We hope that you have already read the section on building a bathhouse, about this in detail (or you can go to the first photo in the left menu). But, in addition to installing the bathhouse and erecting a roof over it, in 2011 we managed to carry out a number of events in the house itself. Having completed the arrangement process new apartment, we will devote the entire next year 2012 to finishing the log house and, if possible, the bathhouse. This article will talk about the features of sanding the walls of a log house (in this case, the wooden walls of a house).
When you communicate with construction companies at the stage of designing and manufacturing a log house, you somehow don’t even imagine the whole burden of problems in the further construction of a house or bathhouse that you will have to shoulder in the future. And this situation is, of course, true not only for log houses and bathhouses, but also for any suburban construction.
But when all these problems begin to arise, you begin to appreciate the beauty of human relationships, because in one company they will simply turn their backs on you as soon as you have paid the last payment, while in others they will readily help and answer questions even several years after completion construction of a log house. I am very pleased that the Rus Log Company belongs to the second category, in fact, that is why I ordered a bathhouse from them this year, and for the same reason I am writing these lines.
Having hit the bumps in building a house, and now a bathhouse, I understand that other developers will also face these problems. Therefore, let our experience and the advice that we received from the specialists of “Rus...” become available to other clients of this company, and simply to connoisseurs of log houses and bathhouses.
So, our story today is about sanding the walls of a house. Well, to be more precise, this year we sanded and painted interior walls in the house, as well as internal and external walls in the log bathhouse. We will talk about sanding a bathhouse and its painting in separate articles (see links), where we will briefly dwell on the features relating specifically to work on the bathhouse. We will also talk about painting the walls of the house in a separate article; this question also turned out to be not as simple as we previously thought.
Photo of the living room in 2011 after sanding the walls.
You can see what our walls look like after sanding in the previous photo. Of course, the house began to be perceived in a completely different way. My only main mistake is that I should have done the sanding before installing the floors and ceilings, but we will dwell on this in more detail a little later. Now let’s go together along the entire difficult path that led to such beauty.
Note from autumn 2013. It’s always interesting to look ahead a little to understand what exactly this was all about. On next photo You can see how the living room looked after sanding and painting the walls. Well, and at the same time after a number of other events (from a fireplace and heated floors, to tiles and doors).
Photo of the same living room, but taken in the fall of 2013. Initiative is punishable or how I sanded the walls in a log house
At first glance, you cannot say that sanding the walls of a log house is hard work that requires skill, strength and endurance. When two years ago I found out approximately how much it would cost me to sand the inside of the house, I said: what kind of nonsense is this, I can handle it just fine myself. Just think - drive and drive grinder. I was also motivated by my good friend and senior comrade, let’s call him Yu.V., since I did not ask for his consent to this publication. At one time (being a teacher, having two higher education, candidate of science and associate professor) built in a couple of weeks country house for his father-in-law. In short, in addition to a refined mind and a rather sharp tongue, which many were afraid of, he also had golden hands.
Of course, at work we often discussed the construction of my and his dachas. And then one day he asked me what I actually did at the dacha with my own hands, because you need to put your soul and heart into a house. So, I say, my wife and I seemed to be developing the project in agony, I planned and installed the electrics myself, and that’s probably all. And he told me - well, can’t you sand the walls yourself, and really, I thought, why not. By the way, Yu.V. I was very unlucky with the builders; he also built a log house, but he ordered it through mutual friends, and they let him down.
Hard man's work - sanding the walls of a log house No sooner said than done. At that time, I already knew that log walls were sanded with an angle grinder, or in common parlance, a grinder. Walking into a large hardware store, I asked to show me all the attachments for the grinder. Having chosen two, in my opinion, the most suitable, I asked them to pick up the disks for them. I also already knew that for grinding wheels with a grain size of 80 are used. I especially liked the German attachment with Velcro; it was, of course, a little expensive (about 1000 rubles), but, in my opinion, very convenient.
Arriving at the dacha, I dropped everything and rushed to try my acquisitions in action. I had the good sense to start from an “invisible” place. In the bathroom on the first floor, I chose the wall where the shower will be located. The first attempt at polishing showed that it was far from so simple. The grinder was simply torn out of my hands and thrown from side to side, from under the circle on the new skin sparks began to fly in all directions, because of this, scuffs arose, I was unable to make a smooth stripe, everything turned out to be some kind of waves.
But the most unpleasant surprise awaited me when I tried to sand the log at the horizontal joint between the crowns. My vaunted German nozzle, with its upper (i.e., back to the skin) part, left a thick black stripe on the neighboring log. Another thing that unpleasantly struck me was that the 80's discs wore out at a very incredible speed. The delivered package of discs melted before our eyes. I tried the second attachment, where the grinding disc was secured with a bolt. As it turned out later, this was already closer to the truth, but even here it was very difficult to polish the logs in the cuts and at the joints. I installed the German Velcro attachment again, but in my disappointment I forgot to attach the sanding disc itself. When I started running the grinder along the log, I immediately felt that something was wrong. And then it dawned on me that “it wasn’t the reel, …” and I myself ruined the nozzle for almost a thousand rubles. This was the last “dot the i” and I finally realized that everyone should mind their own business.
Later, watching the guys work and communicating with them, I realized some of my mistakes. Firstly, you need another (second) nozzle. Secondly, the new disk must first be slightly ground down on an auxiliary section of the log (usually in the openings under interior doors, what will be covered in the future with casing boxes) - in this case, the largest grains fly off and the disk will not “cut” the log and spark. Thirdly, I realized that the grinder should be moved not by moving the hands, but by using the shoulders and forearms, then smoothness and parallelism of the movement will be achieved, and accordingly the log will be smooth and without “waves”. The last recommendation will be clear to volleyball and tennis players. In volleyball, when receiving the ball with both hands from below, you also need to “work” with your shoulders and torso, and not bend your elbows, otherwise the ball will fly in an unpredictable direction. Similarly in tennis, when receiving the ball with a racket held with two hands, similar work of the whole body is also required, and not just the hands.
