Preserving log cabin

[Alanfarfield]

Hi everyone.
I'm just after a bit of general advice on building a log cabin.
I've bought a cabin and should be assembling it over the next couple of weeks. As it's untreated I was planning on painting the end grain and joints were the planks go together as I build it, and then once finished painting the whole cabin with a decent paint.
Can anyone recommend a cheapish but suitable clear grain sealer for the initial build? I've heard I need something solvent based. I know Screwfix do a no nonesense range.
Cheers

 

[Doug71]

I use this stuff for sealing end grain when needed, it's water based but seems to work okay.

https://glenwooddecoratingsupplies.co.uk/shops/teknos-teknoseal-4000-end-grain-sealer/

 

[artie]

I'm just after a bit of general advice on building a log cabin.

Cheers

Are you building from a kit?

Any chance we could have a pic, or a link?

 

[Alanfarfield]

Are you building from a kit?

Any chance we could have a pic, or a link?

It's a dunster house cabin. 3.5x2.5 m. The kit arrives in two weeks but just getting everything together

 

[Ollie78]

I would not use a "film" finish like a paint on it. My parents have a log cabin, from the same company.

We preserved everything with a clear anti rot/fungus preserver before assembly which was a good idea. A Sika one in yellow cans.
Then once assembled they painted it with a coloured wood stain that was more like a paint in that it made a coating on the surface.
This was a bad idea.

These cabins move a HUGE amount. The movement causes cracks in the paint surface at every joint.

If I were building another I would use an oil of some kind that will soak in but not form a plasticky surface layer, much easier mantanance just wash it down and oil it again every couple of years. As you suggest it would be ideal to get a coat on every stick before assembly because you can never get to the overlaps again.
To be honest good old creasote would have been good for this type of building but not very decorative.

Ps. The windows on my parents one were absolute garbage, because of the insane level of movement they have to "float" in the structure so they use a sort of face frame to slot over the wall once built up high enough.
If they are still doing it this way I would make up a drip moulding (like a door weather bar) and put this 40mm or so above each windows face frame and overlapping about 300mm each end.

Ollie

 

[JAW911]

It's a dunster house cabin. 3.5x2.5 m. The kit arrives in two weeks but just getting everything together

I have just put up a Dunster House summerhouse. We did it on a weekday so that when something went wrong we could ring them for advice. As it turned out no advice needed! It went together perfectly. However, the felt shingle tile roof took days. That was down to me being fussy though! Enjoy!

 

[GerryT]

I’d second Ollie about not using a film finish.

What I’ve down with my own now for the last 7 years is a couple of coats of a solvent based preservative , in my case Barrettine, and then after it’s dried a couple of coats of Decking Oil.
Don’t be conned into buying a so called “specialist cabin oil” the decking and the cabin oil are the same gear but the privilege of it saying “Cabin” on the tin costs you more.
Both of these can be bought in various colours.

Screwfix do some .

 

[Alanfarfield]

I’d second Ollie about not using a film finish.

What I’ve down with my own now for the last 7 years is a couple of coats of a solvent based preservative , in my case Barrettine, and then after it’s dried a couple of coats of Decking Oil.
Don’t be conned into buying a so called “specialist cabin oil” the decking and the cabin oil are the same gear but the privilege of it saying “Cabin” on the tin costs you more.
Both of these can be bought in various colours.

Screwfix do some .

Thank you all for the help. I'll go with the coloured narrative, then a clear decking oil coat.