Two Traits

When it comes to interior finishes, there are two phenomena that homeowners tend to overlook:

1. Surprising amount of surface area. Interior walls and ceilings dramatically increase the amount of surface area that requires treatment - there is about twice as much stainable interior surface versus the exterior. You’ll be looking at your stain choice years to come throughout your entire home. Choose wisely the color and stain product.

2. Choices, choices, and more choices. During a new build, homeowners are faced with hundreds of decision points along the way. It’s common for homeowners to ask the general contractor (GC) for advice, which is typically the "safe," neutral off-white color. A GC wants to stay on schedule, but selecting your interior stain takes a little time. You can’t undo stain without a lot of added expense and time removing the old finish and applying the new finish.

What’s Your Color?

To make the best choice for your log home’s interior stain, think about how you spend time inside your home and the feeling you want to create. Does the space have abundant, natural light? Do you prefer cozy, dark walls and a lighter ceiling or a bright, fresh feeling with lighter walls? Another consideration is that wood absorbs light, so a darker stain may translate into a much darker room than you anticipated.

Then there is the tint base. Do you prefer browns, reds, grays, or a bleached look? Like many things, wood stain decisions can follow design trends, or stay within classic choices. Explore your options and be sure to choose a tint that will look beautiful to you over time. You can always darken a lighter stain, but not the reverse.

Perma-Chink Systems' Family of Colors

• Butternut 154 Butternut 154
• Caramel 325 Caramel 325
• Clear 110 Clear 110
• Midnight 714 Midnight 714
• Autumn Gold 815 Autumn Gold 815
• Azure 718 Azure 718
• Dark Honey 122 Dark Honey 122
• Oak 332 Oak 332
• Almond 345 Almond 345
• Dark Honey 822 Dark Honey 822
• Dark Natural 130 Dark Natural 130
• Light Honey 112 Light Honey 112
• Newport 722 Newport 722
• Cedar 385 Cedar 385
• Garnet 726 Garnet 726
• Hazelnut 170 Hazelnut 170
• Oak 832 Oak 832
• Bronze 175 Bronze 175
• Bronze 374 Bronze 374
• Cinnabar 730 Cinnabar 730
• Light Natural 120 Light Natural 120
• Wheat 821 Wheat 821
• Barn Red 734 Barn Red 734
• Chestnut 365 Chestnut 365
• Cinnamon 174 Cinnamon 174
• Dark Natural 130 Dark Natural 130
• Natural 880 Natural 880
• Bordeaux 738 Bordeaux 738
• Dark Natural 830 Dark Natural 830
• Hazelnut 170 Hazelnut 170
• Smoke 363 Smoke 363
• Walnut 165 Walnut 165
• Black Walnut 742 Black Walnut 742
• Driftwood 161 Driftwood 161
• Eucalyptus 390 Eucalyptus 390
• Sequoia 835 Sequoia 835
• Espresso 746 Espresso 746
• Hazelnut 870 Hazelnut 870
• Rustic Gray 372 Rustic Gray 372
• Stone Gray 163 Stone Gray 163
• Walnut 165 Walnut 165
• Cedar 885 Cedar 885
• Charcoal 750 Charcoal 750
• Gentry Gray 142 Gentry Gray 142
• Bronze 874 Bronze 874
• Sand 754 Sand 754
• Chestnut 868 Chestnut 868
• Pickled White 762 Pickled White 762
• Pickled White 150 Pickled White 150
• Umber 758 Umber 758
• Walnut 865 Walnut 865
• Driftwood 861 Driftwood 861
• Seagull 152 Seagull 152
• Spruce 766 Spruce 766
• Evergreen 770 Evergreen 770
• Stone Gray 863 Stone Gray 863
• Gentry Gray 842 Gentry Gray 842
• Jade 774 Jade 774
• Beachwood 848 Beachwood 848
• Forest 778 Forest 778
• Barn Gray 872 Barn Gray 872
• Fern 782 Fern 782
• Classic Brown 878 Classic Brown 878
• Picked White 850 Picked White 850
•  

To order FREE color samples visit, our store here.

Distinct Needs

Not all interior wood is the same. Logs and heavy timbers are not like the wood of cabinets, moldings, and furniture. These smaller wood products are usually sprayed with nitrocellulose lacquer for protection, giving them a hard, shiny finish. Larger timbers and logs are more dynamic than cabinets, tables, and trim. If you try and put a similar lacquer on your interior log walls, the finish will crack and peel as these larger pieces of wood naturally contract and expand.

Some homeowners wonder if they can go "au natural" with their interior wood, avoiding the protection an interior finish provides. While interior logs may not be subjected to the same elements as their external counterparts, they will absorb cooking oils and odors, collect dust, handprints, and water stains if not protected. There’s another reason to finish them: Have you ever run your hand across rough-cut wood? It feels mildly like sandpaper. All those little crags and jags on the surface need to be covered in a light film; one that’s strong enough to be wiped down and protect the wood while remaining flexible enough to not crack as the log expands, shifts, and contracts over time.

Choose a stain that’s designed for its job. Exterior stains contain higher levels of biocides and preservatives that you don’t need or want inside your home, especially where you’re eating and sleeping. This is also why you want to avoid an oil-based stain. Oil-based products have high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are extremely unhealthy in enclosed spaces. 

Smart & Attractive

Start with a stain that gives you the aesthetic and exact level of transparency you desire. Here at Perma-Chink Systems, we recommend using one of our Lifeline Interior stains, which come in a wide array of tones, including clear. After staining, add one or two clear coats of interior finish; Lifeline Acrylic or Sure Shine, a water-based poly finish. Both add just enough film to protect your logs and minimize scratchiness so they can be easily wiped and cleaned. Lifeline Acrylic and Sure Shine come in gloss or satin.

These stains also contain the right amount of UV protection to avoid “picture framing.” Picture framing is the shadowy discoloration that remains on the wall when you move a bookshelf or a picture. Your stains should not dictate how you can decorate your home, if you're trying to cover outlines of wall hangings. Perma-Chink interior stains and finishes will ensure that the inside of your log home is just as breathtaking and gorgeous as the outside.

To order color samples, visit our store here.