We got a little distracted. In short, even if I knew all this in theory, in practice all this would still turn out to be hard work. But you still had to scrape it out with a chisel upper layer wood in the corners. In short, then I clearly decided for myself that I needed to do something around the house or the bathhouse, but I needed to do what I was good at.
By the way, to be objective, I wasn’t the only one who had such a “crazy” thought. WITH light hand employees of "Rus" I met and maintain friendly relations with Maxim Marinin, our famous figure skater and simply a wonderful person (editor's note, more details about the bathhouse built by Maxim Marinin are told).
Since he and I are in approximately the same state, in terms of being drawn into the construction process, we periodically exchange interesting and useful information on various aspects of construction. So, once Maxim wrote that he had purchased a good grinding machine (not an angle grinder, but a specialized grinder) and was planning to grind the frame of the bathhouse himself. He, like me, was alarmed by the cost of this work - at first glance it seems overpriced. I told him my story described above and recommended that he still leave it to the specialists and do something more familiar himself. But Maxim is as purposeful as I am, and he decided to try everything from his own experience. The result turned out to be similar, we both realized that “what is Caesar’s is what is Caesar’s”, and it is better to earn money in the way we are accustomed to – it will be more effective.
Tools and consumables for grinding
Before bringing the builders to the dacha, I took care of the purchase grinding discs. The question turned out to be quite non-trivial. But first, a few words about the process itself. The main plane of the chopped walls is cleaned with a grinder with an attachment on, onto which a grinding disc is bolted. But there are places where the grinder does not reach - these are the corners of cuts, walls near the ceiling or near the floor (if you, like me, already have the floor installed). There you have to work manually - with a chisel. In the photo below you can see two such corners of the cuts. The upper corner has already been cleaned with a chisel, but the lower corner has not, the circles where the disk was able to reach are clearly visible.
Working with a chisel in the corners of cuts. In the upper corner a layer of wood has been manually removed, in the lower corner not yet. It is clear that grinders, attachments and chisels are the concern of builders, but I advise you to take care of grinding discs separately so that unpleasant incidents do not occur.
Sanding discs were coming out in bunches. The photo on the left shows the mark on the disc grain size (60) in blue. The best option is if the builders take on the “procurement” of sanding discs; it is more difficult if you have to do this (for example, buy additional ones). The fact is that a very large number of these disks are required. Offhand, it took us about two and a half boxes for the house and the bathhouse. Each box contains 8 packs, each pack contains 25 discs. In total, there are 200 discs in the box, about 500-600 discs in total. As the builders told me, it takes from 1 to 3 discs per square meter of wall, so count it. By the way, you need to calculate the area, and therefore the volume of work, and therefore your costs, correctly. Masters use the so-called height coefficient. The fact is that your walls are uneven, but with rounded crowns. Therefore, several control measurements are taken, a tape measure is taken, and the tape goes around all the bends of the crowns. It turns out that with a ceiling height of, say, 2.5 meters, the actual height of the wall turns out to be about 3 meters. For me this was news, but for you now it is no longer news.
Let's get back to the disks. If you go to a construction hypermarket and try to buy so many discs there, you will realize that it is cheaper for you to cover the walls with gold leaf. Of course, I had to promptly purchase several dozen disks, especially those with an increased diameter (150 mm); to be honest, this is not a cheap matter.
So what to do? There is a way out: turn to “ to a domestic manufacturer"! The fact is that supermarkets sell mostly imported products, and the specialists of Rus Log Chataya recommended purchasing discs from the Luga Abrasive Plant - they are several times cheaper, and the quality is not much inferior to imported ones. It is clear that not everyone will be able to “hit the road” to Luga, look for this plant, etc. Here it would be optimal if the builders organize it. I am grateful to the leadership of “Rus...” that I had no problems with this. Moreover, usually large construction companies, like Rus Log, purchase these disks in bulk (by wholesale we mean several dozen boxes, i.e. thousands of disks), which costs them significantly less than if you came to the factory yourself. Unfortunately, or rather to my sincere amazement, the Luga plant has neither representation nor even point of sale in St. Petersburg, which is a pity.
And one more aspect regarding discs is their grain. For final sanding, 80 or 60 grit discs are used (see circled numbers in the photo above). Of course, the result of using 80 sandpaper is more pleasant to the touch, but most likely you will have to sand it in the second layer, and go through it with a coarser sandpaper the first time. In the house we did 80, and in the bathhouse we did 60, but in one layer. In principle, it feels almost imperceptible, especially after painting. By the way, looking ahead, I will say that after the first layer of water-based varnish you will have to sand the walls again, this time simply by hand, without a grinder, because... It is the water-based varnish that lifts all the pile formed on the surface. But we will talk about this in more detail in a separate article.
In addition to 60 and 80 grit, builders use sanding discs with 40 grit - for sanding the ends of logs, of course, much less sand will be needed. I repeat that ideally, all these problems should be taken care of by the builders, so that you don’t have to leave your job and run around St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region in search of certain grinding discs.
So, by mid-summer, I had a paradoxical situation: there seemed to be money for construction and there were builders for certain jobs, but I couldn’t start work. The fact is that at that moment I was kept busy by sanding the walls in the house. I could not install casings and internal trim on the windows (the specifics of our windows are described) without sanding the walls. For the same reason, I could not lay plumbing connections around the house, make heated floors, etc. But the most important thing is the fireplace. The fireplace is a “separate story”. It was designed for us according to the author's design based on the Swedish Keddy fireplace cassette. We decided to make the fireplace lining from soapstone chloride; it was ordered back in the winter and was finally ready by summer. The installation of the fireplace, as you understand, was also maintained by sanding. And the fireplace itself supported the insulation of the roof of the house (by the way, we didn’t have time to do the roof this year and postponed it to 2012).
I called Denis Migachev, general. director of “Rus” and asked if his “fighters” could polish my house, and at the same time the bathhouse. He replied that, unfortunately, all the brigades were busy and on the move, and that, at best, the nearest brigade would be free in 3-4 weeks. I didn’t want to wait so long; summer is passing. We called out among our friends and one distant friend of a friend said that he had people in mind who had experience sanding walls wooden houses. At that time, I did not yet know all the intricacies of grinding and thought that this team could handle this labor-intensive, but in principle uncomplicated task.
