Booking May to October log-home staining season

Log home staining for cottages and timber-frame homes across Lake Nipissing country.

Bristle-brushed prep, low-pressure wash, chinking and inter-log caulk repair, optional borate treatment, and one to two coats of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat or Dulux UV-stable stain. Full-scribe, milled-log, post-and-beam, and timber-frame builds across a 45-mile radius. 1-year written warranty on every job.

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Fully bonded + insured

1-year warranty

WSIB covered

Cottage-country specialty

Arborcoat + Dulux

Chinking + caulk repair

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No obligation · No pressure · 1-year warranty

Log home staining · North Bay, Ontario

Cottage-country log home and timber-frame staining since 2016.

Log home staining in North Bay typically runs $4 to $9 per square foot of log surface area, with a typical full re-stain on an 1,800 sq ft log cottage landing between $7,000 and $16,000. North Bay Painting Services has been staining log homes, full-scribe cabins, milled-log cottages, post-and-beam timber-frame builds, and rustic hunting lodges since 2016 - across a 45-mile radius from North Bay, including lakefront properties on Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake, Lake Nosbonsing, Callander Bay, and the Mattawa River. Every project starts with a bristle-brush and low-pressure wash prep, includes chinking and inter-log caulking spot-fixes, optional borate wood preservative on vulnerable courses, and one to two coats of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat exterior or Dulux UV-stable transparent or semi-transparent stain. Every job is fully bonded, insured, and WSIB covered, backed by a 1-year written workmanship warranty. Owned and operated by Ahmed Khalil, owner and lead painter, who personally walks every cottage estimate.

North Bay Lake Nipissing Mattawa River Trout Lake Lake Nosbonsing Callander Bay Benjamin Moore Arborcoat Dulux Full-Scribe Logs Milled Logs Timber-Frame Post-and-Beam Butt-and-Pass Dovetail Cottages Chinking Inter-Log Caulking Borate Treatment Log-End Checking UV-Stable Stain Hunting Lodges 1-Year Warranty WSIB Covered Ahmed Khalil Cottage Country Since 2016

What's included

Every log-home job. Every time. Prep is the work.

The difference between a log-home stain that fails in two years and one that holds for seven is prep, sealing, and the right product. Bristle-brush, low-pressure wash, brighten, spot-chink, fill checks, then stain. We don't blast aged logs with high-pressure water - forcing water deep into the wood damages the soft fibre and traps moisture under the new finish.

Walk-the-home inspection

Ahmed walks every face. Documents UV graying, water-line damage at the bottom course, log-end checking, sap stains, and any rot or insect damage.

Bristle-brush + low-pressure wash

Stiff-bristle brush by hand, then a low-pressure wash - never high-pressure on aged logs. Brightener if greyed. 48 to 72 hours of dry time before stain.

Re-chink failing seams

Cut out failed urethane chink, clean joints, install backer rod, and apply new flexible chinking compound. Same approach for inter-log caulking.

Fill checks + log ends

Elastomeric crack filler in deep log-end checking and any vertical splits that hold water. Sealed before the first stain coat goes on.

Borate treatment (optional)

Preventative borate wood preservative on bottom courses, north faces, and any logs showing insect or moisture risk. Recommended on older homes.

Brush + back-brush stain

One to two coats of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat exterior or Dulux UV-stable transparent or semi-transparent stain - brushed in, then back-brushed for full saturation.

Mid-job inspection

Photos and a check-in halfway through the job - you see exactly what we did, what we caught, and what's still scheduled before the next coat.

1-year written warranty

Walkthrough every face, log ends, soffits, fascia, and deck connections. 1-year written workmanship warranty signed at sign-off.

Log structures we stain

Every build style. Every log type. Every cottage setting.

Full-scribe through milled-log, butt-and-pass through dovetail, residential cabin through two-storey lakefront cottage. We match the right Arborcoat or Dulux system to log species, age, exposure, and the look you want.

Full-scribe log homes

Hand-scribed, hand-peeled logs with saddle-notch corners. Variable diameters, settling spaces, large checking - staining sequence matters.

Milled-log homes

Uniform machined logs (D-log, swedish cope, square profile). Cleaner surfaces, predictable stain absorption, faster prep.

Timber-frame + post-and-beam

Exposed timbers with infill walls. Stain on every visible beam, brace, and corbel - brushed for crisp edges against the infill.

Lakefront cottages

Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake, Lake Nosbonsing, Callander Bay, Mattawa River. UV-stable Arborcoat with mildew inhibitor for lake humidity.

Hunting lodges + cabins

Remote bunkies, single-storey hunt camps, off-grid cabins. We coordinate access, generators, and weather windows.

Butt-and-pass corners

Common on Northern Ontario builds. Tight inter-log caulk lines, distinctive corner stacking - stained to highlight the corner geometry.

Dovetail cottages

Squared logs with dovetail-notch corners. Crisp, geometric look - best in transparent or semi-transparent stains that show the joinery.

