Spotted Logs

Q: I moved into my new log house in Tennessee on Aug. 7, 2004. Some of the interior logs have blotches that are lighter than the original color.  The only thing put on these new logs that I know of is polyurethane. The builder came back at six months and hand-sanded the areas, but that did not help. The builder came back again at one year and used small electric sanders on these areas, but this did not help. The painter has gone out of business. These areas are a real eye catcher. Can you help me? Do I need to sand deeper? Do I need to use a stain?
– Barbara Kimbrel; via e-mail

A: We asked Eric Fulton of the Log Homes Council about your problem. He says problems such as this are so case specific that it’s difficult to give an answer sight unseen. You were right to start by contacting the builder, but it sounds like both the builder and the painter have been tapped out as resources. Another avenue to explore would be to get in touch with the manufacturers of any products that have been used on the logs. They may be able to provide advice or assistance. Fulton also says that if the blotches are native to the logs as opposed to forming in the first six months after construction, a natural stain product might alleviate the problem.