This coming Friday I went and picked up two “specialists” from the previous site and brought them to my dacha. The guys turned out to be from Ukraine, I organized their entire life, we walked around the house and examined all the walls. Andrey, he was their eldest, said that discs would be needed to polish the logs adjacent to the floor and ceiling larger diameter(150mm) which I should have bought.
Half of Saturday I ran around the shops looking for these discs - all to no avail, Velcro - please, but there were simply no such clamping ones. Desperate, I again called my “magic wand” Denis Migachev. He immediately said that I needed to go to the Castorama store, and indeed, there I picked up all the available disks of the size I needed at a “zero price”; by the way, the price tag was “biting”, each disk cost 50-70 rubles. Denis also scolded me that I did not wait for his guys, since here he clearly guaranteed quality. I had to apologize and refer to what I thought was an unacceptable time delay.
Arriving home, I called my grinders and “reported” that their request had been fulfilled - the discs had been purchased. And this Andrey responded to me and said that, in fact, they had already moved out of the dacha, the work was not interesting to them and the conditions did not suit them. I was simply taken aback by what I heard and slowly sat down on a chair. Wait, I say, I am inclined to dialogue, if there are problems, voice them, if this is really the case, I am ready to increase the price of the work. He responded to me that the house is old (even though the frame is only 3 years old), sanding is very difficult, you have to first go through it with coarse sandpaper, and then again with 80-grain sandpaper. I hung up and began to come to my senses. In my 45 years, no one has ever done this to me. Well, find the courage in yourself and tell the customer that you are not interested in this, but say it to his face, but like this, leaving someone else’s trusted home, running away like a rat from a sinking ship - this was incomprehensible to me. Having come to my senses, I called this Andrey again and calmly “put him in his place,” explaining that “grown boys” don’t act like that, and that if I find even the slightest problem at my dacha, then I will find him with a friend at throughout the Leningrad region. In fact, I wasn’t lying, if this became a matter of principle, then thanks to my wife’s connections, we would be able to “ruin the lives” of these guys, I just usually don’t want to waste time and get my hands dirty on such people. My principle is to draw conclusions, forget and move on. That's what we did. The next day we arrived at the dacha, found the keys to the gate and the house in the place indicated by the would-be builders, and checked that everything was in order and in place. We began to think about what to do next - time was ticking.
Second attempt - with guaranteed results
As you understand, my next call was again to Denis, I told him the story that had happened and asked him to reserve his builders for me, we had nowhere to go, so we were ready to wait. Denis promised to speed up the process and, indeed, three days later they removed a specialist named Adrian from the site and called him to help him cousin- Ivan, a budding specialist, but Adrian promised to organize the learning process “as the play progresses” and guaranteed that everything would be on point the highest level. It was assumed that a couple more guys would arrive in a week or two, but later we abandoned this, since the pace of the builders’ work, and most importantly the quality, satisfied me.
The main task that I set for the sanders was to quickly sand and paint the house, primarily those rooms where the fireplace will be located and the chimney will pass through (on the second floor). Secondly, I decided to polish the inside of the bathhouse as well, in order to “close the topic.” Looking ahead, I note that later we decided to polish the bathhouse outside as well, “to walk, just walk,” although, of course, additional justifications appeared for this step.
The work has begun. The guys started from the second floor so that dust would not settle on the work already done. I’ll say right away – there was, of course, “immense” amounts of dust. To clean walls from dust, it is convenient to use ordinary brooms and a vacuum cleaner. Without a vacuum cleaner, of course, it’s difficult, especially later – when you need to clean the corners and joints of the logs before painting. I still had a “technical” vacuum cleaner, which we bought when renovating the apartment, here it served its purpose again.
Grinding is mountains of garbage... ...or fertilizer, depending on how you look at it :) Based on the results of the work of the first “Uh brigade”, I realized that it was necessary to protect the mechanisms of plastic windows and the roof membrane. Therefore, I bought several packages of film (there is thin, and there is thicker - the second is better) - it is usually used to cover furniture and floors during renovations. I asked the guys to first cover all the window openings with film and staple the entire roof on the second floor (now we only have tiles and a waterproof membrane from the roofing pie in the house), we planned to do the rest of the internal roof after installing the fireplace, sanding and painting the walls.
And so the work began to boil. I’ll say right away that it was a long process; in total, the guys worked for me for almost a month and a half. But during this time, the inside of the house was sanded, the bathhouse was sanded on both sides, all this was painted with varnish three times, and inside the premises - after the first layer of varnish, the pile that appeared was also manually sanded.
Watching them work, I studied grinding technology out of interest. Let's focus on the most important points this process. Sanding walls from a gun carriage can be divided into three components: processing the upper and lower edges of the log, as well as processing the flat part of the log. For round logs, everything is somewhat more complicated; you have to smoothly go around all the roundness of the wood. The described stages are illustrated in the next three photos.
Particular problems were caused by sections of the walls under the ceiling and near the floor. Therefore, let me remind you once again of my recommendation: the frame should be sanded BEFORE installing windows, installing ceilings and floors. The main thing is that the log house is under a roof. The presence of logs is welcome, it is convenient to temporarily throw boards on them - this is what happened to me in the bathhouse.
By the way, let's talk about one more recommendation that emerged during the work. Of course, it is better to sand a new frame than an already mature one. In addition to the mentioned windows and floors, the hardening process of the wood also comes into play here. Accordingly, the consumption of skins on such a log house will be slightly higher. True, belated grinding also revealed advantages; we will talk about this in more detail in a future section devoted to insulating a log house after shrinkage.
Let's return to the difficult areas to work with. The floors were a little easier. We plan to install heated floors on both floors, heated by a heat pump, so the floor level will still be raised by 5-8 cm. This allowed us not to “fight” for the lower edges of the walls. But I really had to suffer with the walls near the ceiling of the first floor. For now we are planning to do it on the first floor stretch ceiling(they hide the unevenness of the wall logs well), they will be separated from the existing draft ceiling from OSB by only 2-3 cm, so sanding the upper parts of the walls was important. Several times my workers threw up their hands and said that they would not be able to sand this or that section of the wall. We understood that, of course, this could be done with a chisel, but this would be absolutely hard labor.
