MAINTENANCE

 No matter if you’ve just built your log home, or recently finished a restoration, maintaining your log home and it’s future is the next highly important step! Log homes require extended care, or you will inevitably encounter costly repairs in the long run. Log homes are tricky in that problems take a long time to show, but when they do, they’re of the upmost priority. Logs will eventually fail without maintenance so it’s crucial that you have a long-term maintenance plan in place. 

 While some maintenance is relatively easy for the homeowner, we are available for any and all maintenance requests. Whether we’re simply advising on steps, or handling your maintenance for you, we have the knowledge and advanced services to meet your needs. 

Decay is a natural process for any living matter that is exposed to the elements. Wood is no exception. When a tree is cut down, debarked and left unprotected it starts the decay process. Log homes are commonly sold with a preservative treatment to help protect the logs. However, over time, these preservatives can break down for multiple reasons (UV rays, rain, sleet, snow, bugs etc.).

Most new log home owners don’t realize the maintenance required to keep their log home looking good. Maintenance products will not last more then 3-5 years, so in order to avoid having to replace logs and the expense that goes with it, a proper maintenance schedule is recommended.

Log Building Maintenance and Restoration will inspect your logs to check for decay or rot and to make sure the preservative is still doing its job. In the event, that wood has decayed, Log Building Maintenance and Restoration has the capability to replace logs even in the middle of a wall. In most cases no one can even tell the wood was replaced. 

 Keep in mind that even if your log home is in great shape, subsequent touch-ups will always be necessary. One simple way to keep track and on top of what requires attention is to make note of any problem areas and observe how different weather patterns and elements affect these areas over time. Pay special attention to the following: What walls receive the harshest, most-direct sunlight? What walls receive the most moisture from rain? Where does snow build up around the base of the structure? What plants or trees are close to the house that would rub the finish off when the wind blows? The purpose of this exercise is to anticipate where future problems may occur. This will keep your home looking newer and will require less maintenance and fewer costly repairs. 

Log Washing Your Home

Part of our log home maintenance program includes log washing the home annually. If you are a DIY type, you will want to clean the surface with a specific product and correct ratio. During the wash of the log home you want to find a happy medium chemical ratio that is not too strong to harm the stained surface and not too weak so that the surface becomes clean. This is where expertise comes in. We can advise you on what cleaning agent is most efficient and the correct way for application. Or you can just hire us to save you time and money in the long run. We believe that time and money are valuable so it should be spent on whatever you’re good at in regards to achieving great results.

• We recommend log washing the home annually to keep the surface clean from dirt, dust, pollen, wasp nest, bird droppings, etc. This will maximize the longevity of the product that was applied to protect the logs. 

Making Sure The Log Home is Sealed up Properly

When It comes to maintaining a log cabin you want to make sure the home is sealed up properly around windows, doors and any upward facing checks/cracks that are vulnerable to trapping water. In addition, you will want to make sure that insects are not finding a good place to make their home. Log structures constantly settle, expand and contract throughout the seasons. This creates new checks/cracks annually. That is why it’s important to walk around the log home annually, inspect for anything new that wasn’t previously there and make sure it gets sealed up properly before any type of damage occurs.

This is a good time to keep an eye out for any soft, discolored, or decaying wood.