Sandblasting and Cob Blasting FAQ
Why do you use corncob and sand as your primary media in blasting log homes?
In our experience with blasting log homes, through experimentation, we have come to use corn cob and sand. We have used three different grits of corncob, at least six different grits and types of sand, walnut and apricot shells, and other industrial blast media. Of these, we have found that corncob and sand do the best job. Essentially what we are doing when we blast is to toss something at the building at a given speed. One can toss it slower, toss more of it or less. Either way, what you toss and how hard you toss it is the key to how much work gets done. A "media"(given material) will do more work if it is heavier and more angular (more sides or sharps). A less angular media will do less removal. So... we try to dial in our choice of media to what we are trying to take off, and the wood we are taking it off of. We want to be aggressive enough to get off the stain and expose fresh new wood, but we don't want to be so aggressive that we damage the logs.
Why can't I use a power washer to prep my logs?
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| The fibers of the wood are damaged creating a "fuzz effect". |
Power washing is a wet process, which relies on water as the “media” to remove the finish instead of sand or corncob. As water is applied to wood, it expands and more importantly - it softens the fibers of the wood. These soft fibers are then exposed to 1800 to 3000 psi of water. This process can cause the fibers to break length-wise and can result in what is referred to as the “fuzz effect”
(see photo to the right). This basically looks like the log home or cabin has grown ½” long hairs.
Click here for more information on sand or cob blasting vs. power washing.
Why can't I simply prepare the surface and reapply a stain on my logs?
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| Notice the variegated color on the logs. |
Most times, a log surface that has areas of faded or pealing stain (see photo on to the right) has two things that will be working against the new stain:
1) the surface of the logs is so deteriorated or is
no longer adhering to the wood that the new stain will simply not stick to the wood and 2) the application of the newly recoated stain will look variegated in appearance because on the bottoms of the logs the original stain remains and on the tops the stain is completely gone.
Contact us to inquire about having your log home or cabin sand or cob blasted.