In life, I am an optimist and an engineer, so every time I reassured Adrian and every time we found a solution. These solutions were born “in pain,” therefore, given that they may be useful to you, we will present them briefly.
Grinding hard to reach places under the ceiling, in some places we had to modify the tool, show ingenuity, or simply work with a chisel “Know-how” that emerged as a result of brainstorming:
- the guys cut it off rubber nozzle, holding the grinding disc and the grinding disc itself. Thus, from a disk with a diameter of 125 mm we got a disk with a diameter of 70-80 mm, which made it possible to work in many hard-to-reach places;
- somewhere I closed my eyes to the “waves” on the surface of the crowns, because I understood that this area could only be polished with short vertical movements;
- without hesitation, I allowed the guys to “scratch” the rough ceiling, because there was no other way;
- where it was really tight, I had to work only with a chisel, but there were only two such places left, and they were small ones.
By the way, my experiments with the grinder came in handy. On one of these occasions, an emotional Adrian said in his heart that he couldn’t get there. And I look and think, why do you need to make movements from top to bottom, but what if you turn the grinder over and start working from bottom to top. Adrian tells me in response that it’s impossible, the grinder will simply fly out of your hands. Let's try, I said. Believe it or not, in front of the “amazed public” I managed to carefully clean up a previously inaccessible area. Damn, “skill doesn’t drink away,” I even thought.
Of course, one cannot fail to mention another rather labor-intensive stage of work - cleaning the surface of the logs in the corners of the cuts with chisels. The photo below shows this operation close-up from different angles. In the photo is Adrian himself. His brother, Ivan, out of natural modesty, tried to avoid the lens, but I did not insist.
Labor-intensive work of manually cleaning the corners of cuts where the sanding disc cannot reach. 
The same work in the corners of the cuts, but close-up. On the right side of the photo above you can clearly see that the crowns were not completely sanded - the guys then processed the edges for window and door openings separately. This was due to the fact that most of the windows were covered with film at that time.
The next photo shows a close-up of a wall made of round log. Traces from the discs are clearly visible. This is what the wall looked like after being covered with rough sandpaper with 40 grit.
Sanded wall - close-up. Disc marks are visible. This wall was polished twice, first with 40 grit and then with 80 grit. The photo shows the result of rough sanding. As a result of the work done to polish the house, the living room simply “played.” To be honest, my wife and I do not regret the money spent on sanding, because it essentially replaces the traditionally expensive final finishing of the walls. Once one of our friends, having visited our house, asked, what will you use to line the walls from the inside? My wife and I looked at him like “Lenin looked at the bourgeoisie” and said, what are you talking about, for the sake of these wooden walls, everything, in fact, was started!
As a result of sanding, the house began to look like new. In conclusion of this article, even if we look ahead a little, we will show how the same room began to look, but with painted walls and an installed fireplace. The top of the fireplace is still missing decorative lattice, so the air duct pipes are visible.
Photo of the living room after painting the walls with varnish water based and installation of a fireplace with soap chloride lining. Don’t be surprised that the fireplace podium is raised above the floor - this is intended, since the subfloor is made of CBPB slabs The insulation will be laid, and then the heated floor pipes will be laid in the screed. According to our plans, the level of the tiles should just reach the level of the fireplace podium.
To take a closer look at the walls, here is a photo of the chimney against the background of the wall attic floor. Overall we were pleased with the quality of sanding and painting.
Photo of the wall of the second floor, on the left - fireplace chimney (finished with artificial stone) And again we are glad to welcome you, developers and customers construction company SEC "Russian Izba" This time we will talk about such a necessary operation as polishing a log house. Why do you need to sand logs, if the wood is very durable and is aesthetically attractive in itself, how difficult is this work, is it possible to do it yourself, and how much does it cost if you contact an organization for sanding - we hope you will be given detailed answers to all of the above questions and clear answers this article.
So, the first question that certainly interests you is:
What is the price per square meter for sanding a log frame?
The total cost of work is determined taking into account the following factors:
- quantity of consumables per square meter or one pass of the tool;
- prices for specialist services, which are determined depending on the area of the walls;
- quantity of antiseptics, work on their application.
I’ll say right away: different construction companies and teams set their own prices. Guided by own experience, availability of professional tools, ambitions and so on. Therefore, of course, I cannot say exactly how much the builders will ask from you. But I can announce the prices for polishing at the Russaya Izba SEC.
On average, grinding in one pass costs customers construction company SPK "Russkaya Izba" V 300-400 rubles per square meter, but prices vary in each specific case - depending on total area surface, whether grinding is needed inside or outside, depending on whether the customer is applying for the first time or is our regular customer. In a word, everything needs to be clarified, as they say, on the spot. Therefore, leave a request, call – we’ll discuss everything!
If you think that the prices are too high, we would like to clarify that grinding is a rather complex type of work. It requires not only a professional tool, but also a lot of experience! Generally for long years From our work, we have learned that at the stage of designing a future home, the customer does not even realize what a burden of problems he is shouldering. And when all the problems appear clearly, it is important that the contractor he chooses is reliable. After all, some may even turn their backs! And reliable - and will do everything conscientiously, and will answer any question, even years after construction log house, and will name the real price. So, without proper experience, a log house can be seriously damaged. 
What does it mean? To process wood, an angle grinder (or grinder) is used – we’ll tell you in more detail below – and you need to know how to use it! Yes, not just know the principle, but be able to smoothly move it along the surface, so that the angle grinder does not jump around under your hand, crashing into a tree, making ripples and waves. This is most often the case with inexperienced craftsmen. Here, firstly, the usual technique of working is important - not with the hands, but with the shoulders and forearms. And secondly, you need to choose the right attachments with different grains. We'll tell you about this too.
The main thing is for you to understand that if you don’t know how, it’s better not to take it on. You’ll waste a bunch of material – for the same amount that professionals would charge for the work (we’re not exaggerating!), and you’ll already waste your nerves and time...
Now about the process itself.