Maintenance coats

South- and west-face refresh on a 3-to-5 year cycle. Cleaner, brighter, single coat - keeps the full re-stain cycle out at 7 to 10 years.

Transparent pricing

Real log-home staining ranges. No hidden markup.

Every estimate is free and on-site. We measure log surface area, building height, chinking condition, and lift requirements before we quote.

Per sq ft of log surface

$4 – $9

depends on diameter, height, prep

Small cabin / bunkie

$4,500 – $8,000

single-storey, ~800–1,200 sq ft

Typical log cottage (≈1,800 sq ft)

$7,000 – $16,000

full re-stain, all four sides

Two-storey full-scribe

$14,000 – $22,000+

lift / boom required, gable ends

Maintenance coat (S/W faces)

$2,500 – $6,000

3–5 year refresh cycle

Chinking re-run

$3 – $7

per linear foot · add-on

Ranges reflect 2026 North Bay market pricing for full-prep log home staining. Borate treatment, full chinking re-runs, structural log carpentry (rotten course replacement), lift / scaffold / boom rentals, and remote lake-access mobilization are quoted separately.

Get Your Free On-Site Estimate

How we work

Six steps on every log-home job.

Same process whether it's a small bunkie on Trout Lake or a wraparound full-scribe cottage on Lake Nipissing.

On-site inspection

Ahmed walks the home. Documents failed coatings, log-end checks, water lines, mildew, and any rot. Carpentry add-ons flagged.

Surface prep

Bristle-brush every face, low-pressure wash to protect aged fibre, brighten greyed wood, then 48–72 hours of dry time.

Spot-fix chinking + checks

Re-chink failing urethane seams, re-caulk between logs, fill log-end checking with elastomeric filler.

Borate treatment

Optional preventative wood preservative on bottom courses and vulnerable north faces. Recommended on older builds.

Brush + back-brush stain

One to two coats premium UV-stable Arborcoat exterior or Dulux equivalent. Brushed and back-brushed for full saturation.

Final walkthrough

Walk every face, log ends, soffits, fascia, and deck connections together. 1-year written warranty issued at sign-off.

Stain products

Benjamin Moore Arborcoat. Dulux. Built for Northern wood.

We specify by log species, age, exposure, and the look you want - not by price. You see exactly which Arborcoat or Dulux product is going on which face before the first coat.

Benjamin Moore Arborcoat

Our primary log-home stain line

Arborcoat exterior is our go-to UV-stable stain for log homes, timber-frame builds, and full-scribe cottages in Northern Ontario. Available in transparent, semi-transparent, and semi-solid finishes - we specify by log condition and how much grain the homeowner wants to see.

Arborcoat Transparent - minimal pigment, maximum grain visibility, for newer logs
Arborcoat Semi-Transparent - most popular log-home choice, 5–7 year recoat
Arborcoat Semi-Solid - for older, weathered, or previously coated logs
Mildew inhibitor additive - added on lakefront and shaded north faces

Dulux

Our secondary log-home line

Dulux is our second specification line - used when the homeowner has a Dulux colour locked in or sourcing is easier. Solid Northern Ontario performance, easy local pickup in North Bay.

Dulux Semi-Transparent Exterior - UV-stable, grain-showing finish
Dulux Transparent Wood Stain - for newer milled-log and timber-frame
Borate-treated wood preservative - generic borate primer / dip system used as add-on
Wood brightener + cleaner - prep chemistry that pairs cleanly with the stain

What customers say

4.9 stars across 47 Google reviews.

A selection of what North Bay log-home owners and cottagers have said about our staining work.

Our full-scribe cottage on Lake Nipissing was grey on the south face and the chinking was failing on three corners. Ahmed walked every wall, gave us a written quote that flagged a soft sill log for the carpenter, and re-stained the whole place in Arborcoat semi-transparent. Looks brand new.

David H.

Lake Nipissing · Full-scribe cottage

Hunting cabin on the Mattawa River - water was sitting in the log-end checks and we had carpenter ants in the bottom course. Ahmed's crew filled the checks, applied a borate treatment, and put two coats of Arborcoat down. Three winters later, still tight.

Jim T.

Mattawa River · Hunting lodge

Timber-frame home in Callander - exposed Douglas fir beams on the porch and gable ends. The crew brushed and back-brushed every face, every brace, every corbel. Daily photo updates because we live in Toronto. Honest, careful, on time.

Margaret S.

Callander · Timber-frame

Frequently asked

Log home staining questions, answered.

Still have one? Call (705) 482-1142 any time.

How much does log home staining cost in North Bay?

Log home staining in North Bay typically runs $4 to $9 per square foot of log surface area, depending on log diameter, building height, the condition of the previous coating, and how much chinking or inter-log caulking work is needed. A typical full re-stain on an 1,800 sq ft log cottage runs $7,000 to $16,000. A small one-storey hunting cabin or rustic bunkie runs $4,500 to $8,000. A two-storey full-scribe log home with a wraparound deck, multiple gable ends, and significant chinking repair runs $14,000 to $22,000-plus. Every quote includes bristle-brushing the wood, low-pressure washing, brightening if needed, spot-fixing failed chinking and checks, and one to two coats of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat or Dulux UV-stable transparent or semi-transparent stain. Borate wood preservative treatment, full chinking re-runs, and carpentry repairs (rotten log courses, sill replacement) are quoted as separate add-ons in writing - backed by a 1-year written workmanship warranty.

