Laser Stripper

Corn-Cob Blasting-the best option for stripping log home and cabin finishes!

-Generally, corn cob blasting is the best overall method of dealing with many log related problems. Some other method’s for removal of failing finishes, sun-burned wood, mold and mildew issues, etc., are sand blasting or chemical stripping. Sand blasting is a method that is still commonly used, but this method is excessively damaging to the wood, blowing away too much good wood and profiling the logs! Chemical stripping requires the use of caustic chemical’s, and the EPA has made illegal the most effective ones because of how harmful they are to not only the environment, but also the people applying them and the people in the surrounding area. There are many log home and deck restoration companies that still rely heavily on chemical stripping. There are still certain times that we feel some of the milder chemical stripper’s are alright to use. Many of the log homes that we work on are in close proximity to lake and river system’s, making cob blasting the most feasible option of preparing the logs as the chemicals for stripping are obviously very harmful to our lakes and rivers.

-Cob blasting is similar to sand blasting in that you use a blasting pot, in combination with highly compressed air. Cob blasting machines use the compressed air together with the ground up corn cob. The corn cob is light, and work’s very effectively to strip the wood. The air pressure and the amount of media (corn cob) can be adjusted very precisely to only remove as much of the log as is necessary to remove the failing finish, bad wood, etc. Corn cob that is used is bio-degradable, and actually work’s as a good mulch. With chemical stripping, the chemical is applied, then allowed a “dwell” time. The dwell time varies, depending on the finish to be removed, etc. Then a pressure washer is used to remove the chemicals. This is another reason that we prefer cob blasting. It is a dry process. With many of the restoration jobs we work on, there are not only problems with the finish, but the sealants are usually in bad shape too. Many times there are gaps in between the logs, and the caulk or chinking. When you chemical strip, and then pressure wash, many times you would be blasting high pressure water into the home, and in the interior of many log homes today, there is drywall walls, etc. And that can get messy. Cob blasting is a dry process, and worst case scenario, the inside of the house gets a little dust and cob in it. Much easier to clean and less destructive than water. With chemical stripping, most strippers that are effective then need a neutralizer applied after the stripper. Then the neutralizer also needs to be pressure washed off. The fact of the matter is, there are some stains out there, usually the hard shell type stains, (Sikkens, etc.) that even the best legal chemical strippers made cannot effectively remove these finishes!

- Cob blasting is the best way to prepare a log surface for stain, because it opens the surface grain. This makes it more porous, so the log will take and retain up to 50% more stain than a non-cob blasted log. This means 50% more pigment protection and U.V. protection for your logs, and this of course means not only properly prepared wood, but a longer lasting stain job!

- Since cob blasting is a dry process, the log home can then be immediately stained without waiting for the drying process, as you would have to with chemical stripping. Preferably, the logs should be treated with a Liquid borate to make sure nothing grows under the new stain, and allowed to dry out before the re-staining is done, though!

- These are just some of the reasons why we feel cob blasting is the preferred method. We are committed to best processes, and those that are healthy for our environment!

Jamie Fonder is the owner of Top-Coat Log Home Restoration LLC. We provide international services for log homes and all of their maintenance and restoration needs http://topcoatloghomerestoration.com/

Source: GoArticles.com

If you are going to do a job then the motto is “do it right” and this most certainly applies when it comes to stripping paint. Most professionals when stripping the paint from panels for example will depend on a chemical process to assist them. The chemical is specifically designed for stripping paint for the most part, though these are not cheap so learning to work with them properly can save you time and money. It’s still a time consuming project. You have to apply the stripper, leave it while it does its job, then come back and scrape of the stripper, then start the process all over again.

Here are some steps to help you get the job done fast and efficiently.

Step One:

Get the surface ready. You do this by masking off the areas you don’t want stripped. Make sure you use a good quality masking tape, as you don’t want the stripper to seep under the tape. Also, be sure to mask well any openings or crevices that the stripper could get into. If this were to happen and go unnoticed then you could run into a problem later on. Stripper could easily surface up into the new paint you just recently applied.

Step Two:

There are many good chemical strippers on the market today. Make sure you read and follow all of the manufacturer’s directions exactly. Don’t just assume that the one you are using now is going to be the same as the one you used last time. Some strippers are in liquid form while others are in a paste form. One common brand that is quite good is Aircraft Remover that is specifically made for auto body use. You need to pour some of the stripper from its original contain into a disposable container. Make sure you use a chemical resistant paintbrush to apply it with otherwise you could end up with a melted brush.

Step three:

When you are applying the chemical, apply it in one direction only and don’t work too much with it. Working it too much only reduces its activity.

Step Four:

This is an important step. Once you have your stripper on then cover it with polyethylene about 2-4ml thickness. Then secure this all around the edges. The reason for doing this is that the chemical components in the stripper that are responsible for softening up the paint evaporate quickly. Whereas if you cover it then it will work for a much longer period of time. You can leave it up to two hours for tough jobs. This little technique makes that expensive stripper go a little bit further. Another hint as well is with a 40-60 grade sandpaper just rough up the surface of the paint just enough to break through the paint film then apply the stripper.

Step Five:

Remove the polyethylene, scrape, and then use steel wool to get into the crevices. Make sure all of the stripper residue is removed before proceeding. Some strippers you can rinse with water, but read the manufacturers directions according to the product you are using.

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Source: GoArticles.com