Sanding and painting after sanding the walls of the log house
If you still don’t understand why it is necessary to sand the log walls of a log house, let us explain. The main purpose of sanding is to give the building an aesthetic appearance. Wood, even the most durable, darkens over time. In order to make the walls light, to see a unique pattern on them natural wood, smell it, and need to polish it. But it is equally important that with the help of this operation the log is cleaned of mold, mildew, bark residues, burrs, cracks, and so on. The logs become smooth without losing their protective resinous layer! And, of course, varnishes and paints adhere better to a sanded surface, and their adhesion to the surface increases. Excellent absorption into smooth walls and antiseptics.
Grinding is carried out after the end of the shrinkage period (at least 6 months after construction) and before the start of all finishing works, installation of windows, floors, ceilings, laying communications. Moreover, keep in mind that errors in finishing the walls of a log house made of planed logs cannot be hidden, as is the case with timber, for example, under the floor, insulation or lining. The sanded surface must be perfectly smooth. One more point - by the time processing of the log house begins, there must be a roof on it - otherwise the work will be useless. 
It is important to think through and organize the order of work. If the blue color is already spoiling the appearance of the logs, the wood must first be “whitened”. To do this, use an antiseptic, saturate the walls with it, let it dry thoroughly, and only then start sanding. It is better to carry out the grinding process itself in parts - immediately covering the cleaned surfaces with an antiseptic. By leaving treated logs uncoated for just a few days, you run the risk of starting all over again - the logs will have time to darken again.
Sanding is carried out in three stages - two passes with a grinder, using sandpaper of different fractions, and a control pass - manually. They also do the treatment of all hard-to-reach places by hand. If the log house has two floors, work is carried out starting from the second floor. There will be a lot of dust - you need to prepare to remove it in time with a vacuum cleaner and broom. For the same reason, take care of personal protective equipment in advance - respirator masks (better than paper ones, they generate less moisture when breathing), goggles and gloves. If already installed plastic windows, it is better to protect the mechanisms in them with film (covering the windows with it); you can also line the roof membrane with film. Although I’ll remind you again - it’s best to sand while there are no windows, floors and ceilings yet (these are the most difficult areas). It is also very difficult to work the corners of the cuts - the grinder cannot reach there, and you will have to go through it with a chisel.
After processing the log house, it must be coated with antiseptics and fire retardants. If desired, paint or varnish.
And, of course, very important question, which we must definitely consider - 
How to choose a tool for sanding log walls?
We have already said that an angle grinder or angle grinder is suitable for round logs. Whereas for timber house Belt grinders are used. You need to choose a grinder based on power - perfect option 850 Watt, no longer required. When purchasing, hold the tool in your hand - it should be light, otherwise after several hours of work you will no longer be able to raise your arms. And be sure to pay attention to reliability - a Chinese angle grinder will break down very quickly, and you will only lose the money invested in it.
You will also need attachments - it is very important to understand the process here. Do not buy super sophisticated ones - with Velcro, rubber and others. An attachment is required to which the grinding disc is attached with a bolt. Discs come in different diameters, in our case we need a diameter of 125-150 mm, no more. You will need a lot of them - from 1 to 3 pieces per square meter! By the way, do you know how to correctly calculate the area log walls? We take several control measurements, measure all the bends of the crowns. For example, you have a ceiling two meters high, but the actual height of the wall of the log house turns out to be three and a half meters! So think about it correctly. 
For the first pass you will need sandpaper with coarse grain - fraction 40 (it will also be suitable for grinding the ends of a log house). The second pass is performed with finer sandpaper - 80 (or 60, as a last resort). For manual operations, stock up on a hammer and chisel.
Please note that the outer layer of a softwood wall, although dry by the time of sanding, still contains resins - so consumables will quickly clog. On average, it will take 2-3 minutes to pass 1 linear meter of logs with a diameter of 30 cm (if a professional works!). The same amount for replacing material.
Professionals sometimes grind grooves with a special flat attachment on an angle grinder, but it is not suitable for an inexperienced beginner. It is better for him to go through the grooves manually. After completing the entire sanding process, be sure to blow off all dust without a trace from the walls, and especially corner connections crowns
Let us separately mention such an important operation as 
Grinding the ends of the log house
The fact is that the outer ends are constantly exposed to natural factors, and suffer the most. Sanding will help clog the natural channels in the wood and reduce its absorption. Ultimately, the log house will last a long time – and that’s exactly what we need!
The ends need to be sanded with coarse sandpaper, and then thoroughly polished! An unpolished end will absorb water like a sponge. And, of course, process it immediately - no later than two days after sanding. The surface will become smooth and hard, without noticeable lint, and any composition will fit perfectly on it - be it a protective one or a paint one.
Well, that's probably all important aspects the process of grinding a log frame, which we wanted to tell you about today. Of course, there are a lot of nuances in this work - however, like in any other, and questions will certainly arise along the way. Especially considering that each log house, like a living creature, is special and unique. But this is precisely why we love Russian log houses so much!
But the result of good, professional work will certainly please you! Look again at 
log houses and hand-cut bathhouses from the construction company SEC “Russian Izba” - isn’t such a bright and spacious mansion worth going through the difficult construction path, with all its problems? And if you get a reliable performer, rest assured, he will take on most of the worries. This is exactly how we work.
Video about how to grind a log house with your own hands
Well, if you still decide to polish the log house yourself, we will help you in any way, as they say, that we can. Ask questions in discussions, write to us by email - we will definitely answer everyone and give useful advice!
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Over time, any wood loses its original appearance and darkens. In some cases, the cause of darkening and even blackening is mold bacteria, which multiply very quickly in undried wood. But even completely dry wood becomes dark over time due to exposure to sunlight and moisture. That is why the wood is sanded before applying the coating.
Sanding a log frame allows you to remove the top blackened layers and prepare the wood for further processing.
Purpose of grinding
When building wooden houses, many developers want to emphasize the pristine beauty of the wood texture, rejecting this type of finishing such as painting. To do this, the log house is treated with transparent or tinted products, which, along with decorative functions, also protect the wood from rain and snow. Often the substances included in the coating form a kind of ultraviolet barrier that protects the tree from exposure to the sun.
