paint a room, and for the next three days, you have to keep the windows open because the smell gives you a migraine.
That smell isn't just "paint." It is Volatile Organi...
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How to Remove Wood Stain from Carpet (The Emergency Guide)
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Carpet cleaning hacks
Folex for wood stain
Oil based vs water based stain removal
Remove wood stain from carpet
| Jim McCain
It happens in slow motion. You are touching up a window frame, the brush slips, and a drop of dark wood stain lands squarely on your beige carpet.
Don't panic. And do NOT scrub.
Wood stain is desig...
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The Ultimate DIY Log Cabin Playhouse (That Won't Rot)
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DIY log cabin playhouse
Log siding for playhouse
Playhouse cost
Safe wood stain for kids
Water based log stain
| Jim McCain
Every kid dreams of a log cabin in the woods. It’s a place for secret club meetings, imagination, and independence.
But most DIY playhouses have a lifespan of about 3 years. They are built with che...
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The Post-Winter Autopsy: How to Spot & Fix Cold Weather Damage
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Log home rot repair
Log home winter damage
Screwdriver rot test
Spring log home maintenance
UV damage snow reflection
| Jim McCain
Spring is here. The snow is melting, the birds are singing, and your log home is finally visible again.
But before you relax, you need to perform an autopsy.
Winter is the single most destructive s...
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How to Repair & Replace Chinking (The Professional Way)
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Bond breaker tape
Chinking over stain
Chinking repair
Removing old chinking
Two-point adhesion
| Jim McCain
Failed chinking is more than an eyesore; it is a structural threat. When chinking pulls away from the log, it creates a "water trap." Rain runs down the wall, enters the gap, and sits trapped behin...
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The Moisture Rule: Why Chinking Fails & How to Test Your Logs
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Log home moisture content
Triple Stretch Chinking application
Using moisture meter on logs
Why chinking blisters
| Jim McCain
You buy the best chinking on the market. You hire a contractor. The job looks beautiful.
Three weeks later, you see bubbles forming under the surface. Or worse, the chinking starts peeling off the ...
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Why Your Log Home is Moving (And How to Manage Shrinkage)
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Adjusting screw jacks
Elastic chinking
Log home settling
Preventing log gaps
Wood shrinkage calculation
| Jim McCain
If you are a new log home owner, you might hear your house "groan" at night. You might notice a door sticking that used to close perfectly. You might see a new crack (check) appear in a wall log.
D...
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The Ultimate Log Home Maintenance Schedule (Save $50k in Repairs)
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Cost of log home maintenance
Ground clearance for log homes
Log home maintenance schedule
Re-staining frequency
| Jim McCain
There are two types of log home owners: those who spend $500 a year on maintenance, and those who spend $50,000 every decade on restoration.
The difference isn't luck. It's a schedule.
Log homes ar...
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How to Clean Your Log Home (Without Ruining It)
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Log home cleaning
Media blasting log cabin
pH balance wood
Pressure washing logs
Removing mill glaze
| Jim McCain
Cleaning a log home is not like washing vinyl siding. Vinyl is inert plastic; wood is organic. It absorbs water, reacts to chemicals, and if you hit it with too much pressure, it "fuzzes" like a pe...
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Borate Wood Treatments: The "Vaccine" for Your Log Home
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Borate wood treatment
How to apply borate to logs
Termite prevention log homes
Tim-bor Professional
| Jim McCain
If you are building a log home or stripping an old one down to bare wood, you have a brief window of opportunity to perform the single most important step in log preservation.
It's not the stain. I...
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3 Dangerous Myths About Log Home Chinking (Busted)
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Backer rod importance
Chinking vs Caulking
Log home chinking myths
Triple stretch chinking
| Jim McCain
If you ask three different builders about chinking, you might get three different answers.
"My logs are tight; I don't need it."
"Just use mortar; it's cheaper."
"Skip the backer rod; it's a waste ...
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