Most log-home owners love the timeless rustic charm of their homes, yet in reality that timeless quality takes a bit of work to achieve. From the day a log structure is built, the battle is on against infiltration from water, fungi and insects. By taking a few, relatively simple steps each year, you can maintain and preserve your beautiful log home for generations to come. Does this Spark an idea?
First Line of Defense: Exterior Finish and Chinking
When your log home was built, a protective finish was most likely applied to the exterior log surfaces. The exterior finish gives your home its color, but more importantly it protects the wood from water damage as well as mold and mildew. Caulking or chinking was applied between logs to protect your home from insect, water and air infiltration. As a log-home owner, your primary goal is to maintain the integrity of the exterior finish and caulking.
Keep It Clean
Exterior-finish manufacturers recommend cleaning your log home once or twice each year. Dust and pollen can build up on the surface of the logs and actually grind down the exterior finish over time. Use a pressure washer on a low-pressure setting so as not to inadvertently strip away the exterior finish or purchase a log cleaning solution from an exterior-finish manufacturer. The Log Homes Council of the National Association of Home Builders offers a formula for a caustic solution that can be used with a hand-pump garden sprayer.
Inspect After Cleaning
After cleaning, make a careful inspection of the exterior logs.
Look for small holes, a sign of insect activity. There are many insects that attack wood, including termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood boring beetles and bark beetles. Most insect problems can be eliminated with regular pesticide treatments.
Check for water damage and rot. Water damage may appear as a stain typically on a wall exposed to sun and rain. Rot may appear as soft wood or wood that sounds hollow when tapped. Take special care to check corners, notches, log ends and any area not protected by a roof overhang. Treatment of water damage or rot can be as simple as stabilizing the area with an epoxy or as extensive as replacing logs.
Look for cracks that have opened up in the logs. Logs naturally expand and contract over time, which forms cracks. If the cracks are exposed to weather and face upward, then fill them with caulking sealant to prevent water damage.
Look for cracks or openings in the chinking or caulking between logs. Fill in any cracks with caulking sealant.
Consider the overall condition of the exterior finish and caulking or chinking. Exterior finishes can last as long as five years or as short as one year, depending on the finished product and the conditions in and around your log home.
Tags: your home, exterior finish, water damage, between logs, caulking sealant, each year