The problem with wood processing is that the log house cannot be immediately coated with protective agents. Any house made from logs or timber natural humidity, must first shrink. In this case, the wood will dry out and the humidity will be no more than 20%. Only in this case is it possible to apply various protective coatings. However, under natural conditions, wood drying takes months and even years. During this time, the log house will definitely darken and become gray. In this case, grinding will help, which will precede treatment with protective compounds.
Do I need to sand?
There are several types of wooden houses, which are subsequently subject to treatment with protective agents:
- frame houses covered with wood materials;
- log, from natural or rounded logs;
- lumber, from sawn or profiled timber of natural moisture;
- lumber, from laminated profiled timber.
Frame houses are usually sheathed with dry materials that can be processed immediately. These can be sheets of moisture-resistant plywood or planed profiled boards. Often such materials are treated with protective and decorative agents in advance, before they are mounted on the frame. In this case, grinding is not necessary.
Natural and rounded logs
Houses from natural logs are made using debarked timber of natural moisture. They shrink for a very long time, and drying takes 2-3 years. To reduce drying time, log houses made from such logs are usually installed in winter, when the moisture content of the wood is lowest. But in any case, processing of such a log house will occur only after drying and polishing.
A rounded log is made from a regular log by processing it on special machines. According to the principle of operation, they are similar to lathes. In this case, the top layer of wood is removed, and the log has the same diameter along its entire length. Removing the outer layer removes the strongest fibers. Protection of such a log from external influences is mandatory. But since the humidity of the rounded log is high, it also has to be dried naturally, that is, already laid in the log houses. During drying, the surface of the log may take on a uniform brown color, so treatment with protective compounds is possible only after sanding the rounded log.
Natural moisture timber
The timber is obtained by cutting a log at a sawmill. Drying of such logs occurs under natural conditions. In this case, the core is used to make timber, and the layers lying closer to the outer fibers are used to produce boards. Often the timber is then passed through special machines that give it a special profile. Thanks to this, it acquires grooves on the lower surface and tenons on the upper. When assembling a log house, the tenons are tightly inserted into the grooves, thereby ensuring the installation of warm, waterproof and windproof seams.
Since ordinary logs with natural moisture are used to produce timber, a log house made from such material must also be dried. Due to the fact that the density of the timber is usually less than the density of the surface of the log, drying occurs a little faster. However, during drying the timber still manages to darken. And in this case, before treating the log house with protective agents, it must be sanded.
Glued laminated timber
Glued laminated timber is obtained from boards or their scraps. In appearance and structure it resembles layered cake. Such timber is very convenient to work with, since the fibers of the boards that make it up are located in different directions. The timber does not warp or behave when exposed to temperature and humidity.
Before gluing, the boards are usually dried and planed, since smooth surfaces adhere better. After gluing, the timber structure is kept for some time in the drying chamber, and then subjected to profiling, as a result of which, as in the case described above, the product acquires grooves and tenons.
Note! After several dryings, the wood of laminated veneer lumber already has low moisture content, so a log house made from this material can be treated with protective agents immediately after assembly.
However, even in this case it is not always possible to do without grinding work. The fact is that while the frame, rafters are being installed, the roofing, windows, doors are being installed and the outside is being processed, the surface of the timber inside the room can still change its appearance. Therefore, during finishing work inside the house, the walls made of timber are polished. As a result, the surface becomes perfectly flat, smooth and light.
Grinding rules and techniques
The process of polishing a log frame is simple. You can do it yourself, and if you have the necessary tool Even a novice carpenter can handle it.
You will definitely need a grinding machine. Depending on what type of log house is to be sanded, you will need to use either an angle grinder (grinder), a belt grinder, or a vibratory grinder. In addition, you will need disks and circles. Again, each type of log house and each type of grinder will require its own consumables.
Note! When choosing a grinder, you need to pay attention to its power. It should be no more than 1000 W.
There is also such a relatively new tool for polishing a log frame, like nylon brush. It allows you to better highlight the wood texture, leaving more wood without erasing excess. You can use it in the same way as a grinder.
Using an angle grinder
To polish a log frame, especially a natural one, it is better to use a grinder. Discs with wire hairs, similar to a round brush, are used as consumables. Another option is a flap wheel with pieces of sanding paper. With such discs and wheels, grinding is done very quickly, but roughly. They are convenient to use when it is necessary to remove old worn-out coating. The disk rotation speed should be chosen low - about 8-10 thousand revolutions per minute. The same tool can be used for primary grinding of timber frames.
For finer grinding, special attachments are used, to which round discs made of sanding paper are attached. The reverse side of the paper is covered with lint, and the attachments have many nylon hooks in their design. Sanding disc It is simply applied to the nozzle and secured according to the principle of Velcro clothing. Primary grinding can be done with discs with a grit of 40-60, finishing grinding is carried out with discs of 80-100. The number shows how many abrasive grains there are per square centimeter. Obviously, the higher the number, the finer the grind and the smoother the surface.
Application of an orbital sander
It is unsafe to grind with a grinder near the joints of logs, since a disk caught in the joint may “bite.” Another unfavorable factor is the presence of a jute or moss gasket between the crowns. If the brush disk gets caught on this gasket, the angle grinder can easily be torn out of your hands. In these conditions, it is better to use an orbital sander.
If the log house was cut with a residue, that is, the ends of the logs protrude beyond the outer line of the log house, internal corners, which are very difficult to process. In this case, using an orbital grinder with a working surface in the shape of an iron can help out. The sharp angle of such a machine can reach even the most inaccessible places. If this does not help, the internal corners at the intersections of the logs can be processed with a chisel.
Very often, when profiling, a chamfer is made at the corners of long edges of timber, that is, the corner is cut off a little. This is done in order to give the timber more interesting view and prevent rainwater pouring down the wall from flowing into the joint between the crowns. To process such a chamfer, it is also best to use an orbital grinder.
Working with a ribbon machine
A log frame can be sanded with a belt sander. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the direction of movement of the tape coincides with the direction of the wood fibers of the beam. Otherwise, transverse scratches will appear on the surface, which will give the surface a not very attractive appearance.
Whitening
It often happens that log wood becomes infected with mold fungi during drying. After sanding, the surface becomes smooth, but some areas acquire a gray or blue tint. On dry wood it may be barely visible.