How often should I re-stain my log cottage?

A properly prepped and stained log home in Northern Ontario typically needs a maintenance coat on south- and west-facing walls every 3 to 5 years, and a full re-stain on all four sides every 7 to 10 years. South and west walls weather faster because they take direct sun all afternoon - UV graying shows up there first. North faces hold a finish much longer but can trap mildew on shaded courses. Lake-facing walls on Lake Nipissing or the Mattawa River see UV reflection off water plus high humidity and mildew pressure, so they sometimes need attention sooner. The earliest visual cues that it's time to re-coat: dulling of the stain colour, chalky residue on a wiped-down log, water no longer beading off the surface, or grey weathering at log ends. We do free on-site inspections - Ahmed Khalil personally walks every cottage estimate and tells you honestly whether you need a maintenance coat or a full re-stain.

Do you do chinking and log repair, or just staining?

We handle most chinking and inter-log caulking work in-house as part of a stain project. That includes cutting out failed urethane chink, cleaning the joints, re-bonding with backer rod where needed, and applying new flexible chinking compound or inter-log caulk. We also fill log-end checks with elastomeric crack filler so water can't sit in the splits. What we don't do in-house is structural log work - replacing rotten log courses, sill plate replacement, log dovetail re-cutting, or full re-scribing. For that we coordinate with a trusted log carpentry sub-trade in the North Bay area and flag the scope and price in writing as a separate add-on before we book the stain work. That way you see exactly what the staining costs versus what the carpentry costs, and you decide what stays in scope.

Can you stain my cottage on Lake Nipissing or the Mattawa River?

Yes - log cottages and timber-frame homes on Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake, Lake Nosbonsing, Callander Bay, and the Mattawa River are a core specialty of North Bay Painting Services. We stain log structures across the entire 45-mile radius around North Bay, including remote lake-access-only properties. Ahmed Khalil personally walks every cottage job to scope log surface area, gable-end height, scaffold or boom-lift requirements, dock and boathouse access, and chinking condition. We coordinate lift, scaffold, and boom rentals through our equipment partners, arrange lake or barge access where the road won't reach, send daily photo updates for absentee owners, and accommodate weekend-only access windows. Because lake-adjacent logs see high humidity and UV reflection off water, we typically specify a UV-stable Arborcoat exterior or Dulux equivalent with mildew inhibitor on those builds.

What's the best stain for a log home in Northern Ontario?

For most log homes in Northern Ontario we specify a premium UV-stable transparent or semi-transparent exterior stain - Benjamin Moore Arborcoat exterior is our primary product, with Dulux as a secondary option when the homeowner has a colour locked in or sourcing is easier. Transparent and semi-transparent finishes let the natural log grain and colour show through while still blocking UV that causes greying and surface checking. On older logs that have already weathered grey, blotchy, or had a previous coating fail, we sometimes step up to a semi-solid for better hide and longer recoat cycles. We do not recommend solid (paint-like) stains on visible log surfaces - they trap moisture against the wood and look wrong on a log home. For older builds, we usually pair the stain system with a borate wood preservative on the bottom courses and any north-face logs that show insect or moisture risk. The exact spec gets written into your quote - product name, sheen, number of coats, areas treated.

Log home staining for cottages and timber-frame homes across Lake Nipissing country.

Free log home staining estimate

Cottage-country log home and timber-frame staining since 2016.

Every log-home job. Every time. Prep is the work.

Walk-the-home inspection

Bristle-brush + low-pressure wash

Re-chink failing seams

Fill checks + log ends

Borate treatment (optional)

Brush + back-brush stain

Mid-job inspection

1-year written warranty

Every build style. Every log type. Every cottage setting.

Full-scribe log homes

Milled-log homes

Timber-frame + post-and-beam

Lakefront cottages

Hunting lodges + cabins

Butt-and-pass corners

Dovetail cottages

Maintenance coats

Real log-home staining ranges. No hidden markup.

Six steps on every log-home job.

On-site inspection

Surface prep

Spot-fix chinking + checks

Borate treatment

Brush + back-brush stain

Final walkthrough

Benjamin Moore Arborcoat. Dulux. Built for Northern wood.

Often booked with log home staining.

Exterior painting

Deck staining

Fence staining

All services

Log home staining across Nipissing and cottage country.

4.9 stars across 47 Google reviews.

Log home staining questions, answered.

How much does log home staining cost in North Bay?

How often should I re-stain my log cottage?

Do you do chinking and log repair, or just staining?

Can you stain my cottage on Lake Nipissing or the Mattawa River?

What's the best stain for a log home in Northern Ontario?

Lock in your log home before cottage season fills up.