If such a surface is wetted, then black and blue spots will appear very clearly, ruining the appearance of the log house. The same will happen during application. protective coating. To avoid this, use special means– wood bleaches.
These compositions usually contain chlorine-containing substances. They treat the affected areas of the surface, dry them, and after that the grinding is repeated. Usually one or two applications of bleach are enough to restore the wood to its original appearance.
Safety precautions and remedies
Sanding a log house is accompanied by the release of a large amount of wood dust, which may also be mixed with mold fungi from the affected areas. Inhalation of such dust is very harmful to the human body, so work must be carried out in a respirator. Some models of grinding machines are equipped with special outlets for connecting them to vacuum cleaners. This is very convenient, as it allows you to immediately remove dust from the sanding site. Safety glasses must be used to protect your eyes.
Workers' hands must be protected with thick gloves made of rubber, tarpaulin or split leather. It is not allowed to use knitted or woven gloves, as they may get caught on grinding wheel or sanding machine belt. In this case, injury is inevitable. When working with an orbital grinder, you can use special gloves with vibration damping effect.
If the work is done correctly, sanding will help restore the log house to its excellent appearance, and subsequent processing will preserve it for many years.
Sanding a frame made of timber or logs is a mandatory process for finishing the walls of wooden houses. This procedure allows you to remove all irregularities and various defects from the surface. It is performed manually using a special electric tool. Sanding a beam or log is a rather labor-intensive process that requires special knowledge and skills.
Why do you need to sand a log frame?
Sanding a wooden house is a process that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also practically important. Proper execution work allows:
- provide an attractive appearance of the building;
- protect the wall material from negative external influences;
- protect the house from the appearance of fungus and mold on the walls and ceiling;
- prepare the wooden surface for painting.
Grinding wooden house increases the service life of the house and allows its owners to save on repairs.
In modern construction, they distinguish between sanding a log frame in one and two layers. In the first case, traces of the use of a plane, mold and other contaminants are removed from the surface of the logs. Sanding in two layers involves polishing the logs using fine sandpaper. Sanding in one layer is relevant for processing the external walls of a house, in two layers - for internal ones.
How is sanding done?
It is necessary to grind the timber after it has completely settled. During the work process, the master must protect himself from wood dust getting into the respiratory tract and eyes. For this purpose, separators and special safety glasses are used. For the actual sanding at home, a grinder with various brush attachments is usually used.
Wood processing is carried out in a bottom-up direction. At the same time, the moisture content of the wood should ideally be 19%, because otherwise, in the future, the treated log house may become deformed and lose its integrity. A moisture meter is used to measure humidity levels.
Sanding with Osborn brushes
To make log grinding more effective, experts recommend using nylon brushes German manufacturer Osborn. Such products are used together with special polishing machines operating at a speed of 1800-2500 rpm. For grinding logs or beams the following can be used:
- brush attachments with fine abrasive grain, allowing you to easily and quickly remove paint residues from the surface of the wood;
- Coarse grain brushes designed for working with soft wood.
The cost of sanding a log frame using Osborn brushes is somewhat different from performing work with ordinary tool. Innovative German brushes allow you to perform brushing with the highest quality and speed wood material. Brushing means the procedure of removing soft fibers from the surface of logs. With its help, you can give wood a more pronounced textured surface.
Prices for polishing a log frame using Osborn brushes will provide profitable investment funds into the visual appeal and durability of the walls of your home. Nylon German brushes have many advantages. They are durable and clean the surface of the log house much better.
If you need polishing of a log house, the price of which will be quite affordable, you can contact the Master Seam company. Our highly qualified craftsmen will complete any amount of work in the shortest possible time with a guarantee of maximum quality.
The process of polishing a log frame is quite labor-intensive, but it can be done at home. In order to perform high-quality grinding, you must have special equipment, as well as initial skills in working with it. Grinding a log house yourself will help you save money while getting a high-quality result. We will learn further about how to properly sand a log frame made from rounded logs.
Sanding logs is not a mandatory process at all. However, after its implementation, the wooden surface acquires a more attractive appearance, it becomes resistant to external irritants.
Most often, sanding a bathhouse is necessary to get rid of the top, dark layer of wood. In addition, grinding can partially or completely remove the fungus. Next, covering the wood with a special protective agent, it is possible to extend its service life for several more years.
In order for the grinding process to proceed quickly and efficiently, it is necessary to select the right equipment. Most often, for these purposes, a grinder is used, on which it is installed special nozzle or grinding machine.
When choosing a grinding machine, pay attention to compact, small and lightweight models with minimum set functions. The device should also have a function for smoothly switching operating modes. It is more convenient to perform grinding using two grinding machines, one of which has a fine abrasive and the other a coarse one. However, it is quite possible to get the job done with just one device.
Choose plastic attachments for abrasive elements, since rubber ones leave dark stains on the wooden surface. Please note that prolonged use of the tool and constant replacement of attachments leads to excessive heating. Therefore, if you work with only one grinding machine, then pause its work. The initial grinding of the bath is performed using abrasive grit 40-60. With this abrasive it is possible to process about five meters of logs.
Please note that to polish the frame they coniferous trees, you will need to purchase more abrasive. Since these wood species have a high resin content in their composition, this leads to premature deterioration of abrasive attachments.
Secondary processing of bathhouse logs is carried out using abrasives with a grain size of 110 units.
Please note that grinding of rounded logs is carried out exclusively using an eccentric sander. And with the help of a grinder you can sand the timber. However, keep in mind that the power of the grinder is quite high, and pressing too hard will damage the wooden surface.
Before sanding the frame, it is necessary to carry out a series of preparatory work. The work is carried out before installing the windows, since this type work is characterized by the release of large amounts of dust and dirt. If the wood has a high moisture content, then you need to wait until it dries. Since sanding wet wood will be of poor quality. It is preferable to carry out the work after the roof has been installed.
Before starting work, inspect the surface of the frame for defects. If there are places where the surface of the wood has peeled off, then it must be lubricated with glue and wait until it dries.
How to properly sand a log house: instructions
Start sanding the frame from the bottom, gradually moving to the top. The grinding process involves performing the following actions:
1. Grinding using a grinder with a coarse-grained nozzle.
2. Processing the groove areas using a grinder, the size of the disc should be 1-2 cm larger size the instrument itself. If you select a large attachment, the tool may jam and cause injury.
3. The corner sections of the log house are processed with a chisel. This process performed either at the beginning of work or after completion of the first grinding.
4. To grind the ends, use only coarse abrasive. To reduce lint on the ends, use a soldering iron or hammer.
5. Before further finishing, inspect the wood for gray spots. If they are present on the surface, apply bleach to them. Don't forget to remove dust using a vacuum cleaner and a damp cloth.
6. To avoid leaving deep marks on the surface of the wood, do not use the grinder or grinder at too high speeds.
- apply a layer of primer, use a brush or spray gun;
- in order to emphasize the structure of the wood, bleach and paint the surface;
- Apply a layer of protective impregnation.
How to polish a log house with your own hands: internal sanding
When performing internal grinding of a log house, there are several options for performing this process. If previously the bathhouse could be sanded, then to update its top layer, it is enough to use a coarse abrasive.
If there are no plans to further cover the walls, then the sanding process must be high-quality and long-lasting. It is preferable to carry out initial sanding before installing finished floors and ceilings. The work process is as follows:
- removing the rough layer of wood bark, using a grinder or grinder for this;
- using a grinder, process the groove and corner areas;
- sand the wood using fine abrasive materials;
- To sand the joints of logs and the most inaccessible places, use hand tools; this process is labor-intensive and requires high labor costs.
After finishing sanding one wall, remove dust from its surface and apply protective composition antiseptic action. This process is repeated each time after sanding.
When applying antiseptic to the wall, make sure that there are no caulking on it. Use sealant to remove them. For execution finishing, follow these steps:
1. Apply a protective layer of antiseptic. With its help, it will be possible to prevent the development of mold and mildew on the walls.
2. After the antiseptic has dried, treat the walls with a glaze solution. This will improve the aesthetic appeal of the room.
3. Treat the end areas using an acrylic composition with moisture-resistant characteristics. After it has completely dried, apply another layer of solution.
4. In order to improve the fire resistance of wood, apply a fire retardant compound to it.
How to quickly polish a log house: abrasive blasting
Another fairly simple option for grinding is the use of abrasive blasting technology. To perform grinding, you will need a special apparatus that releases sand under pressure. It, in turn, cleans the wood from dirt and mold. This method of wood processing is non-contact. However, the wood, after processing, is particularly smooth and has excellent texture.
The process of performing such grinding is easy and quick, and the quality is impeccable. Using sandblasting, it is possible to create a certain natural texture on wood. The appearance of the wood, after processing, is distinguished by exclusivity and high cost.
Advantages of using the sandblasting method:
- sanding of wood of different structure and type;
- sanding wood with any contaminants;
- the ability to highlight the fabulous texture of wood;
- high speed;
- performing grinding in the most inaccessible places;
- the lifespan of the tree increases due to the fact that its top layer is compacted;
- ease of doing the job.
This grinding method is different high speed execution. There are no scratches or chips on the surface of the wood, and there is excellent wood texture. In addition, it is possible to get rid of lint and additional elements, deteriorating the quality of wood. There is no need to sand the surface after sandblasting. This process is quite easy to perform even for a beginner. The only thing that is required is the availability of special equipment and sand for work.
Therefore, when answering the question of how to polish log logs, first of all pay attention to this method processing.
If you do not have the time and energy to perform grinding, we recommend entrusting this process to professionals. When answering the question of how much it costs to sand a log house, it is necessary to take into account many factors, such as the quality of the wood, the size of the log house, the complexity of the work, etc.
Average cost of grinding one square meter a log house costs about 450 rubles. This process is quite expensive, however, in this way you will save time and get high-quality results from professionals.
When choosing a tool for DIY wood processing, pay attention to sanding machines that have a dust collection bag. This way, the job will be easier and there will be no need for cleanup after it's done.
Belt sanders will not be able to process semicircular logs; special equipment will be required for these purposes. It is possible to use a grinder, but it must be equipped with an attachment with special petals that will help grind hard-to-reach places. Optimal value The power of the grinder is up to 1 kW. The use of more powerful equipment may lead to severe pain in your hands on the second day due to the heaviness of the instrument.
If you want to get a perfectly smooth surface, then sand the frame only after it has completely dried. Otherwise, there will be worn fragments on the wood.
There are four main methods of processing wood with a sander and abrasives:
- roughing method - involves peeling off the bark;
- medium processing option - at this stage, small irregularities are removed from the tree;
- fine processing option involves final grinding;
- sanding wood before painting.
Please note that the abrasive wears out very quickly, and when doing the work yourself, you will have to change attachments very often. To clean the nozzle from resin and dust, use a brush and thinner in the form of white spirit. However, in this case, achieving high productivity is more difficult to achieve.
The speed of work is determined by factors such as previous sanding experience, equipment power, quality of attachments, and the amount of resin in the wood. The average duration of grinding one linear meter is about two minutes, with a log height of 300 mm.
Before you start sanding, wear a respirator, safety glasses and gloves. Since the work process produces dust, which should not get into the eyes or respiratory tract.
Immediately after sanding the frame, it is coated special compounds. If there is mold or mildew on the logs, special bleaches are used to remove them. Next, you should protect the tree with antiseptic glazing compounds.
To apply the composition, use a brush, and also better sprayer. This will ensure that the surface is evenly covered. After applying paint or varnish to the surface of the wood, lint begins to rise; to remove it, sand the surface again.
External sanding of a log house helps restore the wood to its natural shade, which is lost under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. If you do not polish the log house before applying antiseptics to its surface, you will not be able to achieve optimal effectiveness of their effects.
Sanding a log house allows you to get rid of the top layer of mold and mildew that appears from excessive moisture. In addition, with the help of grinding it is possible to remove all unevenness and dirt from the walls. At the same time, they acquire a pleasant color, excellent texture and smooth surface. Sanding walls significantly increases the lifespan of wood. In addition, by performing sanding it is possible to restore wood that has previously lost its color.
Sanding a log house video: